Duck Stamps and Bird Conservation

For the Sustainability class I just completed spring term, I wrote a paper on the effectiveness of the Federal Duck Stamp program. So many govt programs are created, but funds appropriated to support them often vary with the current administration. This obviously makes it difficult for programs to actually accomplish what they were created to do. However, 98 cents of every dollar collected for this program is used by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to buy or lease wildlife habitat. Formally known as the Federal Bird Hunting and Conservation stamps, they're a required purchase for waterfowl hunters. Millions of acres of land of all types, in all parts of the country, including national wildlife refuges and waterfowl management areas, have been purchased or leased with duck stamp money. These lands provide breeding habitat and migration rest stops for many species of waterfowl. They do the same for many more species of non-game birds.

The stamp costs $15. The 2010-11 version goes on sale June 25. You can buy them at most post offices and some sporting-goods stores. The 2010-11 stamp features an American Wigeon.