{"id":7781,"date":"2013-03-07T10:36:35","date_gmt":"2013-03-07T17:36:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=7781"},"modified":"2026-03-01T07:24:21","modified_gmt":"2026-03-01T13:24:21","slug":"isnt-it-time-for-the-national-wildlife-refuge-system-to-create-a-wildlife-conservation-stamp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/03\/07\/isnt-it-time-for-the-national-wildlife-refuge-system-to-create-a-wildlife-conservation-stamp\/","title":{"rendered":"Isn’t It Time For A Wildlife Conservation Stamp?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Stormy<\/a>Stormy sky over Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Montana<\/span><\/p>\n

I am a bird, nature, and wildlife photographer. I am a nature lover, a citizen scientist, and a lover of the great outdoors. I’m fascinated by insects, vertebrates, invertebrates, plants, topography, geology, and the unique environments I see and travel to.<\/p>\n

I am a star watcher. I’m a hunter of knowledge about our natural world and a conservationist. I am an advocate who wants to protect the wildlife habitats that the National Wildlife Refuge system contains.<\/p>\n

\"Welcome<\/a>Welcome to Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Montana<\/span><\/p>\n

Im also a non-consumptive user of the National Wildlife Refuge system<\/span><\/a> who supports the creation of a Wildlife Conservation Stamp\u00a0which could provide a revenue stream for the National Wildlife Refuges to preserve and protect the existing 560 wildlife refuges and promote the creation of more.<\/p>\n

\"Short-earedShort-eared Owl at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge<\/span><\/p>\n

A 2011 survey by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service counted 71.1 million wildlife watchers in the U.S., and 13.7 million hunters, wildlife watchers, and non-consumptive users are increasing whereas the number of hunters are decreasing.<\/p>\n

The Duck Stamp program can only do so much to provide revenue for the National Wildlife Refuge system and the creation of a Wildlife Refuge Stamp could provide a parallel revenue stream that is needed during this time of budget cuts and austerity.<\/p>\n

\"PronghornPronghorn buck at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge<\/span><\/p>\n

If only\u00a0a quarter\u00a0of the 71.1 million wildlife watchers in the U.S. spent $20.00 on a Wildlife Conservation Stamp that could provide a revenue of $568<\/strong> million dollars. Fifty-five billion dollars each year is spent by wildlife watchers in pursuit of wildlife activities and that is a great benefit to local economies.<\/p>\n

\"Elephant's<\/a>Elephant’s Head at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge<\/span><\/p>\n

I am a supporter of the Wildlife Conservation Stamp which could create a community of wildlife watchers, birders, nature photographers, artists, and the nature loving general population who share a commitment and passion for wildlife and who want to be proactive in protecting, preserving and maintaining the National Wildlife Refuge System today and for the future for everyone.<\/p>\n

\"Juvenile<\/a>Juvenile Swainson’s Hawk at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge<\/span><\/p>\n

Many refuges today do not have adequate funds for operational costs that involve maintenance and\u00a0administration or\u00a0educational programs.<\/p>\n

Without adequate funding programs that reduce invasive species suffer, habitats are not restored or maintained, illegal activities such as poaching rise with less staff to go out into the field and wildlife suffers.<\/p>\n

\"Fish<\/a>Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge, Utah<\/span><\/p>\n

I do not know why it has taken so long for a Wildlife Conservation Stamp to be created. Isn’t it time? Right now when funding cuts are hitting the refuges hard?<\/p>\n

\"Fish<\/a>Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge, Utah<\/span><\/p>\n

The future of our National Wildlife Refuges depend on all of us whether we are hunters, anglers, wildlife watchers, birders, nature photographers, or nature lovers. A Wildlife Conservation Stamp and the additional revenues could help to save them.<\/p>\n

\"BaldBald Eagle near the Bear River, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah<\/span><\/p>\n

Ask birders, photographers, wildlife photographers, and wildlife watchers if they think spending $20.00 on a Wildlife Conservation Stamp is too much to help our National Wildlife Refuges and I’m certain that the majority would open their wallets so they can be counted and so their voices can be heard.<\/p>\n

\"Federal<\/p>\n

This is a win\/win proposal for the National Wildlife Refuge System and for everyone who visits them. For every person who is concerned about the future of out National Wildlife Refuges and for every organization who supports conservation of our public lands and the nation’s wildlife.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

See more of my bird<\/span><\/a>, wildlife<\/span><\/a>, and landscape<\/span><\/a> photos in their galleries.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This is a win\/win proposal for the National Wildlife Refuge System and for everyone who visits them. For every person who is concerned about the future of out National Wildlife Refuges and for every organization who supports conservation of our public lands and the nation’s wildlife.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7778,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[151,124,2152,726,12,183,608,130,206,26],"tags":[4215,988,2156,544,3969,2154,519,4035,835,30,102,2153,4032],"class_list":["post-7781","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bald-eagle","category-bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge","category-conservation","category-fish-springs-nwr","category-montana","category-pronghorn","category-red-rock-lakes-national-wildlife-refuge","category-short-eared-owls","category-swainson-hawks","category-utah","tag-bear-river-national-wildlife-refuge","tag-conservation","tag-conservation-issues","tag-fish-springs-national-wildlife-refuge","tag-montana","tag-national-wildlife-refuge-system","tag-nature","tag-nature-photography","tag-red-rock-lakes-national-wildlife-refuge","tag-utah-2","tag-wildlife","tag-wildlife-conservation-stamp","tag-wildlife-photography"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/red-rock-lakes-national-wildlife-refuge-mia-mcpherson-7477.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-21v","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":14780,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/04\/18\/fracking-does-not-belong-in-our-national-wildlife-refuges\/","url_meta":{"origin":7781,"position":0},"title":"Fracking Does Not Belong In Our National Wildlife Refuges","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 18, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Oil and gas companies want to come in our National Wildlife refuges to explore for oil and natural gas, they want to exploit; not preserve and protect, the resources found within the boundaries of our National Wildlife System.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Centennial Mountain view from Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Montana","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/red-rock-lakes-mountains-mia-mcpherson-5059.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/red-rock-lakes-mountains-mia-mcpherson-5059.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/red-rock-lakes-mountains-mia-mcpherson-5059.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/red-rock-lakes-mountains-mia-mcpherson-5059.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14103,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/02\/04\/1000-posts-at-on-the-wing-photography-and-still-going-strong\/","url_meta":{"origin":7781,"position":1},"title":"1000 posts at On The Wing Photography and still going strong","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 4, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Today I reached the 1000 posts mark for my blog here at On The Wing Photography. In those 1000 posts I've covered a lot of birds, animals and locations.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Sunrise and billowing clouds at Fort De Soto County Park\u2019s north beach, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/fort-desoto-florida-sunrise-north-beach-love-affair-mia-mcpherson-0002.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/fort-desoto-florida-sunrise-north-beach-love-affair-mia-mcpherson-0002.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/fort-desoto-florida-sunrise-north-beach-love-affair-mia-mcpherson-0002.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/fort-desoto-florida-sunrise-north-beach-love-affair-mia-mcpherson-0002.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":111393,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/03\/22\/world-water-day-2023\/","url_meta":{"origin":7781,"position":2},"title":"World Water Day 2023","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 22, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Today is World Water Day. The theme for World Water Day 2023 is: Accelerate Change. Every human being on this planet is roughly 60% water.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Wigeon Pond and Centennial Mountains, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, Montana","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/red-rock-lakes-wigeon-pond-spring-mia-mcpherson-0532.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/red-rock-lakes-wigeon-pond-spring-mia-mcpherson-0532.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/red-rock-lakes-wigeon-pond-spring-mia-mcpherson-0532.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/red-rock-lakes-wigeon-pond-spring-mia-mcpherson-0532.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15344,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/07\/08\/wigeon-pond-red-rock-lakes-national-wildlife-refuge-montana\/","url_meta":{"origin":7781,"position":3},"title":"Wigeon Pond, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Montana","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 8, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"The amazing birds and animals keep me going back to Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge but the scenery and wildness of the area does too.","rel":"","context":"In "Beaverhead County"","block_context":{"text":"Beaverhead County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/montana\/beaverhead-county-montana\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Wigeon Pond, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Montana","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/red-rock-lakes-wigeon-pond-mia-mcpherson-0532.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/red-rock-lakes-wigeon-pond-mia-mcpherson-0532.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/red-rock-lakes-wigeon-pond-mia-mcpherson-0532.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/red-rock-lakes-wigeon-pond-mia-mcpherson-0532.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":25522,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/06\/17\/uinta-ground-squirrels-of-red-rock-lakes-national-wildlife-refuge\/","url_meta":{"origin":7781,"position":4},"title":"Uinta Ground Squirrels of Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 17, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Uinta Ground Squirrels are the most plentiful mammals I see during the summer months in the Centennial Valley.","rel":"","context":"In "Beaverhead County"","block_context":{"text":"Beaverhead County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/montana\/beaverhead-county-montana\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Centennial Valley Uinta Ground Squirrel close up, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Beaverhead County, Montana","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/uinta-ground-squirrel-upright-mia-mcpherson-5415.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/uinta-ground-squirrel-upright-mia-mcpherson-5415.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/uinta-ground-squirrel-upright-mia-mcpherson-5415.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/uinta-ground-squirrel-upright-mia-mcpherson-5415.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":120356,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/02\/02\/world-wetlands-day-and-utahs-abysmal-protections-of-them\/","url_meta":{"origin":7781,"position":5},"title":"World Wetlands Day And Utah’s Abysmal Protections Of Them","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 2, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Today is World Wetlands Day, and we need to protect and preserve our wetlands. Wetlands provide a wide range of ecological, economic, and social benefits.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Fall visit to Bear River MBR, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge-wetlands-mia-mcpherson-8431.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge-wetlands-mia-mcpherson-8431.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge-wetlands-mia-mcpherson-8431.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge-wetlands-mia-mcpherson-8431.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7781","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7781"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7781\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7778"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7781"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7781"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7781"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}