SENEY — The Federal Duck Stamp Art Exhibit is currently on display at the Seney National Wildlife Refuge. The exhibit features the top 15 pieces from the Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest, the first-place piece from each state from the National Junior Duck Stamp Art contest, and the top pieces in each of four ages categories from the Michigan Junior Duck Stamp Program.

What is a Duck Stamp?

In 1934, President Franklin D Roosevelt signed the Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act (or Duck Stamp Act), and an increasingly concerned nation took firm action to stop the destruction of wetlands vital to the survival of migratory waterfowl. Under the act, all waterfowl hunters 16 years of age and over must annually buy and carry a Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp – better known today as a Federal Duck Stamp.

The artwork for the stamp is chosen through the Federal Duck Stamp Art contest. While waterfowl hunters are required to purchase them, stamp collectors, birders, nature photographers and other outdoor and art enthusiasts buy Duck Stamps as collector’s items and to help protect wildlife habitat.

In addition to serving as a hunting license and conservation tool, a current Federal Duck Stamp is also a free pass into any National Wildlife Refuge that charges an entry fee.