{"id":14649,"date":"2018-12-15T02:24:16","date_gmt":"2018-12-15T02:24:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/?p=14649"},"modified":"2018-12-16T02:27:09","modified_gmt":"2018-12-16T02:27:09","slug":"as-hunting-declines-efforts-grow-to-broaden-the-funding-base-for-wildlife-conservation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/as-hunting-declines-efforts-grow-to-broaden-the-funding-base-for-wildlife-conservation\/","title":{"rendered":"As hunting declines, efforts grow to broaden the funding base for wildlife conservation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lincoln Larson<\/a>, North Carolina State University<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Hunting is a seasonal ritual for more than 11 million Americans<\/a> in fall and winter. For those whose quarry includes ducks, geese or other waterfowl, one essential item is a Federal Duck Stamp<\/a> \u2013 one of the most innovative and influential conservation initiatives in U.S. history. <\/p>\n

For more than 80 years, federal law has required all hunters age 16 and older to buy and carry the current season\u2019s duck stamp in the field. The stamp costs US$25 and inspires an annual art and design contest<\/a>. Ninety-eight cents of every dollar from stamp purchases goes into a fund to protect wetlands and wildlife habitat. Since the 1930s, duck stamps have raised over $1 billion<\/a> to support the National Wildlife Refuge System<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Duck stamps represent a \u201cuser pay, user benefit\u201d approach to funding conservation that is unique to North America, with hunters as the centerpiece<\/a>. But this model works only if people hunt, and the number of hunters in the United States has significantly declined<\/a> in recent decades. <\/p>\n

My research<\/a> on connections between people and nature shows that demographic and cultural trends are reshaping the modern landscape<\/a> for hunting and other outdoor recreation activities. For wildlife managers and outdoor advocates, these shifts are raising questions about who will pay for conservation in the future<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n \"\"<\/a>
\n The 2017-2018 federal duck stamp, designed by James Hautman.<\/span>
\n USFWS<\/a>, CC BY-ND<\/a><\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Taxes and license fees<\/h2>\n

President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act<\/a> in 1934. The program was proposed by Jay N. \u201cDing\u201d Darling<\/a>, a cartoonist, conservation pioneer and outdoorsman. Darling headed the agency that would become the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from 1934 to 1936 and drew the first duck stamp.<\/p>\n

\n \"\"<\/a>
\n The first federal duck stamp, designed by Jay N. \u2018Ding\u2019 Darling and issued in 1934.<\/span>
\n USFWS<\/a>, CC BY-ND<\/a><\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Other user-pay measures followed. The 1937 Pittman-Robertson Act<\/a> imposed an 11 percent federal excise tax on sales of hunting gear and ammunition to support state wildlife conservation efforts. In 1950 the Dingell-Johnson Act<\/a> placed a similar tax on fishing equipment and motor boat fuel. Today these taxes, along with duck stamps and license fees, raise roughly 60 percent of all revenue to support fish and wildlife conservation efforts yearly. <\/p>\n

Broadening the conservation funding base<\/h2>\n

License fees and gear taxes target specific groups (hunters and anglers), but duck stamps could also appeal to other potential buyers, such as birdwatchers, photographers and stamp collectors. They serve as an annual pass to U.S. National Wildlife Refuges that charge entrance fees, and organizations such as the American Birding Association encourage birders to \u201cmake their voices heard<\/a>\u201d in wildlife conservation by purchasing duck stamps. However, there is very little information about whether and why birders actually buy the stamps. <\/p>\n

To answer these questions, I worked with graduate student Nathan Shipley<\/a>, NCSU colleague Caren Cooper<\/a> and researchers from the National Audubon Society<\/a> to survey thousands of birdwatchers participating in the society\u2019s annual Christmas Bird Count<\/a>. We found<\/a> that just 14 percent of nonhunting bird count participants had purchased duck stamps in the past two years. Even among specialized birdwatchers who invested substantial time and money in birding, only 36 percent had bought the stamps. <\/p>\n

These low numbers may reflect a general lack of knowledge about duck stamps and their purpose. For example, studies have shown that even waterfowl hunters know very little<\/a> about the duck stamp\u2019s role in wildlife conservation. Other research has found low awareness<\/a> among nonhunting outdoor advocates about hunting\u2019s links to environmental stewardship and conservation. And birders may be reluctant to buy something historically linked to hunting. <\/p>\n

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