Georgia's State Wildlife Action Plan earns top ratings for its consideration of rare plant conservation, according to a recent report by NatureServe, an international conservation organization.

"Hidden in Plain Sight: The Role of Plants in State Wildlife Action Plans" lists Georgia as the only state that has a full species technical team to review the status of rare plants and identify critical habitats, research needs and conservation priorities.

The report released in March also highlights Georgia and three other states - Missouri, Nebraska and Oregon - as exemplary for incorporating rare-plant conservation needs, habitats and focal areas into their state wildlife action plans, or SWAPs. Georgia had the highest efficiency rating involving target species in mapped sites, a measure geared to protecting critical conservation areas.

State wildlife action plans, completed in 2005 by all U.S. states and territories, are designed to guide wildlife conservation. The plans have been described as a nationwide strategy to prevent wildlife from becoming endangered or more rare, a cost-effective approach that benefits wildlife and people for current and future generations. Developed by each state based on the best available scientific information and broad public engagement, SWAPs have become increasingly important in a wide variety of conservation and planning efforts.

But federal guidelines governing development of the plans exclude plants from the definition of "wildlife," which limits funding available for rare plant conservation. Georgia planners led by the Department of Natural Resources' Wildlife Resources Division used money from other sources to incorporate assessments of plant conservation needs in the state's SWAP, also referred to as the Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy.

"Given Georgia's remarkable plant diversity and significant conservation challenges, we considered it imperative to include rare plants and their habitats in the Wildlife Action Plan," said Jon Ambrose, assistant chief of Wildlife Resources' Nongame Conservation Section. "Georgia ranks seventh in the nation in the number of native vascular plants and 10th in the percentage of at-risk plant species."

NatureServe chief scientist and report co-author Bruce Stein said in a NatureServe release that state wildlife action plans "represent a tremendous opportunity for strategically advancing conservation in America. Now is the time to complement the attention they have brought to wild animals with additional focus on the needs of our nation's imperiled plans."

In Georgia, the sales of hummingbird and bald eagle license plates support conservation projects such as surveying imperiled plants and restoring protected animal populations. The Nongame Conservation Section does not receive state funds for this work. Instead, nongame programs are supported through federal grants, donations and fundraisers such as tag sales and the annual Give Wildlife a Chance state income tax checkoff.

Nongame wildlife license plates are available for a one-time fee of $25 at county tag offices or by checking the appropriate box on mail-in registration forms. Visit http:// mvd.dor.ga.gov/tags for online renewals.