In a victory for conservation and duck hunters across the country, the Senate approved the already passed House legislation (H.R. 5069) to increase the duck stamp price from $15 to $25 on December 2, for the first time since 1991. H.R. 5069’s original cosponsors include Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus (CSC) Vice-Chair Rep. Rob Wittman (VA), and CSC members Rep. John Fleming (LA), Rep. Ron Kind (WI), and Rep. Jason Smith (MO).
Introduced in July, H.R. 5069 amends the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp Act and is better known as the Federal Duck Stamp Act of 2014. This bill, which now heads to the President’s desk, will significantly boost conservation efforts, focusing more dollars on sustainable waterfowl habitats and populations.
On April 29, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, along with 34 other hunter conservation organizations, sent a letter supporting the duck stamp price increase to Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and House Natural Resources Committee.
Since 1934, hunters have bought Federal Duck Stamps to hunt waterfowl, and have generated approximately $800 million to protect over five million acres of habitat.
Studies conducted at both the state and federal level have found that the number of hunters and trappers have been on a generally declining trend over the past several decades. To increase recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) of hunters and trappers, which initiative do you think would have the greatest impact?
