EDGEFIELD, S.C. — One year after announcing the Massachusetts NWTF License Plate, the Massachusetts NWTF State Chapter has collected just over 260 plate pre-orders, leaving them with 490 more to reach their goal. Once 750 pre-orders are collected, they will be submitted to the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles to be printed and mailed to the registered participants.
For state residents, it costs $40 to pre-order the custom NWTF plate. After, plates will cost $100 every two years, which covers the $60 state registration fee and a $40 donation to the Massachusetts NWTF State Chapter.
When the first 750 plates are punched, the Massachusetts NWTF State Chapter will be receiving $30,000 every other year, with the opportunity to increase as more plates are ordered.
Joe Judd, Massachusetts NWTF State Board member and Quaker Boy pro staff member, and Keith Fritze, former Massachusetts NWTF State Chapter president, spear-headed the license plate program.
“Joe started looking into this five-plus years ago,” Fritze said. “It will be a consistent flow of money that could extend past our Super Fund dollars. The money will stay in our state to fund more research projects on the ground. This kind of funding is huge for a small state with only four chapters. These plates are providing opportunities for funding that has never been seen in New England for turkey conservation. That’s why Joe came up with the idea, and why we’re pushing it to get to that goal.”
Not only are the plates going to offer an amazing financial opportunity, but they have also acted as a subject to unite volunteers and members across the state. It has rallied all chapters and volunteers, and members have bonded over the success of such a novel opportunity.
The biggest hurdle the chapter has faced with the license plates was making sure there would be a buy in from the state board. It is the longest project the state chapter has ever taken on, planning for three years to sell the 750-plate minimum.
“It’s been a big commitment to try and get this project in front of new people, at new venues and at local agriculture fairs,” Fritze said.
At the 2025 Bay State Calling Classic, a license plate pre-order was raffled off to an attendee free of charge.
Preorder a NWTF-Massachusetts license plate!
About the National Wild Turkey Federation
Since 1973, the National Wild Turkey Federation has invested over half a billion dollars into wildlife conservation and has positively impacted over 24 million acres of critical wildlife habitat. The NWTF has also invested over $10 million into wild turkey research to guide the management of the wild turkey population and to ensure sustainable populations into perpetuity. The organization continues to deliver its mission by working across boundaries on a landscape scale through its Four Shared Values: clean and abundant water, healthy forests and wildlife habitat, resilient communities, and robust recreational opportunities. With the help of its dedicated members, partners and staff, the NWTF continues its work to provide Healthy Habitats. and Healthy Harvests. for future generations.
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