Federal Duck Stamp Contest
Goes West
August 25, 2010
For the first time in the history of the Federal Duck Stamp Contest we are moving the contest West. The 2010 Federal Duck Stamp Contest will take place October 15 - 16, 2010 at the David Brower Center in Berkeley, California. “Having this prestigious contest in the heart of the urban Bay Area provides a unique opportunity to introduce new, non-traditional audiences to the importance of wetlands and wildlife conservation,” said Ren Lohoefener, Regional Director of the Service’s Pacific Southwest Region. “Never has it been more important to conserve and restore wetland habitat, especially as we search for methods to minimize the effects of climate change, for waterfowl and the multitude of other species that depend on wetlands.”
The contest is open to the public and judging takes place over two exciting days, as a panel of experts in art, waterfowl identification and philatelic expertise have the difficult task of deciding which painting will become the 2011-2012 Federal Duck Stamp.
Artists, hunters, conservationists, and collectors come experience this thrilling event and see if you can select the next winning entry that will become the next Federal Duck Stamp!
For more information about the contest, location and activities planned in the Bay Area during Duck Stamp Contest week check the 2010 Duck Stamp Contest webpage or join the fans of the Federal Duck Stamp Contest on Facebook.
Help Heal Gulf Coast Wetlands
July 28, 2010
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar unveiled a special edition Federal Duck Stamp envelope known as a silk cachet, that hunters, stamp collectors and other conservationists can purchase for $25 -- or $10 more than the cost of a regular Duck Stamp -- to help conservation efforts in the Gulf of Mexico. The funds will be used to acquire wetlands for inclusion in the more than thirty-eight national wildlife refuges along the Gulf Coast.
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 Bass Pro Shops will underwrite the first edition of this cachet. |
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2010 First Day of Sale Ceremony
June 30, 2010
More than $10,000 of Federal Duck Stamp and Junior Duck Stamps were sold at the 77th annual First Day of Sale ceremony for 2010-2011 Federal Duck Stamps and Junior Duck Stamps. The event took place on June 25 at the Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World retail store at Arundel Mills Mall in Hanover, MD.
2010 Federal Duck Stamp artist Robert Bealle and Junior Duck Stamp artist Rui Huang were available to sign stamps and cancellations by Mike Matousek of the U.S. Postal Service. A much sought after collectible, First Day of Sale purchased Federal Duck Stamps and Junior Duck Stamps, as well as other value added products signed by the artists and Duck Stamp judges are a highlight to any stamp collection.
Highlights Video >>>
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5.3 Million in Duck Stamp Funds for Wetlands and Migratory Bird Grants
June 21, 2010
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced that the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission (MBCC) has approved $5.3 million in Federal Duck Stamp funds to add more than 1,849 wetland acres to six units of the National Wildlife Refuge System.
Cache River National Wildlife Refuge, Arkansas – Acquire and restore 180 of bottomland wetlands to provide a block of contiguous seasonally-flooded forestland managed for waterfowl and other migratory birds.
Stone Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, California – Protect 110 acres of the last remaining riparian habitat along South Stone Lake, as well as associated wetlands and uplands. Areas manages for shortgrass and wetlands to provide quality habitat for wintering, migrating and breeding waterfowl.
Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, New Jersey – Protect 243 acres of wetlands and upland fringes, the last natural open space on the northern portion of Barnegat Bay. The area provides essential migratory habitat for waterfowl and passerine birds species, as well as several state-listed endangered and threatened bird species.
Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge, New Hampshire – Protect 162 acres of northern forest wetland and nesting habitat for several species of waterfowl such as the American black duck, wood duck, mallard, hooded merganser, blue-winged teal and ring-necked duck.
Lower Hatchie National Wildlife Refuge, Tennessee – Protect 866 acres that support large concentrations of wintering waterfowl such as mallards and northern pintails and provides stopover habitat for several species of migrating shorebirds.
San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge, Texas – Acquire 288 acres for protection of a wetland complex that provides winter, migration and resident habitat for waterfowl, wading birds and neotropical migratory birds.
For every dollar spent on Federal Duck Stamps, ninety-eight cents goes directly to purchase vital habitat for protection in the National Wildlife Refuge System.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will host the First Day of Sale for the 2010-2011 Federal Duck Stamp and Junior Duck Stamp on June 25, 2010, at the Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World retail store at the Arundel Mills Mall in Hanover, Maryland. Doors will open at 9:00 a.m., and the ceremony will begin at 10:00 a.m. The event is free and open to the public.
See News Release for more information.
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First Day of Sale for Federal Duck Stamps - June 25, 2010
June 2, 2010
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will host the First Day of Sale for the 2010-2011 Federal Duck Stamp and Junior Duck Stamp on June 25 at the Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World retail store at the Arundel Mills Mall in Hanover, Md. Doors will open at 9 a.m., and the ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. The event is free and open to the public.
The 2010-2011 Federal Duck Stamp features an American wigeon painted by wildlife artist Robert Bealle, of Waldorf, Md. Last fall, a panel of five judges chose Bealle’s art to grace the new Duck Stamp from among 224 paintings at the Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest, held at the Patuxent Research Refuge in Laurel, Md.
Bealle, a lifelong resident of southern Maryland, initially gained recognition as a wildlife artist after placing second in the 1983 Federal Duck Stamp Contest. Before winning the Federal Duck Stamp Contest in 2009, he also won three Maryland Duck Stamp Contests (1994, 2003, and 2008).
Rui Huang, an 18-year-old from Columbus, Ohio, created the new Junior Duck Stamp, featuring a hooded merganser. Huang’s art was chosen from among 51 Best-of Show winners from every state and the District of Columbia at the National Junior Duck Stamp, held April 23 in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
Bealle and Huang will both be on hand at the June 25 ceremony, as will U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service acting Director Rowan Gould; Martin MacDonald, director of conservation for Bass Pro Shops; and Mike Matousek of the U.S. Postal Service. After a formal ceremony and the sale of the first stamps, the artists and other event participants will be available for autographs and photo opportunities.
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Winner of the
2009 Federal Duck
Stamp Contest
October 19, 2009
Robert Bealle an artist from Waldorf, Maryland, took top honors today at the 2009 Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest. Bealle’s painting of an American wigeon will be made into the 2010-2011 Federal Duck Stamp, which will go on sale in late June 2010. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service produces the Federal Duck Stamp, which sells for $15 and raises about $25 million each year to fund wetland habitat acquisition for the National Wildlife Refuge System.
View 2009 Duck Stamp Contest entries
2009 Federal Duck Stamp Contest Winner
Robert Bealle, Waldorf, MD
American Wigeon
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