MONTPELIER, Vt. – The Vermont Habitat Stamp raised $243,888 dollars in 2024 and leveraged a $171,266 federal match, totaling more than $415,000 for the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department’s land conservation and habitat improvement efforts.

‘The Vermont Habitat Stamp is designed to allow anyone who cares about wildlife to help improve habitat for diverse species on private lands and the department’s 130,000 acres of Wildlife Management Area (WMA) lands,” said Interim Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Andrea Shortsleeve. “Habitat Stamp funds also go toward both land acquisition projects to expand or create new WMAs and to making improvements on existing WMAs.”

In 2024, the department spent $129,385 dollars from the Habitat Stamp Fund. These dollars contributed to habitat improvement assistance with landowners and conservation partners on 96 different properties in 62 towns to benefit native pollinators, songbirds, amphibians, bats, white-tailed deer, turkeys, and other wildlife.

Technical assistance was provided to seven town forests in Duxbury, Newbury, Goshen, Wolcott, Lincoln, Ferrisburgh, and Richmond to help guide forest management plans and improve wildlife habitat. A total of 64 acres of invasive plant control was done on ten Fish and Wildlife Department WMAs. Fish and Wildlife Department fishery biologists continued efforts to restore habitat along rivers and streams by improving aquatic organism passage, improving streamside habitat and restoring instream cover.

The Habitat Stamp was inspired by the Vermont Migratory Waterfowl Stamp and Federal Duck Stamp which raise funds for wetland conservation from waterfowl hunters who are required to display a stamp along with their license. The Habitat Stamp is a way for conservationists who do not typically purchase a hunting, fishing or trapping license to contribute to the state’s habitat conservation efforts.

“Although we can be proud of the Habitat Stamp Fund’s accomplishments this year, there is still room to grow,” said Shortsleeve. “We especially invite Vermonters who do not contribute to conservation by buying a hunting, fishing or trapping license to consider buying a habitat stamp this year. It is one of the most direct ways to funnel your dollars to supporting biodiversity in our state in 2025.”

The 2024 Habitat Stamp Annual Report highlighting the conservation work done through the program is available online at www.vtfishandwildlife.com. Matching funds for habitat projects sponsored by the stamp have come from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program.