The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today joined with the U.S. Postal Service, , at shows a pair of hooded mergansers on a golden pool of water by artist Mark Anderson of South Dakota. Anderson won the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service-sponsored, stamp-art competition last fall against 223 other entries from across the nation. Similarly, students across the country compete annually in a Junior Duck Stamp Design Contest. The winner of this year's Junior Duck Stamp Design Contest is Kerissa Wilson, 17, of Wisconsin. Her artwork shows two ring-necked ducks.
"Nationwide, since the 1930's, more than $700 million in stamp sales has protected more than 5.2 million acres of waterfowl habitat," said Sam D. Hamilton, Southeast Regional Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "More than $38 million in duck stamp funds was used toward the purchase of the Cache River National Wildlife Refuge in eastern Arkansas ? the refuge where the Ivory-billed woodpecker, considered extinct for 61 years, was recently discovered.?
Duck Stamps or Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamps were created in 1934 and are required along with hunting licenses to hunt migratory waterfowl. Waterfowl hunters, 16 or older, are required to have a current federal duck stamp in their possession during hunts.
In the Southeast, nearly $202 million in migratory bird funding since the 1930s has protected about 904,000 acres of
Duck stamps are available for sale at Post Offices, many sporting goods and outdoor stores, and from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service licensed vendors, such as Bass Pro Shops and Ducks Unlimited. For more information, please visit the Duck Stamp Office web site at http://www.fws.gov/duckstamps/.
Wildlife artists and experts serve on a panel of judges for this annual contest and it is considered highly prestigious to be selected as the winner of the Federal Duck Stamp Contest.
Renowned stamp engraver Czeslaw Slania designed this year's Federal Duck Stamp. Although not able to finish the engraving, he did finish the preliminary stamp design and intaglio study before his death on March 17, 2005. Piotr Naszarkowski, his prot
