the maintenance of hi<r game and upland areas for 

 which Duck Stamp funds cannot be used. 



The situation became so desperate, owing to 

 mounting costs and inadequate revenues, that by 

 1948 the Service was approaching the point of 

 abandoning areas in order to stay within fiscal 

 hounds. When this situation was understood by 

 the sportsmen of America, they urged that Con- 

 gress remedy it and on August 12, 1949, the price 

 of the Duck Stamp was doubled — from $1 to $2. 

 Concurrent with this increase, the Congress au- 

 thorized the opening to public shooting of not to 

 exceed 25 percent of certain refuge areas, at the 

 discretion of the Secretary. A subsequent action, 

 dated October 20, 1951, increased from 10 percent 

 to l."i percent the amount of money available for 

 administration, which includes law enforcement. 



With the additional funds available, the Service 

 expanded its land-purchase program, and the fol- 

 lowing sums have since been expended for that 

 purpose: Fiscal year 1950, $302,352; 1951, $309,- 

 689; 1952, $481,156; L953, $757,792; 1954, $1,125,- 

 'Hiii; 1955, $1,250,000. New areas have been ac- 

 quired as rapidly as options could be taken and 

 the purchases cleared through the Migratory Bird 

 ( 'onservat ion ( lommission. 



It must be kept in mind that the high prices 

 of land that plague the home buyer and business- 

 man today are just as much of a problem to the 

 Federal Government's agencies engaged in any 



kind of land purchase. The market price for land 

 suitable for refuges lias increased many times over 

 in the past 15 or 20 years, and less becomes avail- 

 able each year. Many potential refuge areas have 

 been bought up by private gun clubs. In addition, 

 the Service's criterion for suitable refuge lands 

 has changed during the years. In the early days 

 of the waterfowl refuge program, the accent was 

 on the acquisition of marshlands; today the Serv- 

 ice finds it necessary also to acquire adjacent farm- 

 lands on which to produce supplemental feeds. 



Development a Necessary Part of the 

 Refuge Program 



Purchase of land is merely the initial step in the 

 establishment of a public waterfowl refuge. 

 Ducks and geese, like pigs and cattle, must have 

 food — lots of it — as well as fresh water and other 

 items, such as gravel, to meet their special living 

 requirements. 



Each area selected for a refuge presents different 

 problems, but basically all require the provisions 

 of water, food, protective cover, and headquarters 

 buildings to ensure effective administration. De- 

 velopment must be directed toward providing the 

 habitat that will make the refuges of maximum 

 value to the greatest number of species, particu- 

 larly during emergency periods. Very few of the 



Restored marsh for waterfowl, Horicon Refuge in Wisconsin. 



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