It may seem odd that a web-footed, wetland loving duck could help save the elusive, perilously endangered, thornscrub loving ocelot. But that is exactly what happens when you purchase a Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, commonly known as a Duck Stamp. For every dollar spent on Federal Duck Stamps, 98 cents go directly to acquire or lease habitat for protection in the National Wildlife Refuge System benefiting waterfowl but also a multitude of other wildlife species. Recently, Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge in Texas was one of nine refuges across the country to receive funding for land acquisition through the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission from funds largely raised by Duck Stamp dollars. Not only will this funding greatly benefit ducks, geese and other waterfowl but a myriad of other wildlife will also benefit, including the ocelot.
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Learn more about Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge
Rio Hondo, TX - The Migratory Bird Conservation Commission recently approved $58 million in funding for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and its partners to purchase, lease or otherwise conserve more than 200,000 acres of wetland and associated upland habitats for waterfowl, shorebirds and other birds across North America. Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, in eastern Cameron County, Texas, was one of nine national wildlife refuges across the nation approved for project funding. The refuge plans to work with the non-profit The Conservation Fund, to acquire 1,778 acres near its main unit. The land includes freshwater wetlands, which would provide habitat for waterfowl and wading birds, as well as thornscrub forest, which will add to the “wildlife corridor” already established in the lower Rio Grande Valley. The wildlife corridor wildlife corridor
To maintain healthy species populations and ecosystems, fish and wildlife need the freedom to move and migrate. As habitats and migration routes are affected by climate change and fragmented by roads, fences, energy development and other man-made barriers, wildlife struggle to reach necessary areas to feed, breed and find shelter. A wildlife corridor is a piece of undeveloped land connecting two habitats so wildlife can move safely between them.
Learn more about wildlife corridor provides connectivity between habitats and facilitates the necessary movement of wildlife such as ocelots, bobcats, javelina and other forest-dwelling species. The funding is largely raised through the sale of Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamps, commonly known as “Duck Stamps”. For every dollar spent on Federal Duck Stamps, 98 cents go directly to acquire or lease habitat for protection in the National Wildlife Refuge System. The Duck Stamp program has been in place since 1934 and has raised more than $800 million to acquire more than 6 million acres for the National Wildlife Refuge System. The 2015-16 Duck Stamp will go on sale June 26 and is available at Laguna Atascosa’s visitor center at 22688 Buena Vista Road, Los Fresnos, TX 78566. To learn more about Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, visit the refuge’s website www.fws.gov/refuge/laguna_atascosa
