April 13, 2004

Contact: Kristen Gilbert, (719) 589-4705

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Announces
Winners of Colorado Junior Duck Stamp Program

The Alamosa/Monte Vista/Baca National Wildlife Refuge Complex in the San Luis Valley announced today the winners of the 2004 Colorado Junior Duck Stamp Contest. Colorado students, K-12, entered 549 pieces of artwork.  Students created original “Duck Stamp” designs of North American ducks, geese, and swans in their natural habitats. 

 A panel of five judges narrowed the 549 entries to 36 place winners and 64 honorable mentions from four age categories.  Annie Kier, a high school student from Arvada, took Colorado Best of Show for her artwork featuring a pair of blue-winged teal. For a list of all winning entries, visit our website at http://alamosa.fws.gov/colojuniorduckstamp.html.

 Annie’s artwork will compete nationally with Junior Duck Stamp entries from across the country. The winner of the national contest wins a cash reward and receives a free trip to Washington, D.C. this fall to attend the Federal Duck Stamp Contest. The winning entry will be made into a collector’s stamp.

 The Junior Duck Stamp program is modeled after the Federal Duck Stamp program which generates funding for the purchase and restoration of wetlands throughout the United States.

 The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 542 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.

- FWS -

 For more information about the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
visit our home page at http://www.fws.gov