people who were helping in the struggle for restoration 

 of the wildlife resources. This Act authorized the 

 U. S. Biological Survey to purchase large tracts of 

 land for waterfowl preservation. 



With the early thirties came the Depression. 

 This could have meant curtailment of the refuge 

 program had it not been for the enactment of the 

 Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act in 1934 which 

 gave a boost to the lagging refuge program. This 

 act, generally called the **Duck Stamp Act,** required 

 all waterfowl hunters over 16 years of age to purchase 

 a hunting stamp for $1. These sales provided revenue 

 for the purchase, development, and maintenance of 

 refuges. The refuge program was further aided at that 

 time by special emergency funds which were allocated 

 from drought relief appropriations to purchase land 

 suitable for wildlife restoration within drought- 

 stricken areas. 



The approximately 290 wildlife refuges contain 

 about 28-1/2 million acres. Areas primarily for 

 migratory waterfowl include about 2 million acres 

 in Alaska and 3-l/2 million acres in other States. 

 About 4 million acres have been designated for other 

 migratory birds and wildlife in general. There are 

 now 15 big-game refuges with about 14-1/2 million 

 acres, protecting bison, pronghorn antelope, elk, 

 bighorn sheep, Texas longhorn cattle, Arctic caribou, 

 Dall sheep, moose, and bear. Five game ranges 

 covering 4-1/2 million acres are administered jointly 

 by the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife and the 

 Bureau of Land Management. 



Many national wildlife refuges are located along 

 the four flight lanes used by waterfowl and other 

 birds migrating between nesting grounds in the 

 north and wintering grounds in the south. On refuges 

 located within the breeding ranges of ducks and geese, 



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