Hi all, As we recently had an interesting dialogue on the value of duck stamps here, I thought I would share this news that came across the stamp listserve today. Jim McCormac Columbus, Ohio "This webpage http://www.ducks.org/states/62/news/pub/article963.html has a news release about a project that used funding from a number of sources, inluding duck stamp dollars, to permanently protect 10,300 acres of native prairie in South Dakota. I think it's safe to say that will be a very good thing for waterfowl and all the other grassland birds (and other wildlife) that depend upon that landscape under siege. The ability of all the partners to leverage their funds with that of other partners and contributors is critical to building support for so significant a project. Permanent easements for native prairie are currently about $100-200/acre, and they are about double that in North Dakota. So, duck stamp purchases (and other contributions!) by the millions of outdoors recreationists who benefit from these kinds of projects but are not now contributing as much as they could, can have a very tangible and measurable impact on the landscape. And, with conservation costs increasing, and native prairie in the Prairie Pothole Region of North and South Dakota being converted to cropland at the rate of about 50,000 acres per year, we need a lot more people buying duck stamps and making other contributions to the cause!" Scott C. Yaich, Ph.D. Director of Conservation Programs Ducks Unlimited, Inc. One Waterfowl Way Memphis, TN 38120-2351 direct line: 901-758-3874 ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]