Duck Stamp bill passes

Washington, D.C. — Senate passage last week of the Duck Stamp Act of 2014 sends the legislation to President Obama for his signature.
Ducks Unlimited officials called the bill, which boosts the cost of a federal duck stamp from $15 to $25, “a major win for wetlands and waterfowl conservation.”
The cost of a duck stamp has not been changed since 1991, and this legislation adjusts the cost of a duck stamp from $15 to $25. Ducks Unlimited and other conservation groups supported the measure, which would earmark proceeds from the $10 increase to conservation easements on private lands.
With the assistance of Sen. David Vitter and his leadership in helping pass the Duck Stamp Act of 2014, much-needed funding has been secured for wetlands and waterfowl conservation,” said Ducks Unlimited CEO Dale Hall. “The additional duck stamp funding provided by waterfowl hunters and other conservationists will not only conserve critical waterfowl habitat, but will also help ensure the future of our waterfowling traditions.”
The U.S. House of Representatives last month unanimously passed legislation, a bipartisan bill authored by Reps. Ron Kind, D-Wis., and John Fleming, R-La. 
DU officials noted that since 1991 – the last time the price of the duck stamp was increased – its purchasing power has declined due to inflation and rising land costs. The Duck Stamp Act of 2014 would build on the program’s tradition of helping to conserve waterfowl habitat across America, especially in the Prairie Pothole Region, one of the continent’s most important production areas.
“This is huge news for conservation and duck hunters,” said Sen. Vitter, of Louisiana. “As we move forward to conserve millions of acres of waterfowl habitat, it’s important to remember the mutually beneficial relationship between our nation’s sportsmen and ducks. This legislation boosts conservation efforts, which in turn directly impacts the success of duck hunters in near and future hunting seasons.”
Since the federal duck stamp’s introduction in 1934, it has raised more than $750 million and has conserved more than 6 million acres of waterfowl habitat. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the nation’s 1.4 million federal duck stamp sales generate about $25 million annually, and the $10 increase would add another $14 million.