SEPTEMBER 2000 V.64, N. 9 

      It seems like an odd way to categorize over 90 percent of West Virginia's wildlife species; that is, to refer to them in terms of what they are not. Yet, much like the advertisements that touted the "Uncola," or restaurant seating, where we regularly choose "smoking or non," many wildlife species are becoming known by their status as "nongame" creatures. More on this phenomenon a bit later on.

      In West Virginia, there are nearly 500 nongame wildlife species, so named because they are not hunted, fished for, or trapped. They include songbirds, birds of prey, small mammals, insects, amphibians, reptiles, fish, and others. The wonder of nongame wildlife touches our daily lives, from the sight of feathered neighbors dining at our feeders year-round, to the ethereal flute song of a wood thrush heard on a forest hike in early summer. It is the chorus of peepers we hear when our windows are open wide on spring evenings. It is the box turtle seen valiantly attempting to cross the road. It is the Monarch butterfly caterpillar with its distinctive yellow, black, and white stripes, seen gnawing voraciously on a milkweed leaf. It is even the surprise encounter with a timber rattlesnake, an often maligned but still valued member of our forest ecology.

      Members of West Virginia's nongame wildlife community also range from the majestic bald eagle, which nests primarily in the eastern part of our state, to the exquisitely decorated stone fly, an important indicator of the health of our streams and rivers. They include the inquisitive Allegheny woodrat; the federally endangered Virginia big-eared bat, which raises its young in some of the state's caves; and the dark, gold-flecked Cheat Mountain salamander, currently listed as federally threatened and found in West Virginia and no where else in the world.

      Many residents and visitors who enjoy our state's rich natural heritage may yet be unaware that for nearly two decades, a small group within the Division of Natural Resources' Wildlife Resources Section has been responsible for studying, monitoring, inventorying, and managing West Virginia's nongame wildlife species and rare plant resources, including the state's 20 federally endangered and threatened species. In addition to these responsibilities, the Nongame Wildlife and Natural Heritage Program plays a major role in educating school children, teachers, conservation and civic groups, and the general public about the state's nongame wildlife and plant resources through the publication of books, brochures, fact sheets, and a quarterly newsletter; presentations; grant programs; and by annually sponsoring the very popular Nongame Wildlife Weekend (see pages 10-11).

      Based in Elkins, the Nongame Wildlife and Natural Heritage Program includes 14 biologists and support staff, as well as district biologists located in Beckley, Fairmont, and Romney. The staff works hand in hand with federal and state agencies, including the US Forest Service, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service, and State Parks, and with conservation organizations, corporations, and private landowners, sharing information and coordinating a variety of projects. To assist with its extensive mission, the program receives regular input from the Nongame Citizens' Advisory Council, a 10-member board appointed by the governor that includes some of the state's foremost authorities on the zoological sciences, including mammalogy, herpetology, and ornithology.

      The Nongame Wildlife and Natural Heritage Program is actually three programs in one. The Nongame Wildlife Program, under the direction of Kathy Leo, monitors and conserves all those species not managed under Division of Natural Resources game programs. The Endangered Species Program, led by Craig Stihler, monitors and conserves endangered, threatened, and rare animals. The Natural Heritage Program, directed by Brian McDonald, tracks the state's rare plant and animal species and maintains an extensive, ever-growing data base which includes site-specific information on rare species of plants and animals and on wetlands and other significant biological communities. This information is required for all federal permitting activities, mining operations, and development projects within the state. The Natural Heritage Program receives hundreds of requests annually for information on the wildlife and vegetative components of specific state lands. Together the three programs seek to maintain the integrity and biodiversity of West Virginia's wildlife and plant communities.

A brief list of ongoing Nongame Wildlife and Natural Heritage projects include:
• restoration (undertaken from 1987-1990) and annual monitoring of nesting peregrine falcons
• monitoring of nesting bald eagles, which have been increasing in number since the first nest was discovered in 1981
• study and preservation of West Virginia's 13 bat species, including the federally endangered Virginia big-eared bat and Indiana bat
• surveying of freshwater mussels (critical indicators of water quality), lampreys, red-sided dace and other nongame fish, salamanders, frogs, woodrats, rare songbirds, and other species across the state.
• inventorying and monitoring of West Virginia's five federally endangered and threatened plant species
• publication of extensive atlases documenting species distribution and supporting habitats, including The West Virginia Breeding Bird Atlas, Amphibians and Reptiles of West Virginia, The Fishes of West Virginia, The Crayfish of West Virginia, and Butterflies of West Virginia and Their Caterpillars
• publication of the new West Virginia Wildlife Viewing Guide, which includes descriptions of over 60 areas where wildlife can be observed

      The Nongame Wildlife and Natural Heritage Program also coordinates volunteer efforts statewide for Partners in Flight, a national land bird conservation project. Other projects planned or in progress include a vascular plant atlas; a database for native plants suitable for cultivation; publications on West Virginia mammals, mussels, and mushrooms; and enhancements to wildlife viewing areas, including boardwalks, observation blinds, and interpretive signs.

      In addition to its research and conservation activities, the Nongame Wildlife and Natural Heritage Program offers numerous opportunities for residents of all ages to enjoy close encounters with wildlife. Citizens and businesses can have their yards or properties certified as wildlife habitat through the Wild Yards program, if they meet the criteria established for such areas. There are currently 43 wild yards certified statewide. Through the Outdoor Wildlife Learning Sites, or OWLS, program, grants of up to $2,000 are available to schools to develop learning sites on school grounds. With the help of these grants, students in 79 schools in 35 counties across the state have experienced nature first hand by creating and observing habitats that attract birds and butterflies, as well as those that are home to fish, frogs, toads, and other stream and wetland wildlife. Similar grants of up to $1,000 are available to community organizations, as well. In addition, grants to scientists and graduate students for selected research projects result in important additions to the data amassed by the Nongame Wildlife and Natural Heritage Program.

      To return to the categorizing of species, if game and nongame wildlife share habitats, and each frequently reaps benefits from conservation measures designed for the other, why this well-drawn distinction between the hunted and the non-hunted? It came about, at least in part, when the question of how to fund conservation measures for non-hunted species arose nationwide in recent years. Conservation and management programs for game species had long received funding through federal excise taxes on sporting equipment, as well as monies from state hunting and fishing license fees. Yet, when it came to programs for those creatures that are not hunted, there was no ready funding mechanism. In West Virginia and most other states, no one needed a license or paid an entry fee to watch birds, hike, or photograph wildlife.

      When the Nongame Wildlife and Natural Heritage Program was first established in the early 1980s, it was funded on a small scale through a voluntary state income tax check-off option. In time, however, these monies dwindled as more and more options were added to the check-off list. Eventually the check-off option was eliminated altogether. The Nongame Wildlife and Natural Heritage Program was left to carry out its mission with some federal funding for threatened and endangered species projects and meager funds from the sale of pins, belt buckles, and calendars.

      By the early 1990s, citizens across the state, including members of conservation and environmental organizations, garden clubs, sportsmen's groups, and concerned corporations, recognized the need to band together to seek a permanent and adequate funding source for this vital program. In 1994, as a result of their persistent efforts, the West Virginia Legislature approved an annual general revenue appropriation of $400,000 for the program. The following year, this appropriation was increased to $550,000, and legislation to establish a wildlife motor vehicle license plate by way of a constitutional amendment was passed. In 1996, West Virginia voters approved by an overwhelming margin the constitutional amendment to create the wildlife license plate.

      Since its unveiling in 1998, the plate, which features a rose-breasted grosbeak and a West Virginia-specific Potomac Highlands scene painted by artist Tom Allen, has become very popular. By choosing the wildlife plate, motorists can now display their support for wildlife and contribute $15 annually to support the Nongame Wildlife and Natural Heritage Program.

      The needs of nongame wildlife nationwide are now being recognized in Washington, D.C., as well. In the last year, the Conservation and Reinvestment Act, or CARA, a landmark piece of legislation that would channel monies from off-shore oil and gas operations to all 50 states for a variety of conservation and recreation uses, has received considerable interest in Congress. Uses for CARA funds range from the conservation of wild lands and nongame wildlife to the creation of urban parks, pools, and soccer fields. Passage of CARA could bring as much as $20 million in new funding for programs in West Virginia, including $2.5 million for the Nongame Wildlife and Natural Heritage Program. Funds generated from the license plate, as well as the annual legislative appropriation, would be used to match these funds as required by CARA.

      West Virginia's wild, wonderful character makes the conservation of our nongame wildlife and rare plant resources an expansive mission. The Nongame Wildlife and Natural Heritage Program encourages citizens from across the state to share in this mission. In addition to the aforementioned programs, there are numerous other opportunities to become involved in the conservation of wildlife. They include reporting backyard bird counts for the annual winter bird count, reporting nesting bald eagles or other significant occurrences, becoming involved in Partners in Flight or the peregrine falcon cliff watch project, and attending the Nongame Wildlife Weekend to learn more about our state's biodiversity.

      To receive the Nongame Wildlife and Natural Heritage Program's quarterly newsletter or to request other printed materials, grant applications, or further information, call (304) 637-0245 or write to the program c/o WV-DNR, P.O. Box 67, Elkins, WV 26241, or email dhale@dnr.state.wv.us. The newsletter and other information are also available on the program's Web site at www.dnr.state.wv.us/wvwildlife/nongame