Arizona's Wildlife Can Benefit From Your Donation At Tax Time

Did you know that your state taxes do not support the conservation of Arizona's wildlife, but your donations do? Taxpayers can help the state's wildlife at tax time by "making a mark" on their state income tax form.

The Arizona Wildlife Fund is a voluntary program that allows Arizona taxpayers to make a donation to specifically help imperiled and endangered wildlife, including majestic bald eagles, black-footed ferrets, California condors, Apache trout, Mexican wolves and desert tortoises, among other nongame species.

Fund Provides Support

"Since Game and Fish does not receive any general fund dollars, the Arizona Wildlife Fund provides important support for managing and conserving some of the state's most iconic native species," says Mike Rabe, non-game wildlife branch chief for the Arizona Game And Fish Department.

"The fund goes only to nongame species that are not hunted or fished, and the cumulative effect of even a dollar can have a tremendous impact on conserving one of Arizona's greatest natural treasures - its wildlife."

Arizona Is 1 Of 40

Arizona is one of 41 states that allow taxpayers to make a contribution to worthwhile causes. Since Arizona started the program more than 25 years ago, taxpayers have donated more than $5 million to the conservation of nongame wildlife.

For the 2013 tax year, the average donation was nearly $25.

The Arizona Wildlife Fund box can be found on line "64" of the state's long income tax form, or line "33" of the short tax form.

For more information on the Arizona Wildlife Fund, visit http://www.azgfd.gov/makeamark. To learn more about the conservation and reintroduction efforts the fund supports, visit http://www.azgfd.gov/w_c/nongame_species.

Did You Know?

The Arizona Game And Fish Department has trust responsibility for managing more than 800 native wildlife species – the most of any inland state – for current and future generations of Arizona citizens. http://www.azgfd.gov/h_f/northamericanmodel.shtml