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The Migratory
Bird Conservation Commission was established on February 18,
1929, by the passage of the Migratory
Bird Conservation Act.
It was created and authorized to consider and approve any areas
of land and/or water
recommended by the Secretary of the Interior for purchase or rental by
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and to fix the
price
or prices at which such areas may be purchased or rented. In addition
to approving purchase and rental prices, the Commission considers
the
establishment of new waterfowl refuges. The staff support for the Commission
is provided by the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, Division
of Realty.
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Rudolph Dieffenbach
was the first Secretary to the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission.
He served as Commission Secretary for 18 years from 1929 until 1947. |
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Members of the Commission
are:
Chairman - Ken Salazar, Secretary of the Interior
Thad Cochran, Senator
from Mississippi
Blanche Lincoln,
Senator from Arkansas
John D.
Dingell,
Representative from Michigan
Robert J. Wittman, Representative from Virginia
Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Agriculture
Lisa Jackson, Administrator, Environmental
Protection Agency
Secretary - A.Eric Alvarez, Chief, Division of Realty, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service
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Senator Lincoln
was appointed to the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission in February,
2005. She replaced Senator Breaux from Louisiana who had served on the
Commission since April 17, 1996.
The Act also designates the ranking
officer or an authorized representative of the State department that administers
game laws, as an ex officio member to consider and vote on all questions
relating to acquisition of areas in that State.
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The Commission usually convenes three
times per year during the months of March, June, and September,
or
as needed. The Division of Realty produces an annual report, that summarizes
the operations of the Commission during the preceding fiscal year.
Since the Commission's establishment,
over 4 million acres have been acquired by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service by fee purchase, easement, or lease with monies from the Migratory
Bird Conservation Fund. These funds are allocated at the Secretary's discretion
as delegated to the Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service.
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The Fund provides the
Department of the Interior with financing for the acquisition of migratory
bird habitat. There are four major sources for money for the Fund. The most
well-known source is the revenue received from the sale of Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation
Stamps, commonly known as Duck Stamps, as provided for under the Migratory Bird Hunting
and Conservation Stamp Act of March 18, 1934, as amended. The other
three major sources include appropriations authorized by the Wetlands Loan
Act of October 4, 1961, as amended; import duties collected on arms and
ammunition; and receipts from the sale of refuge admission permits as provided
for by the Emergency Wetlands Resources Act of 1986. The Fund is further
supplemented by receipts from the sale of products from rights-of-way across
national wildlife refuges, disposals of refuge land, and reverted Federal
Aid funds. |
In 1989, the Commission acquired the additional responsibility to approve
project funding under the North American Wetlands Conservation
Act. This Act provides for Federal funding to encourage
partnerships to protect, enhance, restore, and manage wetlands and
other
habitats for migratory birds and other fish and wildlife to carry out
the North
American Waterfowl Management Plan. The North
American Wetlands Conservation Council,
which was created by this legislation, submits project recommendations
to the Commission for funding approval. The Council has submitted over
500 high priority projects for consideration by the Commission
since its
establishment. All have been approved for funding, representing a total
of $244 million for the protection of wetland habitat.
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Contact:
Secretary, Migratory Bird Conservation
Commission
4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Mail Stop: ARLSQ-622
Arlington, VA 22203-1610
(703) 358-1716
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Send your comments and questions
to:
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