Eagle flies again for a fee on Georgia license plates

Georgia drivers have a new way to show their patriotism and preserve wildlife at the same time.

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources is launching a new license plate featuring a bald eagle flanked by an American flag.

In the years following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, thousands of the former eagle license plate sold between 2004 and 2013 as part of a fundraising effort for the Georgia Nongame Wildlife Conservation Fund.

In 2013, a license plate was unveiled featuring an eagle flying over a body of water.

That design is being retired, although a limited number are still available.

The new eagle tag costs $25 more than a standard plate to purchase or renew, according to a DNR news release.

From the fees collected, 80 percent benefits wildlife in the state.

Georgia’s eagle population has been thriving in recent years.

In 1970, there were no recorded nests in the state and the most recent count shows more than 200.

“Our mission is to conserve, enhance and promote Georgia’s wildlife resources, and this tag is going to help us do just that,” Rusty Garrison, DNR’s wildlife resources division director, stated in the release.

Georgia also markets a wildlife plate featuring a deer, turkey and quail, which benefits the Bobwhite Quail Initiative.

The state’s trout conservation management program benefits from the Trout Unlimited design.

This story was originally published August 19, 2016 at 2:25 PM with the headline "Eagle flies again for a fee on Georgia license plates."