Iowa’s Fish and Wildlife Fund, more commonly known as the Chickadee Check-off, saw a drop in donors last year and it’s hoped tax season this year can bring the fund a boost. Stephanie Shepherd, wildlife biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, says the check-off was launched in the early 1980s to benefit all types of non-game animals statewide.
The fund brought about the creation of the D-N-R’s Wildlife Diversity Program, which is responsible for protecting more than 1,000 fish and wildlife species in the state. Only about four-tenths of one-percent of Iowa’s taxpayers donated to the fund on their state tax forms last year.
Shepherd says the donations go directly to habitat development and restoration programs for some of Iowa’s most vulnerable species.
To donate via your state tax return, write the amount you want to donate next to the Fish and Wildlife Check-Off on line 57 of Form 1040. The sum is either automatically deducted from the refund or added to the amount owed.
