Conservation Corner: December 4, 2000

The Federal Duck Stamp Program, Part 1
by James L. Cummins

This is the first of a 2-part series on the Federal Duck Stamp Program, which has its roots deep in the newspaper business.

Opening day of duck season begins this weekend. In order to duck hunt, one must have both a State and Federal duck stamp. The Federal Duck Stamp Program has become a very successful conservation program. To date, over 350 million duck stamp dollars have gone to preserve over 4 million acres of wetlands. Many of the 440 National Wildlife Refuges in the United States have been paid for, entirely or in part, by duck stamp receipts.

When the explorers from Europe first set foot upon North America, the skies were filled with millions of waterfowl. Indians had taken only what they could use and had seen the flocks flourish and multiply. It took explorers and settlers who followed them only a little over 400 years to deplete these great flocks. Waterfowl were decimated as market hunters laid waste to the vast flocks. Millions of acres of wetlands were drained, greatly reducing breeding and nesting areas.

In addition to man's heedless destruction, the elements also joined forces to reduce wetland areas as the central portion of the continent was devastated by a prolonged drought of historic proportions. The Dust Bowl years left that area withered and unproductive, and even the lush timbered swamps of the Mississippi Delta and the marshes of the Mississippi Gulf Coast were suffering. Migration rest areas and wintering grounds were greatly endangered.

In 1913, Congress recognized the importance of waterfowl management and protection with the passage of the Weeks-McLean Law. By 1918, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act was passed and protection from commercial exploitation was afforded to both migratory waterfowl and other species of birds. This Act expanded the duties of the "Federal Game Warden," whose existence began in 1900 with the passage of the Lacey Act, and continues to be a major priority today.

By the late 1920s, the waterfowl situation had become critical and the descendants of the early explorers and settlers finally realized that urgent action was required to remedy the problem.

A very significant step was taken when the U.S. Congress enacted the Migratory Bird Conservation Act of 1929. The law expanded the existing National Wildlife Refuge System, established in 1903, and provided authorization for the acquisition of wetlands for waterfowl habitat. The law was, however, only a stopgap measure, as it made no provision for the procurement of funds with which to purchase the land.

J.N. "Ding" Darling, nationally-known political cartoonist for the Des Moines Register (Iowa), led a drive to remedy that oversight. Darling, who was keenly interested in hunting, watched in dismay as waterfowl habitat in his own state was severely reduced. Darling put his own artistic talents to use and frequently published biting cartoons depicting the destruction of the nation's waterfowl and their habitat.

This column will be continued next week.

James L. Cummins is Executive Director of the Mississippi Fish and Wildlife Foundation in Stoneville, Mississippi. Known as "Wildlife Mississippi," the Foundation is a non-profit, conservation organization founded to conserve, restore and enhance fish, wildlife and plant resources throughout Mississippi.