By CELESTE BAUMGARTNER
Ohio Correspondent

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A photograph of a Baltimore oriole taken by Russell Reynolds of Lima will appear on the inaugural Ohio Wildlife Legacy Stamp to be issued in March 2010.

Reynold’s photo was the winner in the first-ever Ohio Wildlife Legacy Stamp competition sponsored by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife (ODW). The stamp is a way to provide nonconsumptive users of wildlife, such as birders and wildlife photographers, with an opportunity to support conservation, said Dave Graham, chief of the ODW.

“It’s all about doing the right thing for the resource and for conservation,” he said. “Hunters and fishermen and trappers have paid for conservation for 100 years or more.”

But there are thousands of wildlife enthusiasts who enjoy wildlife through the lens of a camera or through binoculars, who want to be a part of doing something for conservation, Graham said.

“This stamp is the start of something much bigger in terms of looking for a way for all of us to work together to help ensure that the conservation legacy lasts in this country far beyond any of us,” he said. “I think it will be a collectors’ stamp – I know I’m going to collect them.”

Funds from the stamp will supplement the Wildlife Diversity Fund projects, said Kendra Wecker, wildlife diversity coordinator with the ODW. Those projects include species that are not hunted, fished or trapped.

“The primary areas we fund are conservation, which would be habitat restoration and land acquisition; the second area is research and third is education,” she said. “The nice thing also about the Wildlife Diversity Fund is it only funds the projects, not the personnel. The personnel that we use on those projects are funded from the wildlife fund, which are the hunters’ and anglers’ dollars.”

According to the 2006 U.S. Fish and Wildlife survey, more than three million Ohioans say they are wildlife enthusiasts.

“I’d love to sell three million stamps this year,” said Laura Jones, ODW project leader for the Wildlife Legacy Stamp. “Our goal is to reach out to those individuals who are watching wildlife, and helping them make the connection.”

Wildlife watchers are not going to be able to enjoy birds, butterflies, dragonflies and other critters if their habitats are not managed, conserved and preserved, Jones said.

The stamp will be printed on an attractive card stock with a message about the stamp and where the proceeds from it will go, which is to wildlife diversity, research and educational materials. People will also receive a window cling.

It is also an opportunity for organizations – they can go online and download a certificate to be printed and framed.

A new collectible stamp depicting a different animal will be issued each year to highlight Ohio’s wildlife diversity. The contest will be open to Ohioans and the stamp will depict a native Ohio animal. Details will soon be available about next year’s photo contest and the subject of the 2011 Wildlife Diversity Legacy stamp at www.wildohiostamp.com

The $15 stamp will be available in March 2010 for purchase at www.wildohio.com