Oregon Wildlife Fund

There is a spotted frog, a frisky little ground squirrel, and a bevy of native songbirds just waiting to join your fan club. On your part, all it takes is a checkmark in the Nongame Wildlife Fund box on your Oregon state income tax form. Every donation ― large or small ― matters for the many conservation programs dependent on donations.

Nongame wildlife―animals that are not fished, hunted or trapped―account for 88 percent of Oregon's wildlife. Unfortunately, there is not a stable state funding source for programs to support them; nongame programs receive only a fraction of the amount needed for species and habitat conservation.

To address this problem, the Oregon Legislature established the Nongame Wildlife Fund, allowing us to make tax-deductible contributions on our state income tax returns. To date, donations to the Fund have benefited Oregon's wildlife in many ways. They have helped bring back the American peregrine falcon, bald eagle, and western snowy plover from the brink of extinction; develop conservation programs for a number of sensitive species including the western pond turtle, Willamette Valley grassland birds, the yellow legged frog, the Townsend's big-eared bat, and the white-headed woodpecker; improve wildlife habitats on both private and public lands; provide opportunities to watch, photograph, study and appreciate wildlife in their natural setting; and implement strategic plans to determine the status of various species and establish priorities for programs.

The Nongame Wildlife Fund is administered by the Wildlife Diversity Program of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. The program works in partnership with numerous non-profit conservation and wildlife organizations, other federal and state agencies, citizen groups, universities, and individual volunteers. Additionally, many Fund supporters are sportsmen and sportswomen who are committed to the conservation of all Oregon's wildlife. Many others are people who enjoy watching their backyard wildlife.

So, please, place a checkmark in the Nongame Wildlife Fund box on your state income tax form. You can donate $1, $5, $10 or any portion of your refund to support the Nongame Wildlife Fund. Your donation will be deducted from the refund check and is tax deductible on next year's federal tax form. If you are not receiving a refund, you can still support wildlife with a donation by mail to the Nongame Wildlife Fund, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, 3406 Cherry Avenue NE, Salem, Oregon 97303-4924.

Thank you. Together we can make a difference.