[mou] duck stamps

[Jim Williams]

A friend sent me a note about duck stamps today. I thought I would share
some of the info. For every dollar you spend on Federal Duck Stamps,
ninety-eight cents go directly to purchase vital habitat for protection in
the National Wildlife Refuge System. In Minnesota, duck stamp money has been
used on four of our national wildlife refuges and in several waterfowl
production areas. 

The refuges, all known to us for excellent birding far beyond
waterfowl-watching, are Hamden Slough National Wildlife Refuge, Rice Lake
National Wildlife Refuge, Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge, and Sherburne
National Wildlife Refuge.

Since inception in 1934, the duck stamp program has sold $671 million worth
of stamps. Minnesotans have purchased just over 9 million individual stamps
in that time. Peak annual sale was reached in the mid-70s when 179,000
stamps were sold here. Last year, hunters and others who support this
conservation program bought 149,000 stamps.

You might have heard already that discussions are underway in Washington
D.C. about broadening the duck stamp program to embrace
1) more species, 2) more habitat, and 3) a broader constituency. Proponents
hope to build on the stamp's successes, strengthening the foundations and
past successes while covering issues appropriate to 21st-century bird
conservation. (Such an expanded or retooled approach would be based on a
"wetlands first" prioritization, then it would take up more causes for all
birds with the extra funds raised through sales to birders,
conservationists, and other concerned citizens.)

Jim Williams
Wayzata