Nongame species - Wilkes Journal Patriot

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North Carolina is home to more than 1,000 nongame wildlife species.

Many are common and can be found in backyards and fields and woods near homes, while others are seldom seen and may be rare or endangered.

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is reminding taxpayers that they can support programs benefitting species without a hunting or fishing season by checking line No. 30 on their state income tax forms and indicating how much they wish to give of their tax refunds to the Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Fund.

This fund supports the commission’s Wildlife Diversity Program, which is engaged in conservation, research and management of nongame birds, mammals and fish, as well as mollusks, reptiles, amphibians and crayfish. These include endangered species and species such as bald eagles and peregrine falcons once considered endangered but not anymore thanks in part to the commission work.

Game animals such as deer, turkey and bear also benefit when the Wildlife Diversity Program is funded because they share habitat with nongame species.

North Carolina taxpayers have donated more than $11 million to the Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Fund since 1984, making the tax check-off the largest source of state funding for the Wildlife Diversity Program. These funds are used as required matches for grants from other sources.

While paper tax forms show line 30 as the donation line, tax preparation software such as TurboTax, doesn’t have numbered lines. E-filers can tell their tax return preparers that they wish to donate to the Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Fund.

Contributions can also be made to the fund by buying wildlife conservation license plates for vehicles or trailers. Donations can also be made to the Wildlife Diversity Endowment Fund.

The Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Fund supports numerous projects involving species monitoring, surveying, searching and management to protect existing and potentially new populations and habitats.

Some species targeted include the bog turtle, Carolina madtom (small catfish), eastern hellbender (mudpuppy), northern flying squirrel, green salamander, red-cockaded woodpecker, robust and sicklefin redhorse (recently-discovered fish in western N.C.) and multiple species of bats, sea turtles, neotropical migratory landbirds, freshwater mussels and crayfish.

The fund has been used to restore mussels to the Cheoah and Pigeon rivers; erect towers in Black Mountain as chimney swift roosting sites; conduct surveys of bats; and restore wetlands to boost populations of gopher frogs, tiger salamanders and other pond-breeding amphibians.

The fund is used to support educational activities and programs, such as the N.C. Birding Trail, Green Growth Toolbox and workshops. The commission’s efforts with non-game species include working in partnership with multiple organizations and volunteers.

All wildlife species are incredibly important to the balance of nature by serving as predators, prey, cleanup crews, excavators and in other roles. Everything is connected in the natural world.

Whether the species can be hunted or fished, all wildlife enrich our lives, contribute to the aesthetic quality of the environment and serve as educational tools for children to learn about the natural world.



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