Federal duck stamp to be unveiled Friday

Officials from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Bass Pro Shops will unveil the 2017-2018 federal duck stamp and junior duck stamp artwork at the Little Rock outlet Friday at 11 a.m. The first duck stamp of the year will also be sold at the event.

The only conservation revenue stamp of its kind, the federal duck stamp is also the only juried art competition sponsored by the federal government. The winning artist’s work is featured on the following year’s stamp. Both winning artists will be on hand at this event. They are James Hautman, the federal duck stamp artist, and Isaac Schrieber, the junior stamp artist.

Attending from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will be Assistant Director Jerome Ford; Sarah P. Mott, chief of the Division of Bird Habitat Conservation; and Cindy Dohner, southeast regional director.

Also attending will be Chris Colclasure, assistant deputy director of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission; Mike Hart, Arkansas district manager for the United States Postal Service; Martin Webb, director of conservation for Bass Pro Shops; and Little Rock Vice Mayor Kathy Webb.

All hunters are required to buy a federal duck stamp to hunt ducks and geese in the United States.

Since 1934, sales from the federal duck stamp have raised more than $950 million to acquire and protect nearly 6 million acres of wetlands habitat on hundreds of national wildlife refuges in all 50 states and U.S. territories.