MONTPELIER — Vermonters interested in conserving wildlife should donate to the Nongame Wildlife Fund on their state income tax form this year, according to the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department. The fund helps protect some of Vermont’s most threatened wildlife, such as bald eagles, lake sturgeon, spruce grouse and Indiana bats. 
Donations are leveraged by matching federal grants, meaning that a $25 donation can help secure up to another $75 in federal funds for wildlife conservation in Vermont. 
“The Nongame Checkoff donations, along with hunting, fishing and trapping license revenue, have helped recovery efforts for Vermont’s peregrine falcons, loons, ospreys, bald eagles, American martens, Indiana and northern long-eared bats, spiny softshell turtles and other species,” said Director of Wildlife Mark Scott. 
Steve Parren and other fish and wildlife biologists manage nongame wildlife projects for the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department. Their work is diverse and includes mammals, birds, turtles, fish, frogs, bees, freshwater mussels and plants, as well as the habitats and natural communities they need. 
“The Nongame Wildlife Fund has helped some of our great wildlife success stories in Vermont,” said Parren. “Thanks to the generous donations of thousands of Vermonters, we are restoring many of the iconic species of our Green Mountain State.”