maintenance of waterfowl refuges throughout 

 the country. The remaining 10 percent was 

 to be used for the printing and distribution of 

 the stamps and enforcement of the Migratory 

 Bird Hunting Stamp Act and other Federal 

 laws for migratory-bird conservation. 



Amendments to the act 



Several amendments to the act in recent years 

 have increased the cost of the stamp twice and 

 changed the original 90-10 percent division of 

 the funds. 



In August 1949 the Congress enacted Public 

 Law 222 (81st Congress, 1st Session) which 

 raised the price of the stamp to $2 to offset 

 rising costs encountered by the Fish and Wild- 

 life Service in its efforts to expand its waterfowl 

 conservation work. 



On October 20, 1951, in response to demands 

 for a stepped-up law enforcement program, 

 Pubhc Law 182 (82d Congress, 1st Session) 

 was enacted which authorized an increase in 

 expenditure of duck stamp funds for enforce- 

 ment and administration from 10 percent to 15 

 percent of the annual receipts. 



On August 1, 1958, the President approved 

 S. 2617, now Public Law 85-585 (85th Congress, 

 2d Session) which increased the cost of the 

 stamp to $3, effective July 1, 1959, and ear- 

 marked the proceeds from stamp sales, less the 

 expenses of the Post Office Department in con- 

 nection with "engraving, printing, issuing, sell- 

 ing, and accounting for" the stamps and the 

 moneys received from their sale, for the acquisi- 

 tion of land for migratory bird refliges, effective 

 July 1, 1960. 



Waterfowl protective legislation 



The Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act was 

 but one of a series of legislative steps which the 

 United States has taken to conserve its water- 

 fowl. The Migratory Bird Treaty with Great 

 Britain in 1916 (in behalf of Canada) placed 

 our Federal Government under solemn obliga- 

 tions to care for the migratory birds while in 

 this country. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act 

 of 1918 recognized this obligation by protecting 

 the birds from destruction by the gun, except 

 under prescribed Federal regulations. 



Then, when it became apparent that caring 

 for the birds included also the responsibility of 

 providing places where they could breed, feed, 

 rest, and find wintering grounds. Congress 

 2 



passed the Migratory Bird Conservation Act of 

 1929 which authorized a program of acquisi- 

 tion of land and water areas as inviolate sanc- 

 tuaries. The Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp 

 Act of 1934 supplemented and supported the 

 Act of 1929 by providing funds for the pur- 

 chase and maintenance of areas for migratory 

 waterfowl refuges. 



In 1936 the provisions of the Migratory Bird 

 Treaty were extended to include Mexico. 



Duck stamp dollars build "duck hotels" 



By requiring waterfowl hunters to purchase 

 the duck stamps, the Migratory Bird Hunting 

 Stamp Act has created a continuing source of 

 funds for waterfowl restoration. As a result, 

 sportsmen have contributed many millions of 

 dollars which the Federal Government has used 

 to save waterfowl and the sport of wildfowling 

 for future generations through the acquisition, 

 development, and maintenance of a system of 

 National Waterfowl Refuges ' administered by 

 the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife of the 

 Fish and Wildlife Service. This is the Federal 

 agency charged by the Migratory Bird Treaty 

 Act with the custodianship of waterfowl while 

 they remain within the boundaries of this coun- 

 try. These refuges, or "duck hotels," spotted 

 strategically along the flight paths of the birds, 

 give sanctuary for varying periods of time to the 

 wild ducks and .geese on their semiannual 

 migrations to and from their northern breeding 

 grounds. 



Issuance of the stamp 



The duck stamp is nearly twice the size of a 

 special delivery stamp. It may be purchased 

 singly, in blocks, or in complete sheets from all 

 first- and second-class post offices. Philatelists 

 who are interested in particularly fine, well- 

 centered copies, may obtain their stamps from 

 the Philatelic Sales Agency, Post Office Depart- 

 ment, Washington 25, D.C. 



The first issue in the annual series went on 

 sale on August 14, 1934, at SI each. The first 

 of the S2 stamps became available on Septem- 

 ber 1, 1949; the first of the $3 stamps went on 

 sale July 1, 1959. 



' For the complete story of how duck stamp funds have 

 been expended, see Duck Stamps and Wildlife Refuges, Fish and 

 Wildlife Service Circular 37, for sale by the Superintendent 

 of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington 25, 

 D.C. at 20 cents per copy. 



