Duck Stamp Dollars At Work
The PPJV will host the 2022 Federal Duck Stamp Contest in North Dakota, where stamp sales make a big impact on conservation and communities.
Background
North America’s waterfowl populations were in trouble at the turn of the 20 th century. Years of overharvesting decimated populations while drought wreaked havoc on wetlands and other valuable habitat. The Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp Act was passed in 1934 in response to this crisis, and has since become one of the most successful conservation tools ever created to protect wetland habitat for birds and other wildlife. It is now commonly known as the Duck Stamp Act.
Federal Duck Stamps are conservation revenue stamps. All waterfowl hunters over 16 years old are required to purchase a Federal Duck Stamp, and 98% of the purchase price goes directly to wetland habitat protection. The Federal Duck Stamp is also unique in the way it is created. Each year, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) holds the only juried art competition sponsored by the federal government and the winning artwork is featured on the following year's Duck Stamp.
By the Numbers
The money raised by stamp sales is placed in the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund (MBCF) and is used by the USFWS to protect migratory bird habitat. Since its inception, Duck Stamp sales have generated over $1.1 billion and conserved more than 6 million acres of wetland habitat for birds and other wildlife. In the last 10 years, the MBCF protected 139,000 duck pairs, contributed 320,000 individuals to the fall flight, protected 68,000 grassland birds, enhanced wetland and grassland landscapes and connectivity for pollinators, captured 740,000 tons of carbon, and provided water storage and groundwater recharge.
About 70% of MBCF dollars goes to secure wetland habitat in the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) by purchasing easements from willing landowners. Easements are a popular conservation tool, with hundreds of landowners in the PPR – especially in the Dakotas – awaiting permanent easement agreements with the USFWS. In 2019 alone, over $80 million from the MBCF was spent to protect nearly 54,000 acres of waterfowl habitat in the PPR. This is helping to secure the core of the continent’s “Duck Factory,” the major nesting grounds for ducks.
Explore North Dakota
The 2022 contest in Bismarck, North Dakota will give PPJV partners the opportunity to host affiliated events that showcase some of the incredible conservation work happening in the state. North Dakota has a long legacy of conservation, with two of the earliest designated National Wildlife Refuges – Stump Lake in 1905 and Chase Lake in 1908 – and the most wildlife refuges of any state in the country. MBCF dollars contribute to this legacy each year, with 21 National Wildlife Refuges and 39 Waterfowl Production Areas (WPA) in the state receiving funding for fee-title and easement purchases. As units of the Refuge System, WPAs are generally subject to the same rules as Refuges. One key difference is that all fee-title-owned WPAs are open to recreation activities unless public safety or other concerns dictate otherwise. In contrast, Refuges are closed to recreational activities unless specifically opened.
The map below depicts refuges and Wetland Management Districts (complexes that manage WPAs) that were made possible through the support of MBCF dollars. Many of these lands are open for the public to visit and enjoy and see the impact of the MBCF.
Get Involved
Today, the Prairie Pothole Region is a mecca for breeding waterfowl populations thanks to programs like the MBCF and the continued interest in voluntary conservation from private landowners. Wetlands acquired through the MBCF help purify water, aid in flood control, reduce soil erosion and sedimentation, and enhance outdoor recreation opportunities. In a way, everything comes full circle: hunters purchase Duck Stamps, which enable MBCF dollars to be paid out to local landowners who are still farming and ranching, which in turn safeguards the habitat needed for healthy wildlife populations and hunting opportunities.
Duck Stamp copyrighted by USFWS/DOI and used with permission.
One of the easiest ways to support bird habitat conservation is by buying a Federal Duck Stamp. While waterfowl hunters 16 years of age or older are required to purchase a Federal Duck Stamp, anyone can contribute to conservation by buying them. Because nearly all the proceeds are used to conserve habitat for birds and other wildlife, birders, nature photographers, and other outdoor enthusiasts buy Duck Stamps to help ensure that wildlife habitat always exists. Federal Duck Stamps are sold at many sporting goods stores and other retail locations that sell sporting and recreation equipment. You can also buy them at many National Wildlife Refuges, and online through Amplex .