Hunters, birders and stamp collectors celebrated as the 2019-2020 Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp – commonly known as the Duck Stamp – went on sale. The new Federal Duck Stamp and its younger sibling, the Junior Duck Stamp, debuted at a special event hosted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at the Bass Pro Shops flagship store in Springfield, Missouri.
Painted by artist Scot Storm of Freeport, Minnesota, the new Duck Stamp will raise millions of dollars for habitat conservation to benefit wildlife and the American people.
The 2019-2020 Junior Duck Stamp, which also went on sale today, raises funds to support youth conservation education and this year features a harlequin duck painted by Nicole Jeon, 16, of Scarsdale, New York.
The Federal Duck Stamp plays a critically important role in wildlife conservation. Since 1934, sales of this stamp have raised more than $1 billion to protect 6 million acres of wetlands habitat on national wildlife refuges around the nation.
“The Federal Duck Stamp recognizes waterfowl hunters for their sustained contributions to wetland and waterfowl conservation during the last 85 years,” said U.S. Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt. “Funds raised from this collectible work of art are critical to preserving our great outdoor landscapes and help to ensure access for generations to come.”
Last fall, a panel of five judges chose Storm’s painting of a wood duck and decoy from among 168 entries in the 2018 Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest. At the National Junior Duck Stamp Art Contest in April, judges chose Nicole Jeon’s painting from among best-of-show winners from states, the District of Columbia and several U.S. territories.
The new Duck Stamps are available for purchase online, at many sporting goods and retail stores, and some post offices and national wildlife refuges. Find all buying options at http://www.fws.gov/birds/get-involved/duck-stamp/buy-duck-stamp.php.
“Now in its 85th year, the Federal Duck Stamp remains among the nation’s most successful and effective conservation tools, thanks to waterfowl hunters and other outdoor enthusiasts,” said Service Principal Deputy Director Margaret Everson. “The 2019-2020 Federal Duck Stamp, with its artistic theme of ‘Celebrating Our Waterfowl Hunting Heritage,’ pays special recognition to the contributions waterfowl hunters have made through their purchase of Duck Stamps.”
Funds raised from the sale of Federal Duck Stamps go toward the acquisition or lease of habitat for the National Wildlife Refuge System. Duck Stamps – while required for waterfowl hunters as an annual license – are also voluntarily purchased by birders, outdoor enthusiasts and fans of national wildlife refuges who understand the value of preserving some of the most diverse and important wildlife habitats in our nation.
A current Federal Duck Stamp is also good for free admission to any refuge that charges an entry fee. Of the more than 560 refuges, many offer unparalleled outdoor recreational opportunities, including hunting, fishing, bird watching and photography.
The Junior Duck Stamp Art Contest is the culmination of a year-long educational program that helps students learn about wetlands and waterfowl conservation, explore their natural world and create a painting or drawing of a duck, goose or swan as their “visual term paper” to demonstrate what they learned.
The winning art at a national contest is made into a stamp the Service sells for $5 to conservationists, educators, students and the public. Proceeds support conservation education. Since the first Junior Duck Stamps went on sale in 1993, well over $1 million has been raised, which has been re-invested in this unique conservation arts and science education program.
The 2019 Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest to select the 2020-2021 stamp will be held September 27 and 28 at Patuxent Research Refuge in Laurel, Maryland.
Learn more about the Federal and Junior Duck Stamps at https://www.fws.gov/birds/get-involved/duck-stamp.php.
