Georgia wild : a newsletter about Georgia's wildlife license plates, Winter 2004

Georgia WILD!

Winter 2004

A Newsletter about Georgia's Wildlife License Plates

From the Director
GEORGIA'S WILDLIFE LICENSE PLATES
BUY A TAG! and Help Protect Georgia's Wildlife Welcome to the inaugural edition of Georgia
WILD! - a quarterly electronic newsletter distributed by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division (WRD) to inform and educate Georgians of the ongoing progress and major accomplishments of the many conservation projects funded by WRD's wildlife license plates. These wildlife plates have a one-time specialty tag fee of $20 and are available now at county tag offices.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources unveiled two new designs for the wildlife tags in October 2003, which went on sale December 1, 2003. The new wildlife tags feature the American bald eagle silhouetted in front of the American flag on one tag, and a bobwhite quail, Georgia's state game bird, in natural habitat on the other. Both tags help support important conservation work currently underway throughout the state of Georgia.
The eagle tag replaces the original wildlife license plate that featured a bobwhite quail in a longleaf pine and wiregrass habitat. First produced in 1997, this license plate was created to support the Nongame Wildlife & Natural Heritage Section, which uses the proceeds to
Georgia's Nongame Wildlife License Plate
Georgia's BQI License Plate

fund various programs focused on conserving and protecting Georgia's nongame and endangered wildlife. There are currently no state funds provided for nongame wildlife conservation, education and recreation programs and these important projects are funded solely through federal grants, direct donations and fundraising initiatives like the nongame wildlife license plate. To date, Georgians have purchased more than 840,000 nongame wildlife tags raising more than $13 million for nongame and endangered wildlife.
By purchasing this license plate, Georgians helped fund many important conservation projects including monitoring the state's bald eagle population, identifying swallow-tailed kite nests, protecting loggerhead sea turtle nests on coastal beaches and restoring longleaf pine/wiregrass habitat for species such as red cockaded woodpeckers, gopher tortoises and many species of songbirds. Land has been purchased that has protected critical areas including a wood stork rookery, mountain caves, longleaf pine forests and important watersheds.
The quail tag replaces the second wildlife license plate that featured a covey of quail taking flight over a field. First released in 2001, this tag supports conservation practices in the Bobwhite Quail Initiative, Georgia's first and only state funded private lands wildlife habitat incentive program. Georgia continues to lose natural habitat for quail and other wildlife in part because of the state's fast-growing human population rate and changing land management practices. Georgians have purchased more than 125,000 Bobwhite Quail Initiative tags raising more than $1.5 million for this important program.
The Bobwhite Quail Initiative was implemented to address declining quail populations by establishing quality habitat for quail and other wildlife on lands in east central, central and southwestern Georgia. This program works to encourage landowners to establish field borders, hedgerows, and other areas that will provide critical habitat for nesting, feeding and cover for quail and other species.
By purchasing either tag for your vehicle, Georgian's are helping to support the important wildlife conservation, education and recreational projects currently underway throughout the state. You Give! They Live! It's really that simple. Buy a tag today and help protect Georgia's tomorrow.
Article provided by Noel Holcomb Director, Wildlife Resources Division

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Georgia's Nongame Wildlife and Natural Heritage
The Nongame Wildlife and Natural Heritage Section (NWNHS) of WRD is charged with the conservation and protection of Georgia's natural diversity of wild animals and plants and their habitats through public education, research and management. Georgia has a rich natural heritage, ranking sixth in the nation in the number of vascular plants, vertebrate animals, and selected invertebrates. Of those species found in Georgia, more than 1,000 have been classified as species of conservation concern, with over 220 of these listed as rare, unusual, threatened or endangered and protected by federal or state law.
NWNHS works to protect Georgia's native wildlife by conducting research and surveys, identifying critical habitats, implementing species and habitat restoration programs, encouraging appreciation and enjoyment of watchable wildlife, and fostering public awareness of wildlife conservation needs. The section also provides information to private landowners on managing habitat for the benefit of native wildlife, and develops management plans for state-owned natural areas.
Section staff conduct surveys on a wide variety of nongame wildlife groups, including migratory songbirds, marine mammals, sea turtles, bats, rare plants, freshwater fish, and mussels in order to monitor plant and animal populations and implement conservation programs to benefit these species. NWNHS also catalogs and distributes information on occurrences of rare plants, animals and natural communities throughout the state. This information is used by state and local governments, federal agencies, developers, researchers and others for project planning and habitat protection. Nongame biologists track the occurrences of more than 600 rare plant species and 400 rare animal species, including those protected by state and federal law. Many of these species are found only in Georgia and represent important components of the state's natural diversity.
Finally, as part of an effort to encourage and promote alternative forms of outdoor recreation, like birding or watchable wildlife, NWNHS is actively engaged in the identification, enhancement, and development of wildlife watching facilities throughout the state. Watchable wildlife efforts have been focused primarily on state lands such as wildlife management areas, state parks, natural areas and public fishing areas. Since 1998, nearly 100 sites have been evaluated as potential wildlife viewing areas. For more information on watchable wildlife, visit the DNR website at www.georgiawildlife.com.

Longleaf Pine Forest at Doerun Pitcherplant Bog Natural Area Photo by Jim Allison
Land Acquisition Vital to the Conservation of Georgia's Nongame Wildlife
Land acquisition is one of the best tools available in managing the conservation and protection of Georgia's at-risk ecosystems and native wildlife. By purchasing environmentally sensitive tracts of land, DNR is able to manage the property so that it provides the biggest benefit to the wildlife found there - especially rare and endangered species that require special habitats.
Since the first Nongame Wildlife License Plate was released in 1997, more than 5,600 acres of wildlife habitat have been added to Georgia's Natural Areas with partial or complete funding coming from tag money. Key acquisitions included the first wood stork breeding colony on state land (Big Dukes Pond Natural Area), outstanding bottomlands and longleaf pine forest (Moody Forest Natural Area) and bottomlands and river frontage on the Conasauga River (Conasauga River Natural Area).
Additional land acquisitions funded in part by the nongame wildlife tag included the expansion of Zahnd Natural Area from 200 to over 1,400 acres, expansion of the Crockford-Pigeon Mountain Wildlife Management Area by 2,000 acres, and the addition of more than 5,000 acres to the Chickasawhatchee Wildlife Management Area - the largest forested wetland complex in southwest Georgia providing important habitat for neotropical migratory birds, as well as a great variety of rare species.

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Georgia's Bobwhite Quail Initiative

Georgia once was considered the bobwhite quail capitol of the world and each year from the mountains to the coast the familiar call "bob-bob-white" could be heard announcing the spring. However, the state's quail population has declined by more than 70 percent since the 1960s, primarily due to the loss of quality, early successional habitat. To address this concern, key members of the Georgia General Assembly and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division (WRD) developed the Bobwhite Quail Initiative (BQI). Funds from the sale of bobwhite quail license plates benefit BQI.
Georgia's first and only state funded private lands wildlife habitat incentive program, BQI is available in 15 counties (divided into three focus areas) in central and southwest Georgia. It is directed at improving habitat for quail, certain songbirds and a variety of other wildlife species on working farms. Many of the BQI practices also help control soil erosion and improve water quality.
BQI practices target restoring habitat around and across commercial row crop agricultural fields and adjacent pine woodlands. And BQI does not pay incentives for practices already implemented such as quail habitat improvements typical of large quail plantations. The program is designed to help the average landowner increase the number of quail coveys on their property and improve their land stewardship, while still achieving an acceptable economic return from their land management.
Properties must be a minimum of 50 contiguous acres and include commercial row crop agriculture or be enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program Longleaf Pine Conservation Priority Area (CPA). Within the focus area, WRD biologists provide cooperators with detailed technical assistance on quail habitat management. Qualifying cooperators may receive incentive payments for the establishment and maintenance of certain types of early successional habitat.
For more information on BQI, contact your nearest BQI Office at Waynesboro - (706) 554-3745; Dublin (478) 296-6176; Albany (229) 420-1212 or the BQI Headquarters Office at (478) 994-7583.

Bobwhite Quail Initiative Focus Areas

Southwest Georgia: Colquitt, Crisp, Dougherty, Lee,

Mitchell, Sumter and Terrell

Central Georgia:

Bleckley, Dodge, Emanuel and

Laurens

Eastern Georgia:

Burke, Jenkins, Screven and

Bulloch

BQI Projects
Since 2001 Georgians have purchased more than 125,000 of the previous BQI tag raising more than $1.5 million for this program. The BQI tag has proven to be a great source of funding for bobwhite quail, songbirds and other species of wildlife. Some of the projects funded through revenue generated from this new license plate include: U Establishing more than 375 miles of field borders
and hedgerows to provide nesting, feeding and cover for bobwhite quail and other wildlife, positively impacting over 20,000 acres for a wide variety of early successional wildlife.
U Maintaining bobwhite quail populations at a level to sustain traditional hunting opportunities for Georgia's state game bird and provide for other wildlife-related recreation.
U Monitoring bobwhite quail and songbird populations using University of Georgia researchers to determine the impact of habitat restoration efforts.
U Assisting landowners with land management planning to establish field borders, field corners, hedgerows, prescribed burning and other habitats.
U Protecting water quality and reducing soil erosion by encouraging good land management practices.
U Providing technical assistance through on-site visits, management plans, field days and other educational efforts.
Photo by Reggie Thackston, BQI Coordinator
Hedgerows and field borders, like this one, are critical for providing nesting areas, foraging and shelter for bobwhite quail.

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Record Nesting Season for Georgia's Loggerhead Sea Turtle
Loggerhead sea turtle nesting on Georgia beaches reached a 15-year high during the 2003 nesting season. DNR cooperators counted a total of 1,508 nests on Georgia's beaches - surpassing the old record of 1,419 nests set during the 1999 nesting season.
DNR biologists hope the 2003 nesting total represents the beginning of an increasing trend for Georgia's threatened loggerhead turtle population. Management efforts, funded in part by the nongame tag, designed to recover loggerheads include the removal of feral hogs from Ossabaw and Cumberland Islands and covering all nests on Georgia beaches with protective screens helping to drastically reduce the predation of nests. In addition, new regulations requiring commercial shrimp fisheries to pull larger, more effective turtle exclusion devices (TED) when trawling seems to have had an impact on decreasing the number of fishery related mortalities.
While TEDs are required by law to be 97 percent effective in excluding turtles, recent studies indicated that approximately 40 percent of the loggerhead turtles stranded in the southeast were too large to fit through a minimum opening on the older TEDs. The TED currently required by commercial fisheries has an opening theoretically large enough to exclude 100 percent of adult loggerhead and green turtles and most leatherbacks.
Unfortunately, Georgia still has a long way to go in the recovery of the loggerhead. Current goals are to continue reducing mortality associated with commercial fisheries and boat strikes while maintaining high reproductive success on nesting beaches. Further studies to better understand habitat use and nesting patterns along the Georgia coast are also needed.
Listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, the loggerhead sea turtle is Georgia's primary nesting turtle. Loggerhead sea turtle nests on Georgia beaches will have to reach an average of 2,000 nests per year over a 25-year period to meet the Georgia recovery goal adopted by the Recovery Plan for the U.S. Population of Loggerhead Sea Turtles.
PURCHASE A WILDLIFE LICENSE PLATE TODAY!
Tags are available at your local county tag office and have a one-time $20 specialty-tag fee. DMVS annual registration fee and ad valorem tax fee still apply.

NEED A TAX BREAK?
In addition to purchasing a tag for your vehicle, Georgians can also support Georgia's nongame wildlife at tax time each year. By filling in a dollar amount on line 27 of the long form (Form 500) or line 10 of the short form (Form 500EZ), citizens can make a direct, tax-deductible donation to support nongame species management and conservation in Georgia.
Calls of the Wild CD
Learn the sounds and calls of Georgia's frogs on the new "Calls of the Wild - Vocalizations of Georgia's Frogs" compact disk produced by the Nongame Wildlife & Natural Heritage Section with the help of Georgia frog expert and talented nature recording artist Walter Knapp. Presenting the unique calls of all 31 species found in Georgia, this CD introduces you to the wonderful and often bizarre calls of Georgia's frogs and toads. Accompanying the CD is a 15-page booklet loaded with information including natural history, range maps and physical characteristics for each species. To order "Calls of the Wild", send a check or money order payable to: WILDLIFE CONSERVATION FUND for $15.36 per CD (includes shipping, handling and tax) to: GA DNR/WRD, NWNHS, 116 Rum Creek Drive, Forsyth, GA 31029, ATTN: GA's "Calls of the Wild" CD.
Georgia WILD! is a publication of the Public Affairs Office of the Wildlife Resources Division.
For more information, contact the WRD Public Affairs Office at: 2070 U.S. Highway 278, SE Social Circle, Georgia 30025 (770) 918-6400
Lonice C. Barrett, Commissioner Georgia Department of Natural Resources
Noel Holcomb, Director Wildlife Resources Division
Raymond Carnley - Editor