Fiscal year summary conserving Georgia's wildlife, 2022

2022
FISCAL YEAR SUMMARY
CONSERVING GEORGIA'S
WILDLIFE

RESTORING
HABITAT
CONSERVING
WILDLIFE
ENGAGING
GEORGIANS
MAKING A
DIFFERENCE

At Georgia DNR's Wildlife Conservation Section, we work to save and restore native wildlife that aren't fished for or hunted, plus rare plants and the natural habitats all of these species need.
Our mission is guided by the State Wildlife Action Plan. The plan is a comprehensive strategy for protecting animals, plants and places before they become more scarce and costly to conserve.
Georgia is amazingly rich in wildlife. With your help, we can keep it that way.
This summary offers a glimpse of that effort. Scan the code or visit georgiawildlife.com/ conservation/annualreport to learn more.

Fruit of endangered pondberry

Bald eagles (Jenny Burdette Photography/Georgia Nature Photographers Association)

Entangled right whale and calf (NOAA permit 20556)

n Record-high nest counts documented for bald eagles, kestrels and loggerhead sea turtles.
n The Wildlife Resources Division topped its best prescribed fire year, burning 75,000-plus acres.
n Staff responded to an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in eagles, vultures and waterfowl.
n Rules were strengthened to protect Georgia wildlife from invasives like tegus and non-native crayfish.
n Botanists found plants thought gone from Georgia and new sites for endangered pondberry and others.
MILESTONES THIS YEAR
n Visitation at DNR regional education centers exceeded 94,000.
n Virginia Tech surveyed Georgia wildlife viewers to help DNR better serve them.
n Amphibian Foundation, a DNR partner, bred rare frosted flatwoods salamanders in captivity.
n Another first: Biologists spotted a right whale entangled in fishing gear but raising a newborn calf.
n Records key to conserving 51 priority fishes such as holiday darter and Atlantic sturgeon were updated.
n Aided by allies, DNR added 11,600 acres to Ceylon, completing the coastal WMA prized for its wildlands.
"Ceylon is without a doubt the single-most important conservation project I've worked on."
Jason Lee
program manager, Wildlife Conservation Section
FULL REPORT AT georgiawildlife.com/conservation/annualreport.

(Mac Stone/Mac Stone Photography)

FINANCIAL OVERVIEW

Income tax checkoff 8% ($401,668) Weekend for Wildlife 24% ($1,116,412)

Earned interest 1% ($18,974)
Donations & other income 36% ($1,730,792)

REVENUE
TOTAL: $4,760,710

Professional services (contracts, fees) 14% ($538,848)

Personnel 71%
($2,694,234)

EXPENDITURES
TOTAL: $3,783,707

License plates 31% ($1,492,864)
Does not include federal and other grants, or $312,605 in state appropriations for the Wildlife Conservation Section. *Includes revenue from the 2022 Weekend for Wildlife disbursed by the Georgia Natural Resources Foundation to the Nongame Conservation Fund in fiscal 2023.

Operations 15% ($550,625)
Expenditures paid through the Nongame Fund.

NONGAME WILDLIFE CONSERVATION FUND

Listed in millions per year

10 M

9 M

8 M

REVENUE EXPENSES BALANCE

7 M

6 M

5 M

4 M

3 M

2 M

1 M

FY '13 FY '14 FY '15 FY '16 FY '17 FY '18 FY '19 FY '20 FY '21 FY '22

Alabama rainbow mussels marked for release at Holly Creek (Bruz Clark/Lyndhurst Foundation)

Ani Escobar with Alabama rainbow mussels (Katie Owens/The Nature Conservancy)

DID YOU KNOW?
State funding makes up only about 5% of the Wildlife Conservation Section's research and conservation budget. That means we depend largely on fundraisers, grants and donations.
Partner with us as a supporter, volunteer, landowner or organization and give wildlife a chance!

"Through the cooperation of landowners, nonprofits and agencies, we are making great progress in stewarding the unique aquatic life in northwest Georgia's Holly Creek."
Ani Escobar
Coosa River basin biologist, Wildlife Conservation Section

DNR's Daniel Sollenberger shows an eastern indigo snake to visitors at Fernbank.

HOW YOU CAN HELP
BUY an eagle or monarch butterfly license plate or renew these or an older design, like the hummingbird tag.
DONATE to the Georgia Wildlife Conservation Fund at gooutdoorsgeorgia.com. Click "Licenses and Permits" to create an account.
CONTRIBUTE through the Wildlife Conservation Fund state income-tax checkoff. Details at georgiawildlife.com/ donations.
PURCHASE a hunting or fishing license. A license returns to Georgia wildlife the fee and up to $45 in federal excise taxes paid by hunters and anglers.
VOLUNTEER with DNR and join conservation organizations such as our friends group, The Environmental Resources Network. More at gooutdoorsgeorgia.com and tern.homestead.com.

"We are grateful for the vital support provided by individuals, private

foundations and other partners. By donating, volunteering or helping

spread the word about Georgia's wildlife conservation challenges,

you are truly making a difference."

Dr. Jon Ambrose
Chief, Wildlife Conservation Section

FOLLOW US

Sign up for the free e-newsletter Georgia Wild at georgiawildlife.com

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

PHOTO CREDITS

COVER: Yearling frosted flatwoods salamander (Mark Mandica/Amphibian Foundation) INSIDE COVER: Loggerhead sea turtle hatchling | Palamedes swallowtail on Chapman's fringed orchid Painted bunting banded at Camp TALON | DNR's Stephanie Koontz with endangered Virginia spirea All photos are from DNR unless noted.