Fiscal year summary conserving Georgia's wildlife, 2019

2019
FISCAL YEAR SUMMARY
CONSERVING G E O R G I A' S
WILDLIFE

CONSERVING WILDLIFE
RESTORING HABITAT
ENGAGING GEORGIANS DMAIFKIFNEGRAENCE

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Replacing red-cockaded woodpecker nest cavities at Silver Lake WMA after Hurricane Michael

Argentine black and white tegu

Red-cockaded woodpecker

ACCOMPLISHMENTS THIS FISCAL YEAR, THE WILDLIFE CONSERVATION SECTION:
MANAGED sea turtle nest monitoring and protections that saw loggerheads set a record of more than 3,940 nests, adding to data that shows Georgia's primary nesting sea turtle trending toward recovery.

AFTER Hurricane Michael destroyed half the red-cockaded woodpecker cavity trees on Silver Lake WMA, installed 100-plus cavity inserts within weeks, work supported by a National Fish and Wildlife Foundation grant.
CONDUCTED surveys that found scores of culverts used by bats and underscored efforts with DOT to protect bats during roadwork, including the resurfacing of Georgia's largest known bridge-roost for bats.

RESPONDED to invasive Argentine black and white tegus in Toombs and Tattnall counties, informing residents and helping coordinate trapping by DNR's Game Management Section, the U.S. Geological Survey and Georgia Southern University.
JOINED with other Wildlife Resources Division staff and partners to treat 59,000 DNR-managed acres with restorative prescribed fire and led fire training that helped equip more than 250 people.

Surveying mussels

Outreach at Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center

REACHED 112,000 people through DNR regional education centers and camps, while connecting others to the outdoors with events such as the Youth Birding Competition.
WORKED to conserve mountain and Coastal Plain herbaceous bogs, partnering with the Georgia Plant Conservation Alliance and others to remove woody plants, control feral hogs and restore rare species.

TEAMED with UGA to create a fish and mussel monitoring program in Holly Creek, a Conasauga River tributary that is home to rare species, including blue shiner, trispot darter and finelined pocketbook.
LED fieldwork key to acquiring Canoochee River and Lanahassee Creek WMA and expanding Bullard Creek WMA, drawing closer to Georgia's goal of permanently protecting 65 gopher tortoise populations, while also benefiting other wildlife.

Comprehensive report at georgiawildlife.com/conservation/AnnualReport.

Interagency Burn Team members and Burner Bob (William Ledford/Vidalia Advance)

THANK YOU!

Dr. Jon Ambrose
Chief, DNR Wildlife Conservation Section

"Each time you buy or renew an eagle, hummingbird or monarch license plate, donate to the Georgia Nongame Wildlife Conservation Fund, join our friends group TERN or volunteer with DNR, you help us help Georgia wildlife. We are very grateful for your support. This is truly a team effort."

DID YOU

State funding makes up less than 5% of the Wildlife Conservation

KNOW Section's research and conservation budget. That means we depend largely on fundraisers, grants and donations.

HOW TO HELP

BUY or RENEW an eagle, hummingbird or the new monarch plate. Each is only $25 more than a standard tag and up to 80% goes directly to wildlife.
DONATE to the Georgia Wildlife Conservation Fund at gooutdoorsgeorgia.com. If you don't have a customer account, just click "Licenses and Permits" to create one.
CONTRIBUTE through the Wildlife Conservation Fund state income tax checkoff. Learn more at georgiawildlife.com/donations.

PURCHASE a one-day $5 hunting/fishing license. Each sale returns to Georgia wildlife that fee plus up to $45 in federal excise taxes paid by hunters and anglers.
VOLUNTEER with DNR and join conservation organizations such as TERN, our friends group. Details at gooutdoorsgeorgia.com and tern.homestead.com.

Tom Patrick talks with an Atlanta reporter in 2015

REMEMBERING A REVERED BOTANIST
DNR botanist Tom Patrick died Aug. 22. Hired in 1986 as the agency's first botanist, Tom was noted for his knowledge of native flora and his ready willingness to share that knowledge. Last spring, the Georgia Plant Conservation Alliance gave Tom its first lifetime achievement award -- and named the award for him.

FINANCIAL OVERVIEW

Income tax checkoff 7% ($225,151) Donations & other income 12% ($358,210)

Earned interest 6% ($186,305)

Professional services (contracts, fees) 2% ($45,642)

Personnel 67%
($1,533,721)

REVENUE
TOTAL: $3,092,565

EXPENDITURES
TOTAL: $2,291,291

Weekend for Wildlife* 14% ($435,875)

License plates 61% ($1,887,024)

Does not include federal and other grants, or $300,000 in state appropriations for the Wildlife Conservation Section.
*Includes 2018 Weekend for Wildlife revenue from the Georgia Natural Resources Foundation. 2019 event revenue was disbursed in fiscal 2020.

Operations 31% ($711,928)
Expenditures paid through the Nongame Fund.

NONGAME WILDLIFE CONSERVATION FUND
Listed in millions per year

12 M 11 M 10 M 9 M 8 M 7 M 6 M 5 M 4 M 3 M 2 M 1 M

FY '09 FY '10 FY '11 FY '12 FY '13 FY '14 FY '15 FY '16 FY '17 FY '18 FY '19

INCOME

EXPENSES

BALANCE

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GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES | WILDLIFE CONSERVATION SECTION | WILDLIFE RESOURCES DIVISION

PHOTO CREDITS

COVER: Big brown bat (Pete Pattavina/USFWS) INSIDE COVER: Blue shiner (top) and a trispot darter | Prescribed fire at Panola Mountain Explaining pitcherplants at Fernbank Museum | Dawn-nesting loggerhead sea turtle All photos are from DNR unless noted.

DNR's Nathan Klaus at Sprewell Bluff WMA