(Fwd) 1998-99 FEDERAL DUCK STAMP DEBUTS JULY 1
Norm Saunders (osprey@ARI.Net)
Tue, 23 Jun 1998 04:41:07 -0500
June 22, 1998 Rachel F. Levin 202-208-5631
rachel_levin@fws.gov
1998-99 FEDERAL DUCK STAMP DEBUTS AT JULY 1 CEREMONY
The Smithsonian Institution's National Postal Museum in
Washington, DC, will once again serve as a backdrop when the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service unveils the 1998-99 Federal Duck Stamp,
including a new self-adhesive version, on July 1.
Duck Stamps will be sold before and after the July 1 ceremony,
which begins at 10 a.m. on the lower level of the Postal Museum
at 2 Massachusetts Avenue, NE. San Francisco wildlife artist
Robert Steiner, whose painting of a male Barrow's goldeneye
graces the new Duck Stamp, will be on hand to autograph stamps
and Duck Stamp merchandise. A special postal cancellation for
the new Duck Stamp will be available at this event only. It will
read "Duck Stamp Station, Washington, DC."
This year's ceremony marks the debut of the self-adhesive single
issue Duck Stamp, which will be available, along with the
traditional gummed stamp, for a 3-year trial period. The self-
adhesive stamp, which is the same size as the traditional stamp,
is mounted on a dollar-bill-sized carrier sheet packed with
information about the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and its
programs. The new format will be available from post office
vending machines and other 24-hour access sites, and may
eventually be dispensed from automatic teller machines.
Steiner's design was chosen over 379 other entries last November
to become this year's Duck Stamp. He will be honored at an
artist's hometown ceremony July 18 at the Don Edwards San
Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge in San Francisco.
The Washington event will serve as an opportunity for the public
to view the newest exhibit in the Jeanette Cantrell Rudy Federal
Duck Stamp Gallery at the Postal Museum. Highlights of the new
exhibit will include several rare examples of imperfections in
Duck Stamps, three early Duck Stamp issues signed by the artists,
and the earliest Duck Stamp First Day Cover on a postcard
postmarked July 1, 1936. The 800-square-foot gallery, depicting
a wetlands scene, includes displays of Duck Stamps and other
philatelic artifacts highlighting the Federal Duck Stamp's role
in conserving wetlands and waterfowl. The gallery was made
possible by a gift from Jeanette Cantrell Rudy, an avid waterfowl
hunter and one of the world's most renowned collectors of Federal
Duck Stamps.
One of the Nation's most successful conservation efforts, the new
Federal Duck Stamp will be available for $15 at most U.S. post
offices, national wildlife refuges, Wal-Mart and K-Mart stores,
and some sporting goods stores. It is also available from the
Federal Duck Stamp Office by calling toll-free 1-888-534-0400.
Formally known as Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamps,
Duck Stamps must be purchased annually by waterfowl hunters age
16 and older. However, a growing number of stamp collectors and
other conservationists also purchase them as a way to contribute
to wildlife and habitat conservation.
Money from the sale of Duck Stamps is used to acquire wetlands
for the National Wildlife Refuge System, one of the world's most
diverse collections of lands and waters dedicated to wildlife.
To date, more than half a billion dollars in Duck Stamp sales has
been used to purchase more than 5 million acres of habitat for
the 514-unit refuge system.
The 1998 Federal Duck Stamp Design Contest will be held November
3, 4, and 5 at the Department of the Interior in Washington, DC.
Eligible species in this year's contest are the American green-
winged teal, black duck, greater scaup, northern pintail, and
ruddy duck. The Duck Stamp Office will begin accepting entries
July 1; all entries must be received by midnight September 15.
Contest rules and regulations are available from the Federal Duck
Stamp Office, 1849 C Street, NW., Room 2058, Washington, DC
20240, or by calling 1-888-534-0400, toll free. Contest rules
are also available on the Federal Duck Stamp Office's Internet
homepage at http://www.fws.gov/r9dso. Artists may download the
entry form and submit a printed copy along with their art.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal
agency responsible for conserving, protecting, and enhancing fish
and wildlife and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the
American people. The Service's nearly 93 million acres include
514 national wildlife refuges, 78 ecological services field
stations, 66 national fish hatcheries, 50 wildlife coordination
areas, and 38 wetland management districts with waterfowl
production areas.
The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, manages migratory bird
populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves
and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, administers the
Endangered Species Act, and helps foreign governments with their
conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program
that distributes Federal excise taxes on fishing and hunting
equipment to state wildlife agencies. This program is a
cornerstone of the Nation's wildlife management efforts, funding
fish and wildlife restoration, boating access, hunter education,
shooting ranges, and related projects across America.
-FWS-