WWA’s Duck Stamp History

WWA LogoWWA’s 35-year history

  • Initially founded to represent the interests of Wisconsin’s 70,000 waterfowlers in State regulations and legislation
  • Since founding, WWA has evolved to also include:
    • Protection and restoration of wetlands important to WIWaterfowl, especially breeding habitat:
      • Between 50-70% of waterfowl harvested by WIWaterfowlers are born in Wisconsin.
      • And many WIWaterfowl are harvested in the rest of the flyway
      • We need to have the habitat to replace these lost birds, or our waterfowl heritage will slip away = declining opportunities for waterfowlers
    • Educate the next generation of waterfowlers, young and old through learn-to-hunts and other R3 initiatives
  • WWA currently has about 7,000 members around the state, and a strong cadre of volunteers who contribute their energy to everything from DIY habitat restoration on state lands to grassroots fundraising
  • In our last membership poll, over 85% supported raising the stamp fee at least $5 and fully 50% thought it should be raised even more to account for inflationary loss of purchasing power.

Here’s what our members know:

  • Peter Z - Clark Project 1

    WWA Project Director Peter Ziegler checks the survey gear on a project site in August 2016

    Their grassroots fundraising supports WWA’s wetlands ecologist:

    • He finds projects, partners, funding; then designs a restoration plan, submits permits, and then implements the plan on wetlands around the state.
  • This is done on properties important to the breeding success of mallards, wood ducks and blue wing teal (which comprise the majority of WIWaterfowlers’ harvest)
    • Generally, on smaller end of spectrum: 5-50 acres (more productive for breeding than larger)
    • Private or public (75% of WI’s wetlands are on private lands, 85% of restorable wetlands on private)
  • This wetland work brings other benefits to the surrounding communities: flood mitigation/storage, water quality improvements, other wildlife and recreational opportunities.

WWA competes for, and uses, WI Waterfowl Stamp monies in the course of this work…

In just this decade (2012-2021):

  • WWA has been awarded $273K of duck stamp dollars, equating to
    • 66 projects,
    • 1261 acres of wetlands and their adjacent shores.

A Waukesha county project in the midst of restoration by WWA in Summer 2019

None of this money goes to administrative support and is a bargain at less than $217 of duck stamp money per acre.

  • This cost per acre is not possible without bringing matching funds to the equation. WWA and its project partners have matched every dollar of duck stamp funding with at least $1 (usually more). So that means WWA and its partners brought more than another quarter million dollars to the wetland restoration effort.
    • Partners include the landowner and conservation NGOs like Pheasants Forever and Ducks Unlimited, as well as county and municipal governments.
    • A major partner is the US Fish & Wildlife Service (as well as NRCS) which brings matching federal dollars to these state projects, including monies under NAWCA.
  • WWA currently has 12 restoration projects in 11 counties in progress, using $64,000 from last biennium’s duck stamp monies under to the DNR’s Cooperator program.
    • We have at least 3 partners involved in, and contributing to, each of these projects.
    • WWA is reimbursed Duck Stamp monies only after the project goals have been achieved.