23 November 2014

On November 17, H.R. 5069, the Federal Duck Stamp Act of 2014, passed the U.S. House of Representatives. The act was passed on a voice vote, so individual representatives' votes were not recorded.

Since the federal duck stamp's introduction in 1934, it has raised almost a billion dollars and has conserved more than 6 million acres of wetland, bottomland, and grassland habitat to help build the National Wildlife Refuge System.

The price of the stamp – currently $15 – has not increased in over two decades.

If passed into law, the Federal Duck Stamp Act of 2014 would raise the price of a Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation [Duck] Stamp an additional $10, to $25.

Dan Ashe, Director of the USFWS, commented, "The increase is desperately needed, and I hope the Senate takes action to approve the increase in the current Congress. Wetland landscapes, and the habitat they provide for waterfowl and other native species, are at risk across the country, as rising commodity prices fuel both increasing land prices and the conversion of small wetlands for crop production."

The $10 increase in this bill is dedicated to easements, and not for fee-title acquisitions. It is estimated that an additional $16 million will be available from the stamp for these easements, a welcome addition at this point. (The USFWS is already securing many habitat easements, especially across the Prairie Pothole Region.) The easement restriction is appropriate for this increase, but would be troublesome if it were held over for price increases in the future.

There was an amendment included in the bill which applies to Alaskan subsistence hunters residing in rural areas. This would effectively reverse a 2001 policy decision by the Department of Interior Regional Solicitor that requires all subsistence waterfowl hunters to purchase federal duck stamps.

The bill also includes a provision that allows the Secretary of the Interior to reduce the price per stamp if it is determined that the increase results in an overall reduction in revenues.

The Senate could take up a parallel bill (S. 2621) sometime in the next few weeks. The bill will expire unless it is passed by the Senate before the end of the year.

Throughout the process we would all benefit from a thorough discussion of the importance of saving valuable wetland and grassland habitats, the constructive role of easements at this stage, and the need to increase sales of the stamp, especially among those Americans not currently required to buy the stamp.

20 May 2014

On Sunday, 18 May 2014, the Friends of the Migratory Bird/Duck Stamp presented Congressman John D. Dingell (D-MI) an award in recognition of his many years of service for the cause of conservation in the House of Representatives and his vigilance while serving on the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission.

To recognize the Congressman's service, the award was presented on his home turf, in Wyandotte, Michigan. The actual event was the 9th Annual Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge Benefit Dinner run by the International Wildlife Refuge Alliance. There, the Congressman was presented a framed print with Joe Hautman's rendition of a male Wood Duck, artwork which graced the 2012-13 Stamp, along with a copy of the Stamp itself and a special inscription from the Friends:

To Congressman John Dingell on behalf of the Friends of the Migratory Bird/Duck Stamp honoring your tireless work for birds and their habitats and for your leadership on the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission.  ~ Joe Hautman, May 2014

27 March 2014

On March 26th, the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission (MBCC) met in Washington, DC to consider important investments (fee-title, easements, and leases) to secure habitat for the National Wildlife Refuge System.

Here is a summary of those realty decisions:

1. Anahuac NWR (TX) 1,277 acres fee-title $1,718,200
2. San Bernard NWR (TX) 30 acres fee-title $ 138,500
3. Trinity River (TX) 234 acres fee-title $ 162,399
4. Upper Ouachita NWR (LA) 18,711 acres fee-title $3,830,013
5. Tulare Basin WMA (CA) 305 acres easement $ 782,000

Clearly they were both small (30 acres at San Bernard) and large (18,711 acres at Upper Ouachita) acquisitions. But all were directed to improve the situation for birdlife. The first three, all along the coast of Texas and all within an hour or two of Houston, help secure a network of regional refuges specifically designed for migratory waterfowl (e.g., Mottled Duck, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler, and Black-bellied Whistling-Duck) and also shorebirds, long-legged waders, as well as neotropical and grassland songbirds. The large Upper Ouachita NWR acquisition is intended to protect bottomland hardwood forest for wintering waterfowl but also other habitats such as shrub-scrub and pine, contributing to the goals of the Red-cockaded Woodpecker Recovery Plan. The Tulare Basin easement arrangement in the San Joaquin Valley of California is intended to stem the rate of wetland habitat fragmentation in the valley. The Tulare Basin WMA is part of a creative mosaic of federal, state, and private wetland-associated properties.

The Commission also received a summary of the year's MBCF habitat investments, which included $18.46 million for National Wildlife Refuge acquisition and $46.35 million for WPAs, mostly grassland and wetland habitat in the northern Great Plains.

Did you buy at least one Stamp last year? Well, give yourself a pat on the back.

This is where your dollars went to work!

The MBCC also approved 50 extremely valuable North American Wetland Conservation Act (NAWCA) decisions, unrelated to Stamp investments, but crucial for wetland conservation in parts of Canada, the U.S., and Mexico. Also, 45 U.S. Small NAWCA Grants were approved.

Finally, at the end of the meeting, a "birthday cake" was shared, recognizing the 80th anniversary of the signing of the original Stamp Act in March of 1934.

20 April 2014

On Friday, 18 April, the winning image for the 2014-15 Jr. Duck Stamp was chosen by a panel of judges at the national Junior Duck Stamp Art Contest, held at the USFWS National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, West Virginia.

The Federal Jr. Duck Stamp Art Contest is the culmination of a year-long Junior Duck Stamp (JDS) conservation program used by educators and educator-consivationists across the country. This year, more than 29,000 students participated in state Junior Duck Stamp competitions in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The JDS program was first recognized by Congress in 1994 when the Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program Act was enacted. In 2000, Congress reauthorized the program and expanded it from 17 states to include students in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. territories. At this point there is no line-item in the federal or the USFWS budget to sustain the JDS program, so the Service has to find the funds to keep it thriving from other funding directed to the Service. Proceeds from sales of the $5 Junior Duck Stamp, however, support environmental education, basically to keep the JDS program as vibrant and creative as possible.

The winning artwork by 16-year-old Si Youn Kim, of Tenafly, New Jersey, is of a male King Eider. About three weeks previously, at the end of March, Kim had won the state-based New Jersey JDS competiton, besting the artwork of nearly 175 other young artists from all over state.

Andrew Kneeland, 16, of Rock Springs, Wyoming, took second place at the national competition with an acrylic painting depicting a Trumpeter Swan with cygnets. Third place went to Jiahe Qu, 15, of Chandler, Arizona, for her rendition of a Hooded Merganser.

"The Junior Duck Stamp Program is a great way for young people to use their creative talents to express an appreciation for nature and the world around them.  This contest is an entry point into a career in conservation, as well," said Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe. "Children can see the results of their hard work and how their art plays a role in conservation — something that will be with them for a lifetime."

You can find more information on the recent  JDS contest and the images of the three top-placing images here.
http://www.fws.gov/juniorduck/

24 February 2014

The Friends of the Migratory Bird/Duck Stamp appreciates the opportunity to make comments on a strategic approach to the growth of the National Wildlife Refuge System.

The approach presented in the assessment of land protection project and the accompanying draft chapter 5 of the Service Manual is thoughtful as far as it goes. The approach emphasizes that the way that the USFWS adds lands for the Refuge System is "unsustainable and may not reflect the highest priority acquisitions that contribute to landscape conservation," adding that there are over "five million acres of fee lands for refuge purchase at a projected cost of $10 to $25 billion, that would take several decades to complete."

This asserts that what is sought is a strategy to make the right choices "on behalf of the American people,” and embraces a "scientific, landscape-level approach" to acquisition and "works to facilitate conservation benefits beyond our boundaries."

It also makes clear that priorities will be guided by:

• The recovery of Endangered and Threatened species,
• The North American Waterfowl Management Plan, and
• The other migratory bird conservation plans (e.g., PIF, shorebird, and waterbird).

In light of these particular stated approaches, we have some comments, especially drawing attention to ten elements – in no particular order – that we feel are important and that are not covered or emphasized in the draft documents:

1. The approach recognizes that cost of land has risen dramatically over the last decade and that it would take 101.5 years to finish all desired fee-title acquisition and 75.1 years to finish all easement acquisition if 50,000 acres per year in each case could be secured. This is deemed unsustainable, without clarifying why. What metrics are not being met and why? Furthermore, if a strategy to acquire roughly 50 percent of all desired fee title and easement will take 50 years, why might that add up to a failed or unsustainable approach?
2. If funding for growth relies on two traditional sources – Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund (MBCF) – why must planning assume that these funds are static? Since 1977, the LWCF has had an authorized limit of $900 million yearly, a figure that has rarely been close to being realized. That $900 million today would be equal in value to almost $3.5 billion, a fact that needs to be addressed when considering reauthorization of LWCF in 2015.
3. Most importantly for our Friends group, the other assumption is that the funding for the MBCF is also static. Growth, however, can occur – even at smaller levels – if the MBCF is expanded. Beyond the obvious method of raising the price of the individual Stamp, increasing income could occur in a number of ways. For example, more Stamps would be sold to newly recruited waterfowl hunters; Stamps could be required for other kinds of waterbird hunters (e.g., those hunting cranes, snipe, etc.). Possession of a Stamp could also be required as an expanded entrance fee or to engage in other specific activities on – and perhaps off – the Refuge System. Finally, more MBCF money would come to the Refuge System simply if more Americans were won over to the grand conservation functions of the Stamp, the vital role of the MBCF/MBCC, and if there were a complementary organized Refuge System campaign to sell more Stamps.
4. While the American people (and future generations) are mentioned a few times – including in the "mission" of the System – there is nothing presented on the intersection of the needs of the American people (in terms of outdoor activities and appreciation) and the Refuge System’s approach to growth. Where do "landscape-level conservation" and legitimate outdoor recreations (e.g., The Big Six) intersect when it comes to Refuge System growth?
5. Likewise, the July 2011 NWRS "Vision Conference," held in Madison, Wisconsin, and corresponding “Conserving the Future” guiding vision document, identified an urban-refuge emphasis and the importance of reaching youth. The draft growth documents are silent on how those sorts of audiences blend into, or at least influence, the growth planning process. Yes, there are wildlife-and-habitat priorities, but where are the social-growth-and-people priorities? And where do they fit in an approach to growth?
6. The strategy wisely brings up the use of easements in growth. (One large example is the new Dakota Grassland Conservation Area with a goal to protect 1.94 million acres in prairie easements.) This is excellent. However, there is no explanation of relative weight that easements may have within the system, especially in light of new directions being assumed in the Dakotas, Florida (e.g., Everglades Headwaters), or other focus areas. The use of easements may receive considerable acceptance from Congress, a factor that gives it added strength today and that may come into play when discussing the reauthorization of LWCF (see #2, above).
7. Similarly, while alternate growth is considered with refuges viewed as “anchor points and portals… in collaboration with communities and partners,” little is made of the creative partnership implications of this approach. There are additional innovative ways to view partnerships "beyond the boundary" that will create corridors and buffers to protect essential habitat (e.g., Farm Bill conservation, local government land partnerships, migratory bird joint venture work, growing land trusts, etc.). These partnerships and connections have great success and great promise. They are mentioned, however, with only one example (Rappahannock River Valley in Virginia), yet the broader implications of partnerships for watersheds, for landscapes, and for people are not explored. This could have a real impact on how the Refuge System continues to “do business,” especially when considering associated costs and staffing.
8. State wildlife and conservation agencies are given special status in the approach to strategic growth, which is appropriate, to “interact, coordinate, cooperate, and collaborate.” But few other parties (see, for example, #7, above) are given a role as legitimate partners or consultant institutions in the future.
9. Also in the area of funding for growth, the strategy points to "mitigation funds" (e.g., on the Gulf Coast) as a way to contribute new funding to the NWRS. This is excellent. But, besides saying that this sort of funding "must be factored into the decision-making process" there is nothing more mentioned on how such funding might be accessed. Where is the call to insert mitigation/penalty funding directly into the MBCF as a way to supplement Stamp funds and a way to direct those funds into land-and-wildlife conservation through the decisions of the MBCC? Each Region has its own list of properties and the associated bird/wildlife that would benefit, and it would be relatively easy to identify “mitigation properties” in anticipation of these crises and incidents. What is missing here is the direct connection between the needs and the means.
10. While the draft approach states that priorities will be guided by the recovery of Endangered and Threatened species, the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, and the other migratory bird conservation plans (including step-down plans), no prioritization among goals within the plans are mentioned. This is of course, not simple, but even the statement that “any overlap of wetland priorities” in NAWMP, the shorebird plan, and the waterbird plan should be sought and maximized (especially in terms of cost savings) would have been helpful.

In short, there isn’t an overarching growth strategy proposed in the documents. They constitute more of a status quo description. While that sort of description is very important, and while the assessment is excellent, there is little in the way of solid direction for the next steps or for the “right choices” that the National Wildlife Refuge System has to make. There is little in the documents of how much to grow the system; there is little that might serve as a roadmap for the system. There are hard decisions and shifting priorities that face the National Wildlife Refuge System, but in many ways, particularly those ten listed above, this growth approach lacks a broader vision for addressing the system’s pressing biological and human needs in the 21st century.

30 September 2013

On Saturday, 28 September, the winning piece of waterfowl artwork was chosen at the Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest, held in northwestern Ohio. An impressive pair of Canvasbacks at the edge of a marsh will become the 2014-2015 Federal Duck Stamp.

Adam Grimm, of Burbank, South Dakota, won the art competition, when his oil painting was judged the best of 201 entries. Eligible species for the contest this year included Blue-winged Teal, Cinnamon Teal, Gadwall, Mallard, and Canvasback.

Grimm now becomes a two-time winner of the contest. His impressive painting of a Mottled Duck appeared on the 2000-2001 Federal Duck Stamp.

Curiously, Grimm's daughter, Madison Grimm, won the Junior Duck Stamp competition earlier this year. Her painting of a drake Canvasback on the water is the current artwork on the 2013-2014 junior stamp.

The Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp – commonly called the Federal Duck Stamp and increasingly called the Migratory Bird Stamp – raises about $25 million annually, of which 98 percent goes toward purchase of migratory bird habitat in the National Wildlife Refuge System.

"For eight decades, hunters, birders, and millions of other people who purchase Federal Duck Stamps have made a direct contribution to wildlife conservation through protection of wetland habitats," said Jerome Ford, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service assistant director for migratory birds.

Here is Adam Grimm's website where you can view his work:
http://www.adamgrimm.com/index2.html
 

26 September 2013

The 2013 Federal Duck Stamp Contest on Friday and Saturday (27 and 28 September) will be streamed live at http://www.fws.gov/home/webcast/.

The judging schedules are as follows (Note: these are Eastern times):

Friday, September 27, 2013
•10:00 a.m. 2013 Federal Duck Stamp Contest Opening Ceremony
•10:30 a.m. Round One of Judging Begins

Saturday, September 28, 2013
•10:00 a.m. Round Two of Judging
•11:45 a.m. Final Round of Judging
•12:30 p.m. Announcement of the 2013 Federal Duck Stamp Contest Winner

6 MAY 2013

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the Friends of the Migratory Bird/Duck Stamp, formalizing a commitment by both organizations to cooperatively support and promote the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, commonly called the Federal Duck Stamp.

The continued success of the Federal Duck Stamp has been one of the hallmark achievements in the history of North American bird conservation.  Since its inception in 1934, the Duck Stamp has generated more than $800 million that has been used to acquire and protect almost 6 million acres of habitat for the National Wildlife Refuge System.

Waterfowl hunters age 16 and older are required to purchase and carry the current Duck Stamp. Conservationists, stamp collectors, wildlife watchers, and others buy the stamp to support habitat conservation, and a current Duck Stamp can be used for free admission to any national wildlife refuge open to the public. Refuges offer unparalleled recreational opportunities, including hunting, fishing, bird watching, and photography.

“This MOU will allow the Service to leverage the passion and enthusiasm of the Friends of the Migratory Bird/Duck Stamp in mutually beneficial ways to raise the profile of the Federal Duck Stamp program and raise more funds for conservation,” said Service Director Dan Ashe.  “I look forward to pursuing efforts to engage many new audiences and ultimately raise more funds for habitat conservation.”

Like the many of the independent National Wildlife Refuge Friends Groups, the Friends of the Migratory Bird/Duck Stamp promotes public appreciation of how appropriate wildlife-dependent recreation can be conducted on refuge lands.  Unlike many other independent Friends Groups, however, this group is not connected to a single national wildlife refuge or refuge complex.

“Through this MOU, both parties pledge to work together to promote the sale of the stamps to secure valuable wetland and grassland habitat within the National Wildlife Refuge System – where the proceeds from the stamp are invested for the benefit of wildlife and the enjoyment of the public,” said Paul Baicich, president of the Friends of the Migratory Bird/Duck Stamp.  “The Friends of the Migratory Bird/Duck Stamp supports Service-wide efforts that cross many institutional and geographic lines.”

The MOU emphasizes mutual cooperation by the Service and the Friends to promote the wise habitat investments made through the Federal Duck Stamp; educate people about the many wildlife species that benefit through the stamp, including waterfowl, shorebirds, wading birds, songbirds and many other wetland-and-grassland-dependent species; and inform the public of the many opportunities on national wildlife refuges to reap the benefits of their Duck Stamp purchase.

Ninety-eight percent of the proceeds from sale of the $15 Federal Duck Stamp go to the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund, which supports the purchase of migratory bird habitat for inclusion into the National Wildlife Refuge System. Since 1934, Federal Duck Stamp sales have raised more than $850 million, helping the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service purchase or lease 6 million acres of wildlife habitat on hundreds of refuges and waterfowl production areas in nearly every state.  There are 560 national wildlife refuges spread across the 50 states and U.S. territories.

For more information on the Federal Duck Stamp, visit www.fws.gov/duckstamps.  To learn more about the Friends of the Migratory Bird/Duck Stamp, visit www.friendsofthestamp.org.

For more information, contact:

Rachel F. Levin (FWS), 703-358-2405

Paul Baicich (Friends Group), 410-992-9736

3 May 2013

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced on Thursday, May 2, that after careful reconsideration, it will reinstate Madison Grimm, 6, of Burbank, South Dakota, as the winner of the 2013 Federal Junior Duck Stamp Contest.

At the National Junior Duck Stamp Contest, held on April 19 in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, a panel of five judges selected Grimm's painting of a male Canvasback as the winning entry. Following the contest, concerns were raised about the authenticity of the work. The Service had disqualified the artwork in late April, but had continued to evaluate its decision.

The USFWS has released a full statement on its decision to reinstate Grimm.

27 APRIL 2013
 
On 19 April, six-year-old Madison Grimm, of Burbank, South Dakota, was announced as the winner of the nationwide Jr. Duck Stamp Contest.

A week later, she was disqualified as the winner.
 
From an announcement by the USFWS:

At the National Junior Duck Stamp Contest, held on April 19 in Shepherdstown, W. Va., a panel of five judges selected as the winner a painting of a single canvasback by Madison Grimm, 6, of Burbank, S.D. Following the contest, concerns were raised by parents and teachers about the authenticity of the work. The Federal Duck Stamp Office investigated and learned that the painting had been transferred, which is inconsistent with the Junior Duck Stamp Contest rules.  On the advice of the Department of the Interior’s Solicitor’s Office, Grimm’s painting was disqualified and [runner-up, Peter] Coulter was named the contest winner.

Coulter, 17, of Washington, Missouri, painted a pair of Snow Geese.
 
See the full announcement from the USFWS and a story on the situation from the Argus Leader of Sioux Falls.