One week left to file your taxes and check-off for wildlife

This year’s tax season ends on April 17, offering extra time for last-minute filers to submit their 2017 federal and state taxes and to make a tax-deductible contribution to help Colorado’s wildlife. Colorado Parks and Wildlife asks those who have not yet filed to consider helping threatened and endangered wildlife when finalizing your Colorado state returns with a voluntary contribution through the Non-game Conservation and Wildlife Restoration Cash Fund.

CPW is one of the organizations included on Colorado state income tax form 104A as part of Checkoff Colorado, which allows taxpayers to make voluntary contributions to the organizations of their choice when filing their state income tax returns. Specifying a contribution on line No. 1 of Colorado tax form 104CH (the Voluntary Contributions Schedule form) supports CPW programs that support wildlife rehabilitation and preservation of threatened and endangered species in the state of Colorado. Specified donations to the Non-game Conservation and Wildlife Restoration Cash Fund are tax-deductible and help support around 750 species of wildlife that cannot be hunted or fished.

Funds go to projects that manage or recover wildlife including birds of prey, amphibians, reptiles, lynx, river otters, black-footed ferrets and others. The Non-game Conservation and Wildlife Restoration Cash Fund also helps support wildlife rehabilitation centers that work to care for injured and orphaned wildlife ranging from orphaned bear cubs to the great blue heron.

“We have a bit of fun with our campaign theme that wildlife doesn’t have an annual income to support their livelihood,” said Dan Zimmerer, CPW’s partnership coordinator. “But the truth is, some species are simply more vulnerable than others. These check-off contributions help us fund CPW projects and help support our rehab partners. These partners truly appreciate your help in doing their very important wildlife work.”

Coloradans contributed more than $180,000 last year to help a variety of species through the tax checkoff, making the Non-game Conservation and Wildlife Restoration Cash Fund the number one fund out of over 20 options for Colorado residents. Some recent non-game success stories in Colorado include the reintroduction of the Canada lynx and natural breeding after translocation of the endangered boreal toad. Be a part of our next conservation story by checking off for wildlife on your 2017 Colorado state taxes.

To learn more about the various species that benefit from your voluntary contribution, please visit cpw.state.co.us.



Jeff
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