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.