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2011 Federal Duck Stamp Contest Entries
The five eligible species are: blue-winged teal, cinnamon teal, gadwall, mallard and wood duck.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Washington, DC --(Ammoland.com)- The contest will be held October 28-29 in Shepardstown, W.Va. If you are in the area, we highly recommend a visit to the contest.

The 2011 Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest will be held at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, W. Va., on October 28 and 29. This is the first time in the contest’s 61-year history that the event has been held in West Virginia.

The winning design chosen during the contest will be made into the 2012 (RW79) Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, or “Duck Stamp,” the cornerstone of one of the world’s most successful conservation programs.

“Having this prestigious contest at the National Conservation Training Center provides a unique opportunity to build on the long history of wildlife conservation and outdoor recreation in our country,” said Jay Slack, Director of the Service’s training center. “Never has it been more important to conserve and restore wetland habitat, especially as we search for methods to minimize the effects of climate change, for waterfowl and the multitude of other species that depend on wetlands.”

The $15 Federal Duck Stamp is a vital tool for wetland conservation, with 98 cents of every dollar generated going to purchase or lease wetland habitat for the National Wildlife Refuge System. Since the stamp’s inception, sales have helped to acquire nearly six million acres of wildlife habitat at hundreds of refuges in nearly every state.

The Federal Duck Stamp art contest is the only art competition of its kind sponsored by the federal government. Since the first open contest was held in 1949, thousands of wildlife artists from throughout the nation have submitted art to the annual contest. While the winner receives no money from the federal government, the winning artist may benefit from the increased visibility and sale of prints and artwork.

The first Federal Duck Stamp was designed in 1934 by Iowa native and editorial cartoonist J.N. “Ding” Darling, who was the director of the Bureau of Biological Survey, forerunner to the Fish and Wildlife Service. It sold for $1. The stamp currently sells for $15, and more than 1.5 million people buy Duck Stamps annually.

Every waterfowl hunter age 16 or older is required to buy a Federal Duck Stamp. In addition, the stamps are highly sought after by collectors, conservationists and wildlife art aficionados. A current Federal Duck Stamp also provides free admission into any refuge open to the public. There are 550 National Wildlife Refuges spread across all 50 states and U.S. territories, offering unparalleled wildlife oriented recreational opportunities, including hunting, fishing, bird watching and photography.

For information about the Federal Duck Stamp Program and about the 2011 Federal Duck Stamp Contest, go to: http://www.fws.gov/duckstamps. You can also check out the Federal Duck Stamp on Facebook: by going to http://www.facebook.com and searching “Federal Duck Stamp.”

Click Here to see all the beautiful Duck Sta,p Entries.

H/T shduck.com

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Wisconsin Waterfowl Stamp Funding
Contributed by Ricky Lien

Wisconsin Waterfowl Stamp Funding

Wisconsin DNR

Wisconsin --(Ammoland.com)- Thirty-six projects around the state are scheduled in the coming year to receive funds generated by the sale of Wisconsin waterfowl stamps.

While one-third of this stamp money is statutorily required  to be sent to Canada for habitat work, the remaining two-thirds, around $360,000 annually, is available for Wisconsin projects.

The process of selecting new projects begins the spring prior to the start of the state’s biennium, when DNR biologists and partner conservation organizations are invited to submit applications for funds.

Projects must benefit Wisconsin waterfowl, and priority is given to projects in targeted areas.

The projects are reviewed and funding recommendations made by the DNR Migratory Game Bird Committee, which is made up of researchers and biologists from each of the DNR districts and representatives from federal and private organizations involved in wetland restoration and management.

Final approval of projects to receive funding comes from the Wildlife Policy Team.

Facts regarding the 36 waterfowl stamp funded habitat projects:

• Twenty-one are new projects and 15 are projects that began in previous years and are ongoing (wetland projects are some of the most difficult projects to undertake and occasionally take years to complete).
• Seven of the funded projects are being cost-shared with the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission.
• Another 6 projects are being cost-shared by or have engineering support from Ducks Unlimited. Leveraging our money in this manner allows more projects to be funded.
• Five of the projects are planned for use as match for North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) grants and another 4 are projects that could be used as match for future NAWCA grants. Again, more leveraging of the stamp dollars to get more bang for the buck.

Twenty-three of the 36 projects are for major maintenance at wetlands. The need for maintenance and renovation of our wetlands is an increasing concern.

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