The Duck Stamp is actually a very important program. It's been in place for many many many decades.
It's a federal stamp that is required for anybody
that buys a
hunting license for waterfowl.
Right now, I believe the price is $25.
I just paid mine a few months ago, and
that money goes to a general fund that is used to provide grants to protect lands, acquire lands for conservation,
and manage lands for waterfowl. The Duck Stamps are extremely important.
Not only because they're beautiful, but the money goes directly to conservation. Without it
it would be a lot less money that we in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the state
conservation agencies would have, if we didn't have the Duck Stamp revenue.
Hunting and fishing are very important activities to connect people with nature, so that
we can then connect and restore those habitats
throughout the landscape.
It is that connection to nature, because you need to focus so so much
into what it's around you, and for me, that's how I connected with nature. That's why I
decided to be a wildlife biologist
and work eventually with the Fish and Wildlife Service. If it wasn't for those experiences early in my life,
I don't know what I would be doing. And
again, I can trace a lot of good memories to that, and my
decision to study wildlife and eventually have a career in wildlife management.
If people cannot find value in the land. It could be
monetary value, could be
peace of mind and natural value.
If people cannot find that, people don't care about the land. It goes to waste, and that's when habitats and
ecosystems get destroyed. when people don't care, so I'm all for
adding value,
all kinds of values to the land. And that's how people can
actually
care about it and protect it. If you don't know, what is there, you don't care about it. Then you don't protect it.
So for me, being a good steward of the land
includes generating
revenue from it, includes enjoining the land and the resources that it produces. The
Public lands are extremely important to help expose people to nature, to hunting and fishing,
to all kind of outdoor recreation: bird-watching
hiking, canoeing. That's one of our main activities, is to
be able to provide that access to the public. We are public servants. We are the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
and I put an emphasis on the word
on the word Service.
That's one of the services we provide to the American public,
is access to good quality lands, so they can have a meaningful experience
enjoying the outdoors.
Because, we have discussed earlier,
If people don't know what it's out there, they don't care about it.
If they don't care, it doesn't get protected. So
providing that access
to those public lands for people to enjoy
is extremely important to fulfill the US Fish and Wildlife Service mission.
In terms of the future,
what I would like people to remember is that I
care I care about the land. I care about the
resources, and I hope I'm leaving the resources a little bit better.
If I can say that and people can say that after I'm gone,
I'll be really happy looking from above.