The Fish and Wildlife Service will sell the new Duck Stamps before and after the ceremony, which begins at 10 a.m. on the lower level of the Smithsonian Institutions National Postal Museum at 2 Massachusetts Avenue, N.E. Following the ceremony, Grimm will sign his stamps. A special cancellation for the new Duck Stamp will be available at this event only. It reads "Duck Stamp Station, Washington, D.C., June 30, 2000.
Also on hand for the event will be Jim Bruns, director of the National Postal Museum, Tom Harris, deputy director of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, which prints the Federal Duck Stamp, and District of Columbia Postmaster Delores Killette.
Grimms 2000-2001 Federal Duck Stamp, which goes on sale nationwide July 1, depicts a mottled duck preening and stretching its wings on a sun-dappled lake.
Formally known as Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamps, Duck Stamps are a required purchase each year for waterfowl hunters age 16 and older. A growing number of stamp collectors and conservationists also purchase them as a way to contribute to wildlife and habitat conservation, and the Duck Stamp program has become one of the nations most successful conservation efforts. Duck Stamps also afford free entrance to those national wildlife refuges where entry fees are charged.
Money from the sale of Duck Stamps is used to acquire wetlands for the National Wildlife Refuge System, one of the worlds most diverse collections of lands and waters dedicated to wildlife. To date more than half a billion dollars in Duck Stamp sales has been used to purchase more than 5 million acres of habitat for the 520-unit refuge system.
Federal Duck Stamps are available for $15 at most U.S. post offices, national wildlife refuges, Wal-Mart and K-Mart stores, and some sporting goods stores. They are also available from the Federal Duck Stamp Office by calling toll-free 1-877-887-5508, and by mail through the Bass ProShops sporting equipment catalogue.
In honor of the new millennium, this years Federal Duck Stamp features some design changes that are sure to please stamp collectors and dealers, hunters and conservationists alike. They have a light purple border and they now come twenty stamps to a pane, reducing waste when they are separated into collectable plate singles, plate blocks and stamp singles. Panes of the new stamp display the artists name and the works title, "Dawn of a New Millennium," in the border area.
Federal Duck Stamps are available in the traditional gummed format as well as a self-adhesive stamp mounted on a dollar bill-sized carrier sheet packed with information about the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The self-adhesive, single Federal Duck Stamp is available from post office vending machines and other 24-hour access sites, and may eventually be dispensed from automatic teller machines.
At the June 30 event at the Postal Museum, visitors will have an opportunity to explore the newly-renovated "Artistic License: The Duck Stamp Story" exhibit in the museums Jeannette Cantrell Rudy gallery. The 800-square-foot gallery features an array of Duck Stamp memorabilia highlighting the Federal Duck Stamp Program and its contributions to conservation and philately. Jeannette Cantrell Rudy, an avid Duck Stamp collector, has loaned much of her collection to the museum.
Also at the event, Service Director Clark will present the 10th annual National Wetlands Conservation Awards to the Private Sector. These awards are given to individuals, groups and corporations who have made outstanding contributions to wetlands enhancement, restoration or conservation.
Adam Grimm will be honored in his hometown of Elyria, Ohio, on July 22. The event at Elyria Catholic High School, which will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., will promote youth conservation issues and will feature live animals and displays from a number of conservation groups.
The 2000 Federal Duck Stamp Design Contest will be held November 6, 7 and 8 at the Department of the Interior in Washington, D.C. The contest will be open for entries on July 1; all entries must be received by midnight September 15. Contest rules and regulations are available from the Federal Duck Stamp Office, 1849 C Street, NW, Room 2058, Washington, D.C. 20240, or by calling 1-877-887-5508, toll free.
Contest rules are also available on the Duck Stamp Offices Internet homepage at http://duckstamps.fws.gov">. Artists may download the entry form and submit a printed copy along with their art. Eligible species in this years contest are the American green-winged teal, black duck, northern pintail, ruddy duck and American widgeon.
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 93-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System which encompasses more than 520 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 66 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 78 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 help 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 -
Note to broadcast media: The Ohio Division of Wildlife will feed video of the ceremony via satellite between 2:30 p.m. and 2:45 p.m., Eastern, on Friday, June 30. Coordinates for the broadcast are at Telstar 5-C, Tansponder 5, 3800 vertical, audio2 and8. Contact Bill Beagle at the Division of Wildlife (330-644-2293) for more information before June 30. Call 202-775-2970 for technical support during the feed.
