Why Buy a Duck Stamp?
At $25, the Federal Duck Stamp is a huge bargain for conservation. In this amazingly efficient program, 98 cents of every dollar go directly toward conserving the habitats our migratory birds depend on. The cost of buying and leasing lands suitable for wildlife conservation – like just about any cost you can think of – has increased dramatically in recent years, and so in 2015 the stamp saw its first price increase since 1991. The $10 increase brings in an additional estimated $14 million a year – that’s $14 million for conservation! The added $10 per stamp will go into a fund exclusively to acquire easements for land to protect migratory birds Sportsmen have long been noted for doing more than their fair share, and conservationists should take note.
Hunters of waterfowl age 16 and over are required to have a Duck Stamp. Wildlife observers are not required to have a stamp, but with your $25 purchase you are supporting one of the most successful conservation initiatives in history. Since its inception in 1934, the Duck Stamp program has helped protect more than 6 million acres of habitat by raising more than $800 million. The federal Duck Stamp program, formally known as the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, is a conservation revenue stamp. Proceeds from stamp sales help acquire and protect wetland habitat for the National Wildlife Refuge System. Wetlands acquired with Duck Stamp dollars help purify water, aid in flood control, reduce soil erosion and sedimentation, and enhance outdoor recreation opportunities – such as birding!
Who buys federal Duck Stamps?
- Conservationists – that’s WSO members – buy them because they know the stamp is, dollar for dollar, the best investment they can make toward the future of America’s wetlands.
- Birders and other outdoor enthusiasts – also WSO members – buy them because they know wetlands support ducks and much, much more.
- Visitors to the National Wildlife Refuge system buy them to gain free admission to the refuges that charge admission.
- Waterfowl hunters aged 16 and over buy them because they are required to have a Duck Stamp to hunt waterfowl.
How you can participate: ORDER a Duck Stamp today!!
Note that stamps are available from WSO beginning late in June and ending December 25. NO ORDERS WILL BE ACCEPTED BETWEEN DECEMBER 25 AND MAY 31.
