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July 5, 2001

NEW JERSEY'S 18TH ANNUAL WATERFOWL STAMP & PRINT AVAILABLE

For more information contact:
Don Wilkinson at 856-785-0455

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's (DEP's) Division of Fish and Wildlife is proud to announce the second print in its Landmark Series of three Hautman brother waterfowl prints. The print, "Tundra Swans at Barnegat Bay," features the Division's historic Sedge House in the background and was designed by award-winning wildlife artist Bob Hautman.

The first of the Landmark Series featured canvasbacks flying past the Statue of Liberty and was created by brother Joe Hautman. The final print of the Landmark Series, which will be released next year, was done by brother Jim Hautman and portrays wood ducks at the Delaware Water Gap.

"As part of the ongoing Waterfowl Habitat 2000 Program to help preserve waterfowl and open space in New Jersey, the Division's Waterfowl Stamp Advisory Committee selected sites for these prints that were representative of public open lands where visitors could observe the species depicted in the print," said Division Director Bob McDowell.

The Sedge House is on 22-acre Sedge Island located in the Barnegat Bay, about one mile west of the bayshore at the southern end of Island Beach State Park in Ocean County. Sedge Island and the surrounding area offer a pristine natural environment for numerous bird species, including migrating tundra swans.

Sedge Island has a great deal of historical significance. This island's main building, the Sedge House hunting lodge, was built in 1919 and has since had an intriguing past. Its use has been varied from family retreats to hunting and fishing camps. President Woodrow Wilson is reported to have signed a migratory bird conservation treaty at the house and both Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig visited there on hunting excursions. The hunting lodge, which could accommodate 18 people, is considered to be the best remaining example of the many commercial hunting camps that formerly existed on Barnegat Bay.

The Sedge House on Sedge Island has been restored and converted to a natural resource education center operated by the Division of Fish and Wildlife. The island and the center are managed within the Sedge Island Wildlife Management Area and provide numerous educational programs for groups and teachers.

The Hautmans were chosen to do New Jersey's Landmark Series due to the uncompromising quality and expertise displayed in their artwork. These three brothers are the only siblings to ever win the prestigious Federal Duck Stamp Competition and since 1990, have won it five times!

The achievements of this year's artist, Bob Hautman, are numerous and include winning the 1997 and the 2001 Federal Duck Stamp competitions. In 1995, he finished second to his younger brother, Jim. Bob's designs were selected for the 1995 Minnesota Pheasant Stamp, the 1992 and 1988 Minnesota Duck Stamps and the 1989 Nevada Stamp.

An act of the State Legislature initiated the annual requirement of state waterfowl stamps for hunters in 1984 and the Division's Waterfowl Stamp Program was begun. The Division currently administers the program for the purpose of purchasing wetlands for waterfowl habitat. To date, proceeds from the sale of New Jersey's duck stamps and prints have raised over $3,700,000 to acquire wetlands for waterfowl habitat and public use. More than 11,700 acres of waterfowl habitat have been purchased or donated.

For more information on how to purchase a print, collector duck stamps or a souvenir stamp card, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: Waterfowl Stamp Advisory Committee, NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife, P.O. Box 400, Trenton, NJ 08625-0400. Items may also be viewed on the web @ www.njfishandwildlife.com by clicking on the products section. All profits go toward the preservation of valuable waterfowl habitat.