CONTACT: Mike Marchand: (603) 271-2461 Jay Martin: (603) 271-3211 June 25, 2020

CONCORD, NH — Connectivity is important to people’s lives, and the same holds true for dozens of nongame species in New Hampshire. Wildlife species are directly linked to unique and interconnected habitats that support their survival. To help protect these diverse environments, linked together by “highways” known as wildlife corridors, and to restore species such as the Blanding’s turtle, Karner blue butterfly, New England cottontail, and roseate tern, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department is asking the public to participate in its 2020 spring appeal in support of the Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program.

The State of New Hampshire offers a $100,000 challenge grant to fund the work of the Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program, but to qualify, the Department must raise an equal amount in private contributions by June 30, 2020. These funds are also critical in meeting federal grant match requirements.

Visit www.wildnh.com/nongame to learn more about the program’s work and to donate.

Donations support field research and monitoring of nongame and endangered wildlife identified as priority species in the N.H. Wildlife Action Plan, technical assistance to other organizations and private landowners, and direct on-the-ground species and habitat restoration efforts. Hunting and fishing license revenue does not support nongame wildlife protection efforts in the Granite State.

Just as landscapes define New Hampshire, diverse and connected habitats are critical to wildlife populations, including both common species, and those that are threatened or endangered. In addition to managing and conserving wildlife habitats, the Nongame Program is working with conservation partners to identify and conserve important wildlife corridors, and recently updated the maps that support the Wildlife Action Plan.

“Habitats matter — to wildlife, to you, and to what New Hampshire means as a state,” said Nongame Program Supervisor Mike Marchand. “One of the best tools we have to protect habitats that matter most to wildlife is the Wildlife Action Plan.”

The Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program works with state and private partners to protect more than 400 species of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians, as well as thousands of invertebrate species in New Hampshire.

Show your support for endangered wildlife in the Granite State; visit www.wildnh.com/nongame to donate today and help the Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program reach its annual fundraising goal and actualize state-matching funds to support wildlife and habitat conservation. Thank you for your support.