State income tax check-off makes it easy
You might not associate wildlife with doing your state income taxes, but there is a connection. The ºÚÁÏÌìÌà Nongame Wildlife Fund check-off box on the state income tax form provides citizens a way to donate all or a portion of their state tax refunds for the benefit of nongame wildlife.
ºÚÁÏÌìÌà is home to more than 1,000 species of animals that are categorized as nongame – species that are not hunted, fished or trapped. The Nongame Wildlife Program, administered by the ºÚÁÏÌìÌà (ADCNR), is responsible for many programs including conducting winter surveys of bald eagles, shorebird surveys on the coast, and research on threatened and endangered species such as wood storks and red-cockaded woodpeckers.
The Nongame Wildlife Program does not receive any state tax dollars. It is partially funded by the citizens of ºÚÁÏÌìÌà through tax-deductible donations. In 1982, the ºÚÁÏÌìÌà Legislature enacted a law providing for the ºÚÁÏÌìÌà Nongame Wildlife Fund check-off box on the state income tax form. These donations are matched with federal funds, so even the smallest donation is valuable. The federal funds come from the Pittman-Robertson Act, a federal excise tax on sporting firearms, ammunition and archery equipment. Those funds are set aside for wildlife restoration and management.
Past donations to the Nongame Wildlife Program helped bring back bald eagles, ospreys and bluebirds to ºÚÁÏÌìÌÃ, but many other nongame wildlife species still need help. If you enjoy watching wildlife, here is your chance to lend it a helping hand. Make a donation to the ºÚÁÏÌìÌà Nongame Wildlife Fund on your state income tax form.
For those not receiving a state income tax refund, tax-deductible donations can be made to ºÚÁÏÌìÌÃ’s Nongame Wildlife Program, ºÚÁÏÌìÌà Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries, 64 North Union St., Suite 584, Montgomery, AL 36130. For more information, call (334) 242-3469.
For more information about ºÚÁÏÌìÌÃ’s Nongame Wildlife Program, visit www.outdooralabama.com/wildlife/nongame-wildlife-program
To watch a video on how you can help ºÚÁÏÌìÌÃ’s wildlife, visit
The ºÚÁÏÌìÌà promotes wise stewardship, management and enjoyment of ºÚÁÏÌìÌÃ’s natural resources through four divisions: Marine Resources, State Lands, State Parks, and Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries. To learn more about nongame wildlife and ADCNR, visit www.outdooralabama.com
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