Press Releases

Representative Rob Wittman (VA-1) applauded House passage of the Sportsmen's Heritage and Recreational Enhancement (SHARE) Act of 2013, H.R. 3590, which includes legislation authored by Wittman. The SHARE Act incorporated eight pieces of legislation that promote increased access to traditional outdoor sporting activities such as hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting.

“I am pleased the House passed this legislation to advance priorities of American anglers, hunters, and conservationists,” Wittman said. “As an avid hunter and angler, I appreciate the resources of our great nation, and believe we must not only promote recreation, but support ways to preserve these activities for the next generation. This common sense package will expand opportunities for recreation, support fair treatment and modernize programs for sportsmen, and includes a proposal I authored to allow migratory waterfowl hunters to purchase their annual Federal duck stamp online.” 

Wittman’s legislation, the Permanent Electronic Duck Stamp Act, aims to permanently make federal duck stamps available for purchase online, rather than requiring an in-person visit to a local Post Office.

Wittman continued, “The sale and distribution of the federal duck stamp is a critical part of conserving vital waterfowl habitat across this nation. My legislation modernizes the sale and distribution of the federal duck stamp program without burdening the taxpayer. While this issue may seem small for many, passage of the Permanent Electronic Duck Stamp Act would be an important step forward for the conservation of our natural areas for use and enjoyment by future generations.”

Wittman was joined in introducing the legislation by Representative Ron Kind (WI-3). For 79 years, millions of Americans have strongly supported the federal Duck Stamp Program. Each year, hunters, bird watchers, stamp collectors and wildlife enthusiasts have traveled to their local Post Offices, National Wildlife Refuges and sporting goods stores to obtain their annual stamp. In fact, since 1934, more than 120 million federal duck stamps have been sold nationwide. Of that total, 1.25 million were purchased in Virginia. With the sale of these stamps, more than $800 million has been collected and deposited into the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund. These monies have been used to purchase or lease over 5.3 million acres of vital wetlands and essential waterfowl habitat that have been incorporated within the National Wildlife Refuge System. Unlike many states, however, which allow consumers to obtain their annual fishing and hunting licenses online, there was no authority to purchase a federal duck stamp online. With the passage of the Electronic Duck Stamp Act of 2005, the federal Duck Stamp Program took a technological step forward. This law established a three-year pilot program to allow individuals to purchase their stamps online, and the Fish and Wildlife Service was directed to evaluate the effectiveness of this new electronic program.

This legislation, authored by Rep. Wittman, would make the online purchase of federal duck stamps a permanent feature of federal law. Just like the pilot program, the electronic proof of purchase will both fulfill the requirements for waterfowl hunters to possess the stamp and allow visitors free access to our nation’s 553 national wildlife refuges. After 45 days, the proof of purchase will expire and the purchasers must possess the traditional paper stamp to receive its full benefit.

H.R. 3590 passed the House on Wednesday, February 5. For more on H.R. 3590 and the other legislation included in the package, click here.