On December 15, the Senate approved the “Permanent Electronic Duck Stamp,” (H.R. 1206), which was passed by the U.S. House in June 2013. This legislation, sponsored by Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus (CSC) Vice-Chair Congressman Rob Wittman (VA), allows the Department of Interior to authorize states to sell duck stamps online which can be used immediately after purchase, avoiding an unnecessary trip to the Post Office or sporting goods store.
This language was also included in two packages of sportsmen’s legislation introduced in the House and Senate during the 113th Congress: The Sportsmen’s Heritage and Recreational Enhancement (SHARE) Act (H.R. 3590) and the Bipartisan Sportsmen’s Act of 2014, both sponsored by CSC leadership. CSC member Senator Roger Wicker (MS) also introduced a standalone counterpart bill (S. 738) in April 2013.
And this isn’t the first time this month that the Federal Duck Stamp has seen light on the Senate floor. On December 2, Congress passed H.R. 5069, increasing the duck stamp price for the first time since 1991, from $15 to $25. These dollars go directly towards waterfowl conservation efforts, making this a win for the sportsmen’s community as well.
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?
