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Watchable Wildlife Stamps Can Do Double Duty at Holidays

Posted on: Thursday, 16 February 2006, 21:00 CST

By MARCIA DAVIS

Are you looking for a last-minute gift for a wildlife enthusiast?

Consider one of Tennessee's new Watchable Wildlife collectible stamps. Your gift will improve the quality of life for Tennessee's wildlife and endangered species.

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency plans to issue a new Watchable Wildlife Stamp each year. The stamps are not postage stamps but are collectibles. They are similar to the federal and state Duck Stamps that have raised money for waterfowl through the years. Proceeds from the new Watchable Wildlife Series, which many people are already collecting, will be used to conserve and protect non-game species and their habitats. A Carolina wren and a trout lily, reproduced from a beautiful painting by noted Tennessee wildlife artist Johnny Lynch of Unicoi, are pictured on the first Watchable Wildlife Stamp, which came out near the end of 2004. The Carolina wren was selected because it is a very familiar and much- loved bird across Tennessee.

The second stamp in the series -- a timber rattlesnake also by Lynch -- has just been published. Each year, a different non-game species is to be featured. In the past, much of the money for wildlife management has come from hunting and fishing licenses and private fund-raising efforts by sportsmen. Proportionally more money has probably been spent on game species than non-game species. Many non-game species, including lots of birds, benefit greatly from the preservation of land set aside in TWRA's Wildlife Management Areas across Tennessee.

In recent years, more funding for non-game species has become available at both state and federal levels. This is good news for birds.

But sometimes it takes money to get money for wildlife. Federal funding often requires that a state wildlife agency put up matching funds equal to a percentage of the offered federal funds. States without enough money to meet these "matches" can miss out on millions of available federal dollars that could help preserve the state's native wildlife and plant communities.

The new Watchable Wildlife Stamps, which sell for $10 each, are joining TWRA's Watchable Wildlife Bluebird License Plates to raise even more money for non-game species in Tennessee. The license plates, available through your county clerk's office, cost $35 more than the regular cost of your vehicle registration.

With 5,000 wren stamps and 5,000 rattlesnake stamps already printed, there is the potential to raise $100,000 for non-game species in Tennessee with the first two stamps.

Marcia Davis may be reached at 865-330-BIRD (2473) or tennwren@aol.com.

WATCHABLE WILDLIFE STAMP SERIES

* Why: To fund conservation and protection of Tennessee's non- game species and their habitats

* Cost: $10 per stamp. $40 per block of four. $300 per sheet of 30 stamps, plus $1 shipping fee.

* To Order: Send check to TWRA Revenue Division, P.O. Box 40747, Nashville, TN 37204, attn: Melissa Raulerson

* Online: Visit www. tnwildlife.org and search for "Stamps"

Source: News Sentinel

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