SOCIAL CIRCLE, GEORGIA - Georgia’s State Wildlife Action Plan earns top ratings for its consideration of rare plant conservation, according to a recent report by NatureServe, an international conservation organization.
“Hidden in Plain Sight: The Role of Plants in State Wildlife Action Plans” lists Georgia as the only state that has a full species technical team to review the status of rare plants and identify critical habitats, research needs and conservation priorities.
The report released in March also highlights Georgia and three other states - Missouri, Nebraska and Oregon - as exemplary for incorporating rare-plant conservation needs, habitats and focal areas into their state wildlife action plans, or SWAPs. Georgia had the highest efficiency rating involving target species in mapped sites, a measure geared to protecting critical conservation areas.
State wildlife action plans, completed in 2005 by all U.S. states and territories, are designed to guide wildlife conservation. The plans have been described as a nationwide strategy to prevent wildlife from becoming endangered or more rare, a cost-effective approach that benefits wildlife and people for current and future generations. Developed by each state based on the best available scientific information and broad public engagement, SWAPs have become increasingly important in a wide variety of conservation and planning efforts.
But federal guidelines governing development of the plans exclude plants from the definition of "wildlife,” which limits funding available for rare plant conservation. Georgia planners led by the Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division used money from other sources to incorporate assessments of plant conservation needs in the state’s SWAP, also referred to as the Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy.
“Given Georgia’s remarkable plant diversity and significant conservation challenges, we considered it imperative to include rare plants and their habitats in the Wildlife Action Plan,” said Jon Ambrose, assistant chief of Wildlife Resources’ Nongame Conservation Section. “Georgia ranks seventh in the nation in the number of native vascular plants and 10th in the percentage of at-risk plant species.”
NatureServe chief scientist and report co-author Bruce Stein said in a NatureServe release that state wildlife action plans “represent a tremendous opportunity for strategically advancing conservation in America. Now is the time to complement the attention they have brought to wild animals with additional focus on the needs of our nation’s imperiled plans.”
In Georgia, the sales of hummingbird and bald eagle license plates support conservation projects such as surveying imperiled plants and restoring protected animal populations. The Nongame Conservation Section does not receive state funds for this work. Instead, nongame programs are supported through federal grants, donations and fundraisers such as tag sales and the annual Give Wildlife a Chance state income tax checkoff.
Nongame wildlife license plates are available for a one-time fee of $25 at county tag offices or by checking the appropriate box on mail-in registration forms. Visit http://mvd.dor.ga.gov/tags for online renewals.
For the tax checkoff, simply filling in a dollar amount on line 26 of the long tax form (Form 500) or line 10 of the short form (Form 500EZ).
On the Net
** NatureServe’s “Hidden in Plain Sight: The Role of Plants in State Wildlife Action Plans:” http://www.natureserve.org/publications/hidden_plain_sight.jsp
** Georgia’s State Wildlife Action Plan: www.georgiawildlife.com/statewildlifeactionplan_conservation.aspx>http://www.georgiawildlife.com/statewildlifeactionplan_conservation.aspx
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For more from Wildlife Resources, contact: John Jensen, senior wildlife biologist - (478) 994-1438; john.jensen@gadnr.org Kitty E. Spivey, senior public affairs specialist - (229) 227-5422; kitty.spivey@gadnr.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CALLS OF THE WILD? CATCH THEM ON GEORGIA FROG CD
FORSYTH, Ga. (April 14, 2008) - Have you ever wondered which animal produced the sounds of spring and summer you hear in your backyard or questioned the call that came bellowing from the bushes along a nearby pond? Georgian’s can learn more about some of these sounds with “Calls of the Wild - Vocalizations of Georgia’s Frogs.”
The compact disk produced by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division with frog expert and nature recorder Walter Knapp introduces the listener to the wonderful and often bizarre calls of Georgia’s 31 frog and toad species.
Each species has a distinct call, whether it’s the jug o’ rum, jug o’ rum of the bullfrog, the sheep-like buzzing of the eastern narrowmouth toad or the whining honk of the spadefoot. The CD has separate recordings of every native species, as well as a non-native species from the Caribbean, the greenhouse frog, that has become established in several areas of southern Georgia.
The CD also includes more than 20 minutes of mixed species choruses that can used as natural background music or to test your ability to identify individual species from within groups of several species. Informative narration for each of the species’ recordings was recorded by retired Wildlife Resources program manager Terry Johnson and written by senior wildlife biologist John Jensen. Each disk has a 16-page booklet with natural history, range maps and physical characteristics for each species.
To help educate yourself and others about frog calls throughout the state - and what better time than the Year of the Frog? - order “Calls of the Wild” by mailing a check payable to Wildlife Conservation Fund to GA DNR/WRD, Nongame Conservation Section, 116 Rum Creek Drive, Forsyth, GA 31029, ATTN: Frogs of Georgia CD. Send $15.36 for each CD. (The total includes $12.95 per CD, 91 cents in sales tax - Georgia residents only! - and $1.50 for shipping/handling.)
For more information, visit www.georgiawildlife.com or call (478) 994-1438. “Calls of the Wild” is available to non-profit conservation organizations, nature centers and retail stores at a reduced price.
Georgians can support conservation projects for frogs, toads and other nongame wildlife by purchasing a wildlife license plate featuring a bald eagle and American flag or a ruby-throated hummingbird for their vehicle, or by donating to the Give Wildlife a Chance state income tax checkoff. Sales of the nongame wildlife license plates are the primary source of funding for the Nongame Conservation Section, which receives no state appropriations.
How to order
** Mail a check payable to Wildlife Conservation Fund to GA DNR/WRD, Nongame Conservation Section, 116 Rum Creek Drive, Forsyth, GA 31029, ATTN: Frogs of Georgia CD.
** Send $15.36 per CD (total cover cost, state tax and shipping/handling).
** More information: www.georgiawildlife.com or (478) 994-1438.
Frogs on the Net
** www.parcplace.org: Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation.
** http://wwknapp.home.mindspring.com/GAFrog.Toad.html: General information on Georgia’s frogs.
** www.georgiawildlife.com: Wildlife Resources Division, click “Conservation,” then “Wildlife in your backyard” for tips on attracting amphibians.
** http://www.yearofthefrog.org/: Details on 2008 as the Year of the Frog.
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WILD Facts: Understanding scorpions
Two species of scorpions are native to Georgia: the Southern devil and the striped scorpion. Despite having 12 eyes, scorpions don’t see well and use their front pinchers as feelers. These small, nocturnal arachnids have eight legs as well as a venomous stinger on their tails. If stung, the pain is no worse than a bee sting and usually is harmless. However, people allergic to bee stings may have similar reactions to a scorpion sting.
Prevent scorpions from entering your home by removing debris and vegetation from your foundation and sealing any cracks. To avoid stings when outside, wear gloves when moving rocks or boards.
WILD Facts is a regular feature written by Linda May, a wildlife interpretive specialist with the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division.
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And, coming up on “Georgia Outdoors:”
Where can you escape the hustle and bustle of daily life? Thankfully, from the mountains to coastal barrier islands, Georgia has plenty of options. Learn about environmentally friendly getaways on “Georgia Outdoors,” scheduled on Georgia Public Broadcasting channels at 9:30 p.m. Friday, April 18; noon and 6 p.m. Saturday, April 19; and, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 22.
For more info, visit www.gpb.org/georgiaoutdoors .
Media Contact:
Kristina Summers, senior public affairs specialist - (770) 918-6791 or kristina.summers@gadnr.org