If birds are singing in your yard and frogs are leaping in the local pond, it could be because one of Georgia’s most popular wildlife license plates is making a comeback.
A redesigned plate featuring a bald eagle and the U.S. flag is now available through county tag offices, the state Department of Natural Resources announced today.
This iconic combo is a throwback to DNR’s smaller eagle-and-flag design that sold by the thousands from 2004 to 2013. Those tags, still common on cars and trucks, raised millions to conserve Georgia wildlife not legally hunted or fished for, as well as rare plants and natural habitats statewide.
Like DNR’s other five plates, the new eagle tag costs only $25 more than a standard plate to buy or renew. Most of those fees – up to 80 percent – are dedicated to wildlife. DNR eagle and hummingbird tags benefit the Georgia Nongame Wildlife Conservation Fund, used to acquire habitat and conserve species, such as bald eagles. The number of eagle nests in Georgia has surged from zero in 1970 to more than 200 this year.
DNR Wildlife Resources Division Director Rusty Garrison said the new license plate will generate funds that enable the agency to better manage wildlife and serve constituents.
“Our mission is to conserve, enhance and promote Georgia’s wildlife resources, and this tag is going to help us do just that,” Garrison said.
The eagle-and-flag tag, created by DNR graphic artist Ryan Holt, replaces the flying eagle version, one of three DNR plates introduced in 2013 with designs that covered the full license plate. The flying eagle plates are still sold at county tag offices that have them in stock, but supplies are limited. Check with your office on availability.
Go to www.georgiawildlife.com/conservation/support to learn more about the new eagle license plate.
