The newest Duck Stamp went on sale at the end of June. The art contest was won by Scot Storm with his rendition of a Wood Duck. This stamp is available to purchase for $25, and, through June 30, 2020, it will give the purchaser admission to all national wildlife refuges that charge admission. However, that is not the best reason for making this purchase. It is one of the easiest ways that anyone can support bird habitat conservation, and it is among the most successful conservation tools ever created to protect habitat for birds and other wildlife. These conservation revenue stamps use 98 percent of the purchase price to help acquire/protect wetland habitat and to purchase conservation easements for the National Wildlife Refuge system.
Waterfowl hunters over the age of 16 are required to buy these stamps; hunters have been the major purchasers since 1934 when the first stamps were sold. Now hunting is in decline while wildlife watching and photography are increasing. It is up to us conservationists to step up and put money into a system we enjoy all over the country every day of the year. Since it first began, sales have brought in over a billion dollars, helping to conserve over six million acres of high quality waterfowl habitat. Let’s keep this ball rolling!
Duck stamps can be purchased at Nisqually Wildlife Refuge gift shop or office as well as at the following retail stores: Cabela’s, BassPro Shops, WalMart, and some post offices.
There is also a Junior Duck Stamp competition, and those stamps are available for purchase. Take a look at this year’s winner by Haley Chandler, age 18. Revenue from the sale of these stamps supports conservation education in all 50 states.
