Hunters, bird-watchers, stamp collectors and artists celebrated as the 2024-2025 Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp — commonly known as the Duck Stamp — went on sale, said the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The new Federal Duck Stamp and its younger sibling, the Junior Duck Stamp, debuted June 28 at a special event hosted by USFWS at the Bass Pro Shops in Hanover, Maryland.
“I am honored to be one of the first people to buy the 2024-2025 Federal and Junior Duck Stamps!” said USFWS Director Martha Williams. “I hope everyone across the country will join me in putting their stamp on wetland conservation and celebrating the artists who have dedicated their passion towards wildlife and the great outdoors.”
Featuring an image painted by Chuck Black of Belgrade, Montana, the new Federal Duck Stamp will raise millions of dollars for habitat conservation which benefits wildlife and the American people, says USFWS. The northern pintail featured on the new stamp is Black’s first Federal Duck Stamp designed for the U.S. Department of the Interior. His artwork was chosen in September 2023 from 199 entries in the country’s only federally regulated art contest.
The 2024-2025 Junior Duck Stamp, which also went on sale June 28, raises funds to support youth conservation education. This year’s stamp features a king eider painted by 17-year-old Emily Lian from Oregon.
The Federal Duck Stamp plays a critically important role in wildlife conservation, says USFWS. Since 1934, sales of this stamp have raised more than $1.2 billion to conserve over 6 million acres of wetlands habitat on national wildlife refuges around the nation.
Waterfowl are not the only species that benefit from wetland habitat conservation. Thousands upon thousands of shorebirds, herons, raptors and songbirds, as well as mammals, fish, native plants, reptiles and amphibians rely on these landscapes as well. In addition, endangered, threatened and other at-risk species such as birds of conservation concern, like the reddish egret and long-billed curlew, use wetland and connected upland habitat to feed, breed, migrate, winter and rest.
For the first time, the service will be offering the 2024-2025 Federal Electronic Duck Stamps (e-stamps) for purchase through previously enrolled states as well as through Amplex. The new duck stamps are also available for purchase online, at sporting goods and retail stores, and some post offices and national wildlife refuges.
Funds raised from the sale of Federal Duck Stamps go toward the acquisition and lease of habitat for the National Wildlife Refuge System. Duck Stamps, while required for waterfowl hunters as part of their annual license, are voluntarily purchased by birders, outdoor enthusiasts and fans of national wildlife refuges who understand the value of conserving some of the most diverse and important wildlife habitats in the nation, reports USFWS. Stamp and wildlife art collectors also value these miniature pieces of art and American history and contribute to conservation through their purchases of Duck Stamps.
A current Federal Duck Stamp is good for free admission to any national wildlife refuge that charges an entry fee. The 571 refuges offer a range of outdoor recreational opportunities, including chances for hunting, fishing, bird-watching and photography.
The Junior Duck Stamp Art Contest is the culmination of a year-long educational program that encourages students to learn about wetlands and waterfowl conservation, explore their natural world and create a painting or drawing of a duck, goose or swan as their “visual term paper” to demonstrate what they learned. Approximately 25,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade participate annually in the art contest.
The winning artwork at the Junior Duck Stamp Art Contest is made into a stamp the service sells for $5 to conservationists, educators, students, collectors and the public. Proceeds support conservation education at the state and local level. Since the first Junior Duck Stamps went on sale in 1993, well over $1.4 million has been raised, which is reinvested in this unique conservation arts and science education program across the country.
During the June 28 event, Williams announced the 2024 Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest to select the 2025-2026 Federal Duck Stamp, which will be held Sept. 19 – 20 at the Bruce Museum in Connecticut.
More information about the Federal and Junior Duck Stamps is available on the USFWS website.
Information provided by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
