FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  Jan. 2, 2008
CONTACT: Ronette Rumpca, (605) 773-6011, Ronette.Rumpca@state.sd.us

Sunday program at Cultural Heritage Center features Duck Stamps

PIERRE, S.D. -- Spencer Vaa of Brookings will bring his passion for wildlife conservation and Duck Stamps to the South Dakota Cultural Heritage Center (CHC) in a program hosted by the South Dakota State Historical Society on Sunday, Jan. 6.

The free public program, “Duck Stamps:  Wildlife Art for Conservation,” will be held in the center’s Education Room at 2 p.m.

Vaa has been the state waterfowl biologist for the Department of Game, Fish & Parks (GFP) since 1989. He began his GFP career as a conservation officer in 1972. Vaa will bring his complete set of Duck Stamps to the program. He will share the history of the program and discuss the vital role it plays in providing funds for wildlife habitat.

All waterfowl hunters age 16-and-older must purchase and carry the Migratory Bird Conservation and Hunting Stamp – the Duck Stamp – as part of their license. The design for each year’s stamp is chosen through a juried art competition held by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Although no cash prize is awarded, the winning artist receives worldwide recognition. The artist also retains rights to the original art. Stamps also serve as entrance passes on National Wildlife Refuges that normally charge admission. Duck Stamps and products that bear duck stamp images are popular collector items. The stamps can be purchased at the U.S. Post Office for $15.

“Art and wildlife conservation are strong partners in the Duck Stamp program,” said Jay D. Vogt, director of the South Dakota State Historical Society, headquartered at the CHC. “The stamps feature outstanding wildlife art, and the funds raised by their sales support the South Dakota landscape we all enjoy, whether we hunt or not.”  

“Duck Stamps: Wildlife Art for Conservation” will be held during the run of the exhibit “Sportsman’s Paradise: Hunting and Fishing in South Dakota” which will be at the CHC until fall 2008. The exhibit covers hunting and fishing, from taking mammoths with spears to modern-day pheasant hunting. Exhibit visitors can see hunters dressed for a day in the field, handle animal pelts, and “catch and release” South Dakota fish. 

The Duck Stamp Program is one of the most successful conservation programs ever initiated. Since 1934, stamp sales have generated more than $670 million, money used to help purchase or lease over 5.2 million acres of waterfowl habitat in the National Wildlife Refuge System. Ninety-eight percent of all duck stamp dollars raised go directly to purchase or lease wildlife habitat. In South Dakota, this includes about 150,000 acres in Waterfowl Production Areas (WPAs). Besides waterfowl, many other bird, mammal, fish, reptile and amphibian species that rely on the wetlands and grasslands have prospered on the WPAs, including ringneck pheasants.

Museum hours in the CHC are 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 1-4:30 p.m. Sundays and most holidays. Call (605) 773-6011 for more information or visit www.sdhistory.org.