Statewide Iowa — An Iowa tax checkoff that sends funds to the Fish and Wildlife Fund has seen some ups and downs in recent years. DNR wildlife biologist, Stephanie Shepherd, oversees what’s called the Chickadee Checkoff.
She says the bigger concern is the number of people who check the box and make a donation.
There were 62-hundred Iowa taxpayers who used the Chickadee Checkoff in 20212– a drop of one-thousand from 2020. Shepherd says they want more people to know how the checkoff money is used in hopes of increasing donations.
Shepherd says the Wildlife Diversity Fund is used for many different things.
Some of the other species it helps are songbirds, bald eagles, salamanders, turtles, and monarch butterflies. Shepherd says a majority of people now are filing their taxes electronically, which she says can hinder donations.
She says any amount you can donate will help.
Shepherd says the average donation is 12 dollars. If you do miss the Chickadee Checkoff on your tax form, you can now donate directly to the Wildlife Diversity Program on the Iowa DNR website. The Chickadee Checkoff has been on Iowa tax forms since the 1980s.
