The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is encouraging residents to support conservation efforts by donating to the Endangered Resources Fund when filing their state income taxes.
Donations made through the “Endangered resources” line in the Financial Donations section of Wisconsin tax forms are matched dollar for dollar and go directly toward protecting rare plants, animals and state natural areas.
Drew Feldkirchner, director of the DNR’s Bureau of Natural Heritage Conservation, says every contribution helps fund on-the-ground conservation work and partnerships aimed at preventing species loss across the state.
In Wisconsin, more than 400 wildlife species and 300 plant species are listed as endangered, threatened or at risk. Donations to the fund have supported species such as the rusty patched bumble bee, whose U.S. population has declined by nearly 90 percent; the bald eagle, which has rebounded over the past 50 years thanks to conservation efforts; the little brown bat, impacted by white-nose syndrome; and the rare Eastern prairie fringed orchid.
Funds also help manage state natural areas and control invasive species. These protected lands support 75 percent of Wisconsin’s endangered and threatened wildlife species and 90 percent of its endangered and threatened plant species.
For tax year 2025, the Endangered Resources donation appears as the first line in the Financial Donations section of Wisconsin income tax forms. Residents can also donate through their tax preparation software, ask their tax preparer to include a gift, or contribute online through the Endangered Resources Fund webpage.
More information is available through the DNR’s Natural Heritage Conservation program online.
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