The Friends of the Migratory Bird/Duck Stamp is in favor of recommended changes that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) recently made for the rules governing the famous Federal Duck Stamp Contest.
This proposal appeared in the Federal Register on Thursday, 11 February. The proposal states that the portrayal of the waterfowl on the Duck Stamp (officially known as the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp) should be enhanced by the addition of an appropriate non-waterfowl migratory bird species, beginning with the 2016 contest to be held this fall.
Of course, since 1934, the Duck Stamp has generated more than $950 million for the preservation of over 6.6 million acres of wetland and grassland habitat. Since 1958, almost all of the proceeds from the approximately 1.7 million stamps sold annually go to secure this vital habitat for the National Wildlife Refuge System.
The latest proposal is a real opportunity to:
1) draw positive attention to the centennial of the Migratory Bird Treaty (MBT) this year,
2) provide new artistic challenges to the participating bird artists in the Duck Stamp Art Contest (and potentially bring in new artists),
3) generate additional enthusiasm among people to support migratory bird conservation (increase people's understanding that the Stamp is "not just for ducks") which may motivate more Americans to buy the Stamp.
This year's centennial of the Migratory Bird Treaty needs multiple showcase activities to reach the public. The change in the Stamp rules could be one such action. This centennial also presents a great opportunity to stress that many National Wildlife Refuges (NWRs) have been built through Stamp dollars to help protect the very migratory birds covered under the MBT. The NWRs are as different as Horicon (WI-98.7%), Santa Ana (TX-94.9%), Ottawa (OH-86.0%), Nisqually (WA-58.4%), Salyer (ND-36.5%), and Malheur (OR-25.6% - see image below).
The change in the Stamp rule may challenge and motivate the traditional artists and bring in new ones.The choice would be up to the artist, as long as it is a native migratory non-waterfowl. This contest certainly needs a real boost, and this new element might be just the right thing. In the December 18 Wingtips, the artist submission trend was explained. Here are some years with entry totals, for a bit more than the past two decades:
1992 629
1994 585
1996 477
1998 337
2000 316
2002 250
2004 223
2011 190
2014 186
2015 157
In the early 1980s, there were often over 1,200 entries annually. Clearly, something new has to be tried. And additional talented wildlife artists need to be reached.
The idea to include a "secondary bird species," in addition to the dominant waterfowl on the stamp, would be a great way to deliver the message that the funds collected from the stamp go to help other species far beyond waterfowl. Putting a Bald Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Long-billed Curlew, American Golden-Plover, or Prothonotary Warbler in the background - to correspond with the right season and location - would strengthen the vital message: it's all about the habitat. Smaller background images have successfully appeared on past cherished and winning stamps: lighthouses, boats, duck-blinds, other individuals of the same waterfowl, and more.
The USFWS program for the Duck Stamp combines great art and design with a proven record of solid conservation that goes back over 80 years. It's art and conservation, both simple and beautiful. And while the program is waterfowl-driven, many other species of birds and other wildlife always benefit.
A number of organizations expressed support for this sort of rule-change concept, in comments made last year.
The only disappointing thing about the current USFWS proposal is that it is not specific enough as presented. The Friends of the Migratory Bird/Duck Stamp maintains that the USFWS should have provided more details in the proposal, so that the public, which includes many talented artists and supporters, could provide better feedback to the USFWS.
The Friends presented just such specific wording suggestions in the past - to the USFWS in 2014 and then distributed through Wingtips in early February 2015. Those details can be found here.
With the recent increase in the price of the stamp - to $25 - it is important to devise innovative new ways to make the Stamp more appealing, especially for those Americans who are not required to buy a Stamp.
With that in mind, it is crucial to find out how to sell more Stamps for conservation, thereby securing vital wetland and grassland habitat for the National Wildlife Refuge System and providing important recreational opportunities for all Americans. The effort cannot be effective unless all parties have a better understanding who, exactly, is buying the Stamp. A representative survey needs to be initiated. This is an additional priority that should run parallel to the proposed art rule changes.
Presented correctly, these contest changes will benefit wildlife artists, waterfowl hunters, and other Americans who buy the Stamp, support the Refuge System, and, most importantly, conserve the birds and other wildlife depending on us to secure wetland and grassland habitat for their survival.
Details on the USFWS proposal (including a downloadable PDF) and the comment period (through 14 March 2016) can be found in the Federal Register, Revision of Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp (Duck Stamp) Contest Regulations. (A shorter, sharable link is https://federalregister.gov/a/2016-02665.) To view other public comments and contribute your own, visit Regulations.gov, docket ID FWS-HQ-MB-2015-0161.
