The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced the selection of Patricia Fisher to head the Federal Duck Stamp Office. A Service employee for nearly 17 years, she will be responsible for overseeing the annual Federal Duck Stamp Contest, issuing the Federal Duck Stamp and coordinating the Junior Duck Stamp program.
Prior to accepting this position, Fisher was member of the Services public affairs office. For six years, she represented the Federal Duck Stamp and Migratory Birds programs and edited the Services newsletter, The Fish and Wildlife News. In 1991, she was presented a special award for her work on behalf of the Duck Stamp program by Jeanette Rudy, noted Tennessee Duck Stamp collector and advocate. In addition, Fisher has been the press officer for the Services Fisheries, Federal Assistance, International Affairs and Law Enforcement divisions.
s the press secretary for the United States delegation to the bi-annual meeting of the parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, she was responsible for conveying U.S. positions to worldwide media representatives. Also, Fisher was the only "civilian" media officer recruited to help write a media outreach curriculum for the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. Throughout the years, she has been recognized for organizing effective outreach efforts, special events, and press conferences for many complicated international environmental issues such as African and Asian elephant conservation, panda conservation, the illegal trade in tigers and rhinos, and most recently, beluga sturgeon conservation. She also was part of the team that developed the Services "Suitcase for Survival" program, designed to teach school children about conservation.
The Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp -- Commonly known as the Duck Stamp -- was created with the passage of the Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act. Under this Act, all waterfowl hunters 16 years of age and older must annually purchase and carry a Federal Duck Stamp. Stamp collectors and non-hunting conservationists purchase the stamp as well. Proceeds from the sale of stamps go to purchase and conserve migratory bird habitat for the National Wildlife Refuge System. Since the passage of the Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act, about $700 million has been raised and over 5 million acres of critical bird habitat has been conserved. Approximately 98 cents of every Duck Stamp dollar is used to purchase bird habitat, which makes the Federal Duck Stamp program on of the most successful conservation programs ever initiated.
isher hails from a family of Duck Stamp collectors and enjoys spending time outdoors, boating and fishing and visiting Refuges with her 16 year old twins and husband David, who used to be the Duck Stamp contest offical.
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 545 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resources 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 and Native American Tribal governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to State fish and wildlife agencies.
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