First
Federal Duck Stamp.
Design by J.N. "Ding" Darling
Federal
Duck Stamps are a vital tool for wetland
conservation. Ninety-eight) cents out of every dollar generated
by the sales of Federal Duck Stamps goes directly to purchase
or lease wetland
habitat for protection in the National
Wildlife Refuge System. Understandably, the Federal Duck
Stamp Program has been called one of the most successful conservation
programs ever initiated and is a highly effective way to conserve
America’s natural resources.
USFWS/William
Schmidt
The
Second Federal Duck Stamp Contest (1951)
Besides
serving as a hunting license and a conservation tool, a current
year’s
Federal Duck Stamp also serves as an entrance pass for National
Wildlife Refuges where admission is normally charged. Duck
Stamps and the products that bear duck stamp images are also
popular collector items.
In 1989, the
first Junior Duck Stamps were produced. Junior Duck Stamps are
now the capstone of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s Junior
Duck Stamp environmental education program, teaching students
across the nation “conservation through the arts.” Revenue
generated by the sales of Junior Duck Stamps funds environmental
education programs in all 50 states, the District of Columbia,
and 2 territories (American Samoa and the Virgin Islands).
Today, many states also
issue their own versions of duck stamps. In some states, the
stamps are purely a collector’s item, but in others,
the stamps have a similar role in hunting and conservation
as federal duck stamps.
For information reagarding
the authorizing legislation behind Duck Stamps, please see
our "stamp law" page.
Download our brochure, The
Federal Duck Stamp Story, for a brief history of both
Federal and Junior Duck Stamps. Note:
this is a PDF document. You will need to download
the free Adobe Acrobat Reader software to view this document.
How
do Duck Stamps benefit wildlife?
Since
1934, the sales
of Federal Duck Stamps have generated more than $750
million, which has been used to help purchase or lease over
5.3 million acres of waterfowl habitat in the U.S. These
lands are now protected in the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s National
Wildlife Refuge System.
Waterfowl are not
the only wildlife to benefit from the sale of Federal Duck
Stamps. Numerous other bird, mammal, fish, reptile, and amphibian
species that rely on wetland habitats have prospered. Further,
an estimated one-third of the Nation's endangered and threatened
species find food or shelter in refuges
established using Federal Duck Stamp funds.
People, too, have
benefited from the Federal Duck Stamp Program. Hunters have
places to enjoy their hunting heritage and other outdoor enthusiasts
have places to hike, watch birds, and visit. Moreover, the
protected wetlands help purify water supplies, store flood
water, reduce soil erosion and sedimentation, and provide spawning
areas for fish important to sport and commercial fishermen.
See how your duck
stamp dollars have benefited your state by visiting our “conservation” page.
Why
should I buy duck stamps?
There are many reasons
to buy Duck Stamps. Hunters over
the age of 16 must purchase a Federal Duck Stamp each year
if they want to hunt migratory waterfowl. Birders and
other frequenters of National Wildlife Refuges purchase a $15
Federal Duck Stamp each year in order to gain free admission
to refuges. Conservationists buy
Federal Duck Stamps because they know that the stamps are,
dollar for dollar, one of the best investments one can make
in the future of America’s wetlands. Collectors buy
both the Federal and Junior Duck Stamps because the beautiful
stamps can gain value over the years and are an important part
of America’s outdoor culture. Finally, educators, conservationists, hunters, parents,
and students alike
buy $5 Junior Duck Stamps in order to support conservation
education programs in the U.S.
Where
can I buy Duck Stamps and Duck Stamp products?
Both Federal Duck
Stamps ($15) and Junior Duck Stamps ($5) are sold in many post
offices across the country. You can also buy both stamps on
the internet, and many sporting goods and outdoor stores sell
the Federal Duck Stamps. Visit our “Stamps” page
to learn where you can purchase both Federal and Junior Duck
Stamps.
The U. S. Fish & Wildlife
Service Federal Duck Stamp Office does not sell duck stamp
products, but it does allow licensed vendors to produce and
sell products bearing the images of both Federal and Junior
Duck Stamps. Please see our “Products” page
for a current list of vendors.
How
are Duck Stamps made?
Each year, the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service sponsors a stamp-design contest (usually
held in the fall), with wildlife artists from across the Nation
submitting their work for judging by a panel of artists and
wildlife experts. The winning art is used on the following
year's stamp. Wildlife artists consider it a great honor to
be selected as the winner of the Federal
Duck Stamp Contest.
After the winning
design has been selected, the staff
of the Federal Duck Stamp Office and other members of the
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service design and produce a stamp
that meets the needs and expectations of the public.
A security document
designer prepares a model, combining the artwork, title, and
denomination. Postal service experts determine what areas of
the stamp will be reproduced by the intaglio process ( a type
of engraving), how the colors of the remainder of the image
will be separated, and what printing methods and equipment
will yield the best reproduction of the artwork. Before printing,
a stamp model is submitted to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife
Service for approval.
A similar process
is used for Junior
Duck Stamps. Annually, thousands of students across the
country enter artwork in
their state’s round of the Junior Duck Stamp contest.
Students from kindergarten to high school compete in one of
four age brackets (K-3rd, 4th-6th, 7th-9th, and 10th-12th)
for a chance to win various prizes. From the first place winners
in each age bracket, state-round judges select a Best of Show
piece to represent theirt state in the National Junior Duck
Stamp Contest. Each April, judges for the National Junior Duck
Stamp Contest select a winner from the 53 Best of Show entries
(one from each state, the District of Columbia, and participating
territories [American Samoa and the Virgin Islands]) to become
the following year’s Junior Duck Stamp.
Every year on July
1st, a new Federal Duck Stamp and a new Junior Duck Stamp are
released for sale to the public at a First Day of Sale Ceremony.
After the First Day of Sale, the stamps can be purchased at
all national duck stamp retailers.
How
can I participate in the Duck Stamp Contest?
Whether you are an artist or
an interested citizen, you can participate in the Federal
Duck Stamp Contest. Anyone over the age of 18 can enter
the contest for a chance to see one’s winning artwork
on a Federal Duck Stamp. Even if you are not an artist, you
can still participate by attending the contest and viewing
the judging. The Federal Duck Stamp Contest is usually held
in early October or November at the Department of the Interior
in Washington D.C. Call the Federal
Duck Stamp Office at 703-358-2000 for current contest information.
Junior
Duck Stamp Contest
You can also participate
in the Junior Duck
Stamp Contest. Any student in kindergarten through high
school can enter the contest. Teachers, parents, students,
or anyone interested can attend the state and national contest
judging. Contact your
state coordinator for information on state-round contests.
The National Junior Duck Stamp Contest is usually held at the
end of April at the Ward World Championship Widlfowl Carving
Competition in Ocean City, Maryland. Call the Federal
Duck Stamp Office at 703-358-2000 for current contest information.
Where
can I view Duck Stamps?
You can see every Federal
Duck Stamp and every Junior
Duck Stamp ever made, along with artist and production
information, through our web image galleries.
Also, you can see
a number of Federal Duck Stamps and duck stamp-related artifacts
at the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum in Washington,
D.C.
In March 1995, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service transferred
its complete set of the annual duck stamp series to the Smithsonian
Institute. Included in the collection is a complete set of die
proofs. At transfer, the official collection consisted of 21
panes of 28 stamps each, dating from the first issue through
1954-1955. Under a current agreement between the Service and
the Smithsonian Institution, a sheet, a pane, and die proof of
each issue is added to the collection annually.
Who
can answer my questions about Duck Stamps?
For questions about
Federal and Junior Duck Stamps, please contact the Federal
Duck Stamp Office. |