The 2017-18 U.S. federal duck stamp, which features three Canada Geese in flight, was issued by the U.S. Department of the Interior this June in Little Rock, Ark.
The $25 Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation stamp features a painting by James Hautman, of Minnesota, who was the winner of the 2016 federal duck stamp art contest. The stamp was issued on June 23 as a water-activated adhesive in a perforated pane of 20 stamps, and as a self-adhesive die-cut stamp in a pane of one stamp. It will be valid through June 30, 2018.
“The American sportsmen heritage is not just something we talk about. Sportsmen and anglers are the strongest wildlife and habitat conservationists around, and the Duck Stamp is the perfect example of this,” said U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke. “The stamp’s impact goes beyond waterfowl, it also helps provide habitat for hundreds of species of wildlife and clean water for our communities. The lands set aside using Duck Stamp dollars provide opportunities for the American people to enjoy the great outdoors through hunting, fishing, and birdwatching, and help ensure this piece of American heritage will endure for generations.”
This year’s stamp is the fifth U.S. federal duck stamp to feature the Canada goose (Branta canadensis) since the series’ introduction in 1934. Since then, sales of the duck stamp have raised more than $950 million USD to conserve nearly six million acres of wetlands habitat on national wildlife refuges around the nation.
The duck stamp is also the longest-running single-themed federal stamp issued by the U.S.
The junior duck stamp (shown above) was designed by 12-year-old Isaac Schreiber.
JUNIOR DUCK STAMP
Isaac Schreiber, a 12-year-old Virginia artist, painted the winning design for the 2017-18 junior duck stamp.
Similar to Canada’s duck stamp, the U.S. duck stamp is required for waterfowl hunters as annual license; however, the stamps are also purchased by philatelists and conservationists.
Ninety-eight percent of the proceeds from the $25 Duck Stamp go to the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund, which supports wetlands conservation for the National Wildlife Refuge System.
A current Federal Duck Stamp is also good for free admission to any national wildlife refuge that charges an entry fee. The Service is responsible for managing more than 850 million acres of lands and waters in the Refuge System, including 566 national wildlife refuges and 38 wetland management districts. Refuges offer world-class public recreation, from fishing, hunting and wildlife observation to photography and environmental education.
For more information, visit fws.gov/birds/get-involved/duck-stamp.php.