{"id":15247,"date":"2013-02-13T19:19:33","date_gmt":"2013-02-14T03:19:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thewildbeat.com\/?p=15247"},"modified":"2020-02-20T23:48:40","modified_gmt":"2020-02-20T23:48:40","slug":"join-the-project-a-new-wildlife-conservation-stamp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ingridtaylar.com\/?p=15247","title":{"rendered":"Support a New Wildlife Conservation Stamp"},"content":{"rendered":"

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WildlifeConservationStamp.org<\/a>\u00a0is a collaborative effort to promote a new wildlife stamp and funding stream for our National Wildlife Refuges. We are birders, photographers, conservationists, wildlife rehabilitators, scientists, teachers and artists … joined by a common passion and concern for our nation\u2019s wildlife and wild habitats.<\/p>\n

We propose the\u00a0Wildlife Conservation Stamp\u00a0<\/a>to provide a consistent source of income for our Refuges, separate but parallel to the current Federal Duck Stamp program. The Wildlife Conservation Stamp would raise fees from the millions of non-consumptive users, wildlife viewers and conservationists — to help ensure a thriving future for our National Wildlife Refuge System and all of its inhabitants.<\/p>\n

You can read the full proposal<\/a><\/strong> and FAQ<\/a><\/strong> at our website, and see a summary of our points below in this post.<\/p>\n

Join Our Community<\/h3>\n

We are looking for bird enthusiasts, photographers, bloggers, biologists, hikers, conservationists, wildlife rehabilitators, scientists, teachers, artists and anyone else with a common passion and concern for our nation\u2019s wildlife and wild habitats to join us in encouraging our legislators to create this alternative stamp.<\/p>\n

If this sounds like a great idea to you and you are involved in conservation or wildlife preservation, please\u00a0send me an email<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0with a short bio and a photo (at least 150 x 150 pixels) to place on our About Us<\/a><\/strong> page. We will keep you updated on our progress in this endeavor and entertain suggestions on the best way to implement our proposal.<\/p>\n

If you have a blog<\/strong> and would like to spread the word, feel free to download our badges and graphics<\/a> to use in conjunction with your post. You can also use text from our proposal<\/a> for your purposes.<\/p>\n

You can also show your support by joining our Facebook community. Click “LIKE” \u00a0on our FB page<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0and get updates and information in your newsfeed.<\/p>\n

Wildlife Conservation Stamp<\/a>
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Excerpted from the Proposal<\/h3>\n

[Full proposal<\/a>]<\/p>\n

A birder, wildlife watcher, photographer and non-hunter version of the\u00a0Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp<\/em>\u00a0(aka Federal Duck Stamp).
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Why a Separate Wildlife Conservation Stamp?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

A\u00a0Federal Wildlife Conservation Stamp<\/em>\u00a0would provide a robust, parallel revenue stream for National Wildlife Refuges, preserving habitat and wildlife,\u00a0while giving non-extractive users a funding tool and a stronger voice in habitat and wildlife decisions on our shared, public lands.
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Why Many Wildlife Watchers Don’t Buy the Duck Stamp<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Among birders and wildlife watchers, there’s little disagreement about supporting our 560 National Wildlife Refuges, along with the habitat and wildlife they sustain. Most wildlife watchers are anxious to contribute their resources toward that end. Disagreements tend to occur, however, when the subject of the Federal Duck Stamp arises. The concerns tend to fall into the following categories:<\/p>\n

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  1. Duck Stamp purchases by non-hunters are not accurately accounted for — which means that when critical decisions are made about Refuge priorities, non-extractive users are forgotten in favor of hunters and anglers. As Mike Bergin wrote at the\u00a010,000 Birds<\/em>\u00a0blog, “Apparently, when it comes time to calculate the financial contributions of the different sectors of outdoor enthusiasts, only hunters and anglers put up worthwhile cash, in part through the sale of hunting and fishing licenses.\u201d<\/li>\n
  2. Because of this accounting, hunters have disproportionate influence and use of Refuge lands during the height of fall and winter migratory bird season. In some cases, large portions of, or entire Wildlife Refuges are closed to the non-hunting public during this time.<\/li>\n
  3. Historically, National Wildlife Refuges viewed the “Duck Factory” (game bird conservation) as a high priority, while relegating non-game issues to a lower rung. It’s only in recent years that Refuges have fully acknowledged this gap in resource allocation, but funding is still not nearly adequate to achieve all resource goals.<\/li>\n
  4. Hunters and groups like the NRA consistently leverage the power of Duck Stamp funding to promote hunter-friendly agendas (such as expansion of hunting rights on refuges) sometimes overriding the voices of non-hunters whose wildlife considerations are often different yet equally valid.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The Benefits of a Wildlife Conservation Stamp<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    A 2011 survey by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service counted 71.1 million wildlife watchers in the U.S., and 13.7 million hunters. Wildlife watchers outnumber hunters significantly, and they spend $55 billion dollars each year in the pursuit of wildlife activities. In other words, there is a large and enthusiastic source of untapped revenue from wildlife watchers, one that could be rendered viable through the dedicated funding stream of a Wildlife Conservation Stamp. Benefits:<\/p>\n