Give the Gift of Conservation this Holiday Season
If you’re looking for a meaningful gift to give your loved ones this year for the holidays, consider buying a Federal Duck Stamp! As one of the oldest and most successful conservation efforts in the nation, Duck Stamp sales have raised more than $1.1 billion to help purchase more than 6 million acres of wetlands. These wetlands are vital to ducks, geese and other waterfowl, but they also clean our drinking water, aid in flood control, buffer our coasts, and provide recreational opportunities.
For every dollar spent on Federal Duck Stamps, 98 cents goes directly to purchase vital habitat or acquire conservation easements for protection in the National Wildlife Refuge System.
The Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp (commonly known as the Federal Duck Stamp) was born in the Dust Bowl days when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act in 1934 to protect wetlands that are vital to the survival of migratory waterfowl.
The stamp is required for waterfowl hunting, but its purpose is much larger than that, as it has become a vital tool for on-the-ground wetland conservation. Many non-hunters, including birdwatchers, conservationists and stamp collectors, also purchase the stamp in support of habitat conservation.
The Duck Stamp provides its owner free admission to any National Wildlife Refuge, even the ones that charges an entrance fee. This means that you can give anyone the gift of nature — the joy of hearing a flock of geese, the trill of blackbirds, or the sound of wind blowing through the marsh grasses.
Better yet, Duck Stamps are easy to buy. They are available online and at some local post offices and sporting goods stores. While they are not valid for postage, these pictorial stamps are valued collectibles and you can tell your friends that you put your permanent stamp on conservation.
Visit www.fws.gov/duckstamps to get yours today.
