Like it or not, your taxes fund a lot of programs.  Some you may like, and some - not so much.  In today’s tough economy it’s tough to find many programs in Oregon that are overfunded.  However, wildlife – especially non-game wildlife - programs are particularly underfunded.  But you can help by checking off the non-game wildlife box on your Oregon state tax return this year.

We hope you will.

The value of wildlife to Oregonians goes well beyond dollars and cents.  But even by that measure, native wildlife is important.  If you don’t believe it, join us next week at the PNW Sportsmen's Show.  We’ll be there talking to hunters and anglers about their passion for the outdoors and what should be our shared goal of protecting the big wild places they, and their quarry, need.  I enjoyed my time there last year, and I am looking forward to going back.

Sportsmen (and women) often tout their cred as “America’s original conservationists”, and many - including a few of our staff and many of our supporters - back that claim up with action.  Though the number of active hunters and anglers continues to decrease, they still pack a big economic punch.  According to the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife (ODFW), in 2001 hunters spent a million dollars a day in Oregon.  Anglers spent even more at $602 million. 

Still, even in economic terms, our wildlife is worth more alive than dead.  In 2008, wildlife viewers added more to the economy of our state than hunters and fishermen combined.

ODFW is the state agency charged with the mission “to protect and enhance Oregon’s fish & wildlife and their habitats for use and enjoyment by present and future generations”.  Sadly, the 88% of species that aren’t harvestable don’t get their fair share of ODFW’s budget or rank high on the priority list.  Oregon only has 2 wildlife diversity staff and one part-time marine diversity staff. 

To help that imbalance, it’s been easy for Oregonians to assist the state’s Nongame Wildlife Fund on their state tax forms.  However, as we learned from ODFW’s only wolf biologist last month in Portland at the Lords of Nature Screening, that check-off is in its final year and will be discontinued in 2011.

The check-off has played a critical role in ensuring Oregon’s nongame wildlife get at least some attention by the state.  But in the long term it’s crucial that we fix the underlying problem of disproportionate and inadequate funding for the program.

I plan on donating a humble, but hopefully helpful $25 this year.  It isn't much, but its impact is magnified by the fact that those funds are often matched by funds from the federal government.  The more Oregonians give, the more we get!

I’ll be filling in the check-off to put my money where my mouth is (which is why I also give to conservation organizations like Oregon Wild).  But it’s not just about money.  I’m all for elk, deer, and bighorn, but I’ve always been partial to the wildlife that I can only shoot with my camera.  I see my donation as a statement of support, a vote, for all wildlife.  So however you voted on measure 66 & 67 or whether we’re more likely to see you at The Sportman's Show or The Better Living Show, this is something we can all get behind.

You can learn more about ODFW’s budget here, the wildlife budget here, and the check-off here.

Photo Credits: Squirrel by Delphine Greenstein, Osprey & Bittern by Kenneth Haley, Elk Feeding courtesy of ODFW, and Coast Range Turtle by Brizz Meddings