MEMPHIS, Tennessee - June 23, 2016 - The new 2016-2017 federal duck stamp goes on sale Friday, June 24. The stamps, which cost $25, are valid through June 30, 2017. Purchased by millions of waterfowl hunters, wildlife enthusiasts and collectors every year, duck stamps help raise money to purchase and protect wetlands for ducks, geese and other wildlife species.

"Duck stamps are one of the traditional ways hunters and others give back to conservation," said DU CEO Dale Hall. "We encourage everyone, whether they hunt waterfowl or not, to buy a duck stamp to help conserve our precious wetland resources. The federal duck stamp is a powerful tool for conservation in the United States. Every year the program raises more than $25 million used to purchase wetlands in the National Wildlife Refuge System. These habitats benefit waterfowl and countless other species of wildlife. It's an incredibly successful program and one we should be very proud of."

A painting of trumpeter swans in flight, created by Joseph Hautman of Plymouth, Minnesota, will grace the 2016-2017 federal duck stamp. This was Hautman's fifth Duck Stamp contest win.

A pair of Ross's geese, painted by Stacy Shen, 16, of Fremont, California, was selected to appear on the 2016-2017 federal junior duck stamp. The stamps sell for $5 and raise money for environmental education programs.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which oversees the duck stamp programs, will host a first day of sale ceremony at the Bass Pro Shops White River Conference Center in Springfield, Missouri. The ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. Friday, with stamps and autographs from the artists available following the ceremony. Representatives from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Ducks Unlimited CEO Dale Hall will attend the event, which is open to the public.

The duck stamp, also known as the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, dates back to 1934. Since then, the program has raised more than $800 million to help acquire and protect more than 5.7 million acres of habitat in the National Wildlife Refuge System.

Waterfowl hunters age 16 and older are required to purchase and carry a duck stamp while hunting. A duck stamp also provides free admission to national wildlife refuges (NWRs) that are open to the public. Duck stamps are sold at post offices nationwide and at many NWRs and sporting goods stores. Electronic versions of the duck stamp can also be purchased online - visit www.fws.gov/duckstamps for more information.

Ducks Unlimited Inc. is the world's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving North America's continually disappearing waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has conserved more than 13.6 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science and dedicated to program efficiency, DU works toward the vision of wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow and forever. For more information on our work, visit www.ducks.org.