Wednesday, June 28, 2017

2017-2018 Duck Stamp Released

The new 2017-2018 Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, also known as the Duck Stamp, was released at a ceremony at Bass Pro Shops in Little Rock, Arkansas, on Friday, 23 June.

James Hautman, a skilled wildlife artist from Chaska, Minnesota, had had his stunning artwork chosen last September to grace this year's stamp. His work was chosen among 152 art pieces at a contest evaluated by five judges. This painting of three flying Canada Geese is now the third Duck Stamp to be priced at $25.

This is also the fifth time that Jim Hautman's waterfowl artwork appears on a Federal Duck Stamp. (He ties his brother, Joseph, in having artwork appearing five times on the stamp.) Jim's art previously appeared on the stamps for 1991-1992 (Black-bellied Whistling-Duck), 1995-1996 (Mallard), 1999-2000 (Greater Scaup), and 2011-2012 (White-fronted Goose).

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service produces the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation [Duck] Stamp, which sells for $25. The annual proceeds collected can run to nearly $42 million, depending on the number of stamps sold. The money goes to conserve wetland, bottomland, and grassland habitats for the National Wildlife Refuge System for the benefit of waterfowl as well as other birds and wildlife. Investments of stamp dollars have gone into securing habitat at 253 different National Wildlife Refuges and have helped preserve about three million additional acres in smaller Waterfowl Production Areas (WPAs).

Also, last Friday, the new Junior Duck Stamp was released, featuring a lovely pair of Trumpeter Swans, created by Isaac Schreiber, 12, of Duffield, Virginia.

Finally, in recognition of the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp last week, the Department of the Interior released a listing of http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001oE2ohXvUWYSY_jMq1Pk-tmnsGnd63SSc_S30ZAu8HdV3upCOQ1IVIUhGUc7vEFrE5DZGZqc-SChT9b8gRLs7cXkOyGOSQem_KniXJbrOIBWc2P5IpvBbNcEdvojr9ZK06HZ-7e8SB6BjaqQ9sCzMbwvnRwhODtz39j3L3xQMsK1q4Cjbd5YZrVztu3YIqQGk6Ri3qFFYNulQ_DR35MM7HQ==&c=8sRp1KjvFO9nzn1ByfoFmpaeEF4lzMX6VFiYMjn_5yBe8Y8CmjEagQ==&ch=uw9QpsxmyJ5N4tx9OoDYHYicbi6ifzYrmaUo88V6FfoaahgiuEYTFQ==">five cool things about the Duck Stamp.

- Friends of the Migratory Bird/Duck Stamp (http://www.friendsofthestamp.org)