July 19, 2010

Buy a Federal Duck Stamp and Support Wildlife Conservation

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You can sit on the sidelines and say you support wildlife conservation, or you can get in the game by purchasing a federal duck stamp. The new 2010-2011 stamp is this handsome American wigeon painted by Waldorf, Maryland, artist Robert Bealle. The stamp recently went on sale at post offices and is also available at most locations that sell hunting and fishing licenses.  

All waterfowl hunters age 16 and older are required to purchase and carry a current federal duck stamp, but conservationists, birders, stamp collectors and others also buy the stamp and support habitat conservation, according to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

Ninety-eight percent of the proceeds from the $15 duck stamp go to the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund, which supports wetlands acquisition for the National Wildlife Refuge System. Since 1934, federal duck stamp sales have raised more than $750 million to acquire and protect more than 5.3 million acres of wetlands, including habitat on hundreds of the 552 National Wildlife Refuges spread across all 50 states and U.S. territories.

About 1.8 million stamps are sold each year.

Learn more about the Federal Duck Stamp Program, and learn how duck stamp dollars are put to work in your state.

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Categories: Conservation, Hunting, Top Stories