Revenue drops from region’s environmental plate sales

All Great Lakes drivers have something in common: they can buy license plates that benefit the environment.

The causes are as diverse as protecting water, funding nature preserves and saving river otters. Some states offer only one or two environmental plates. Then there are states like Indiana that offer five environment-related plates among more than 100 specialty plates, including military and collegiate editions.

All that variety has drawbacks for the environmental causes. The increasing competition for plate sales means that fewer drivers are buying the environmental plates.

For instance, Indiana offers a plate to support the Indiana Heritage Trust Fund, an organization that buys land for state parks and nature preserves.

Its sales dropped as the state developed more than 100 specialty license plates, said Nick Heinzelman, executive director of the Indiana Heritage Trust Fund. In 2013, about 42,250 Indiana Environmental Plates were sold, providing more than $1 million of revenue. But that is $668,650 less than the revenue from 10 years earlier when there were fewer choices. In 2003, nearly 69,000 environmental plates were sold.

The need is great, Heinzelman said. “Indiana lacks public land for recreational use. Increasing public recreational opportunities increases the quality of life in Indiana.”

Ohio has two Lake Erie license plates, one with a lighthouse and another with a life preserver. Together they raise about $200,000 a year for the Ohio Lake Erie Commission, which uses the money for projects that benefit Lake Erie.

The recent increase of other specialty plates has cut into how much the Lake Erie plates raise, said Rian Sallee, environmental specialist and grants coordinator of the Ohio Lake Erie Commission. Due to increased plate competition, sales dropped 6 percent to 10 percent since 1997.

“There are so many different plates, it is hard to differentiate ourselves,” said Gail Hesse, executive director for the Ohio Lake Erie Commission. Ohio offers 164 specialty license plates.

Pennsylvania drivers can support the Wild Resources Conservation Fund by purchasing the River Otter Wild Resources Conservation Fund Plate. The plates now raise about $20,000 to $30,000 annually, according to Greg Czarnecki, the fund’s executive director. The revenue supports grants for education about and conservation of endangered species.

“When our plate was the first specialty plate, it made almost $1 million,” Czarnecki said. But the revenue has declined from 1982, now that there are other plates competing. When a driver purchases a River Otter plate, the contribution of $15 is only donated once. In other Great Lakes states renewal fees are donated yearly to the supported causes.

Elsewhere the competition for license plate dollars is less intense.

The Illinois environmental plate is the best selling of that state’s 54 specialty plates. With 39,753 plates on the road, the number of environmental plate sales surpasses the second highest selling plate, the Firefighters Memorial plate, by about 2,000, according to the Illinois Secretary of State office. In 2013, it raised $997,525 for the State Park Trust Fund.

Michigan offers a Wildlife Habitat plate that funds the Department of Natural Resources’ Nongame Fish and Wildlife Trust Fund. The sales of plates have remained constant, according to Dan Kennedy, the endangered species coordinator of the Wildlife Division at the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

This year, the Wildlife Habitat plates produced $234,370 in revenue. Five years ago the sales earned $238,960.

Michigan also offers an Agriculture Heritage plate, which raises money for agriculture educational programs for grades K-12. There are 5,689 Agriculture Heritage plates on the roads. They raised $66,260 in 2013.

The Water Quality plate produced $70,900 during the 2013. There are 6,425 plates in circulation, according to the Michigan Secretary of State’s office. The money from the plate directly supports water projects such as real time beach monitoring and the Michigan Volunteer River, Stream and Creek Cleanup Program.

“All the money we raise is passed directly to local projects,” said Lois Marinangeli, the Department of Environmental Quality’s Water Resource Division’s finance chief.

In September of 2014, Michigan released a Ducks Unlimited plate. Ducks Unlimited is an organization that aims to conserve and promote waterfowl habitat. Many of the Great Lakes States offer Ducks Unlimited license plates, including Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin.

Wisconsin’s Endangered Resource plates help protect and manage rare and non-game species. In 2013, the Wisconsin DNR gained $371,565 in revenue from plates; the sales accounted for 6.7 percent of the DNR’s revenue, according to a 2013 DNR annual report.

Minnesota offers a line of Critical Habitat plates. A new moose plate was released in 2014, making a total of eight plates drivers can choose from. Regardless of the license plate design, the funds support the Reinvest in Minnesota Critical Habitat Program, which helps preserve wildlife habitat and plant communities, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

The plate sales produce between $3 million and $3.5 million annually, according to Kim Hennings, Land Acquisition Coordinator at the Division of Wildlife for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

“This amount has remained relatively stable over the years. We generally have 100,000 or so registered plates at any given time. Plate sales have increased when new designs were offered,” Kennings said in an email.

In New York, the Conserve Habitat plate and Bluebird Environmental plate raised $10,475 to protect and manage fish and wildlife in 2013.

“The Bluebird is the best-seller among our cause plates,” said Pete Bucci, the public information officer for the state Department of Motor Vehicles. With each plate sold, $25 is deposited directly into the State’s Environmental Protection Fund.