Bill proposes hike in duck stamp price

[h2ofwlr]

Published December 21, 2013, 06:30 PM
by: Herald Staff Report, Grand Forks Herald

Four Democratic senators introduced a bill Thursday in the U.S. Senate to increase the price of the federal duck stamp to $25. The current price of $15 was set more than 20 years ago, in 1991.

The price of the federal duck stamp has been raised only seven times in the program’s history, with the last increase bringing the price to $15 in 1991. Yet the value of the duck stamp has decreased by 40 percent as the price of land has tripled.

Introducing the bill were Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester, D-Mont.; Mark Begich, D-Alaska; and Chris Coons, D-Delaware.

Since its enactment in 1934, the federal duck stamp program has protected more than 6 million acres of wetlands — an area the size of Vermont — through expenditures of more than $750 million. That has contributed to the conservation of more than 2.5 million acres in the Prairie Pothole Region, including the protection of 7,000 waterfowl production areas totaling 675,000 acres.

[triplecurler]

One way to get less people to duck hunt. At one time I would have supported this, but I no longer have any faith in any government run program and have little doubt that the money would be put to good use.

[Goldfish]

Yea, prove to me you can do good with it before you ask for more

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[h2ofwlr]

Really?

Have any of you hunted on a WPA?

[Goldfish]

Have you seen what they do with money recently? How hard are they beating them away from the sales tax money?

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[Jsb]

Federal duck stamp dollars is one of the few good government programs that actually does what it was intended to do. All Hunters and outdoor enthusiast should be in support of this.

[h2ofwlr]

Since 1991 through 2013, the accumaltive inflation has been 71.1% The $15 back then in todays $ it would take $25.67 to have the same buying power. So it is not an unreasonable increase. Frankly it should have gone up to $20 10 years ago and to $25 this year.


As a side issue, I believe that any one entering upon a WPA, Refuge, etc should be forced to buy the stamp. It does not matter if going for a hike, bird watching, fishing, hunting, skiing, or what ever, as you should pay to help support the resource that you are using. This is just like the National parks--to enter you must have the sticker to enter. It should be the same for the lands bought with the duck stamp $ as it'd greatly increase the user fees to maintain what they have and buy additional lands.

[greatwhitehunter3!]

I can agree with that point fowler

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[triplecurler]

I agree on a lot of your points fowler, but also know the government does not use money wisely.

[Goldfish]

It's true the stamps do a lot of good, I'm just instantly gun shy about govt asking for more money

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