Lummis Protects Vets, Seniors, Kids From Duck Stamp Fee Increases

Press Release

U.S. Representative Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., has successfully protected veterans, seniors, disabled persons and young people from proposed duck stamp fee increases.

Lummis' amendment to the "Migratory Bird Habitat Investment and Enhancement Act," H.R. 1916, was adopted unanimously by the House Natural Resources Committee during a markup of the bill.

"My amendment is geared toward achieving two goals: increasing the number of young people participating in outdoor activities like hunting and fishing; and recognizing the contributions and challenges of specific individuals, consistent with other federal lands and wildlife programs," Lummis said."

Lummis' amendment would retain the price of a federal duck stamp at $15 dollars for several, specific groups: those individuals 18 years of age and under, senior citizens, the permanently disabled, veterans, and active military. The bill seeks to raise the duck stamp fees to $25.

Under current law, every hunter over the age of 16 must purchase a federal duck stamp. Hunters and hunting groups support 986,000 jobs, spend an average of $1,896 dollars on these activities per year and buy an additional $2.7 billion in hunting equipment. Through these purchases, hunters voluntarily pay $2.1 billion in excise taxes, contributing largely to wildlife conservation efforts at both the federal and state level.

Based on the most recent U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Recruitment and Retention Report, however, the total number of hunters has significantly fallen in the past 30 years, from 19.1 million hunters in 1975 to 12.5 million last year. One of the age groups that have experienced the greatest drop in retention rates has been hunters between the ages of 13 to 19.

"Since 1990, more than 25 percent of young hunters throughout the United States have stopped participating in this great tradition," Lummis continued. "In fact, I have been informed that there isn't a single region in this country where hunting rates have increased for 13 to 19 year olds. In the Mountain West, the drop off has been roughly 50 percent. There are a number of reasons for this decline - one of the most prominent being cost.

"My amendment, which would ensure we don't make it even more expensive for our young people to participate in hunting activities, is one small step in the right direction."

Lummis' amendment also holds the duck stamp price static for senior citizens and the disabled.

In 2004, Congress consolidated several federal park pass programs into one, comprehensive pass series known as the "America the Beautiful - National Parks and Federal Recreational lands Pass." The fees collected from the sale of this pass are spent to address the maintenance and improvement of our national parks for the enjoyment of every American.

"With the parks pass program, Congress made the deliberate decision to provide a significant discount of the overall cost of the pass for the disabled and the elderly. Taking specific steps to promote the enjoyment of our national parks by these individuals was the right thing to do. I see no reason why this body should not take similar steps to ensure these same populations are not discouraged from participating in hunting and other outdoor activities."

Finally, Lummis' amendment would exempt the nation's veterans, as well as active duty military, from any price increase authorized by H.R. 1916 for the duck stamp program.

"I imagine we can all agree today that our veterans and active duty military personnel deserve more thanks than this Committee, this Congress, or our nation at large can ever provide them. That does not mean, however, we should fail to try."

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