INDIANAPOLIS – The Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, or “Duck Stamp,” will increase in price for the first time in 24 years.

The cost will go from $15 to $25. The increase adjusts for inflation over the last 24 years. Several conservation organizations, including Ducks Unlimited and Delta Waterfowl, support the increase.

The 2005 National Duck Hunter Survey showed that 65 percent of U.S. duck hunters spent more than $250 per season.

“In terms of expenditures by waterfowl hunters, a $10 increase each season is not a huge hit for most folks,” said Adam Phelps, DNR waterfowl biologist. “This increase is equivalent to a half-box or less of shotgun shells, three to four gallons of gas, or one or two duck decoys.”

But the revenue will be incredibly important for ducks and duck hunting, according to Phelps.

Ninety-eight cents of every dollar spent on Federal Duck Stamps goes toward improving and preserving habitat, making it one of the most efficient funding sources for wildlife in the world.

Money is spent on the National Wildlife Refuge System, including Waterfowl Production Areas in the Prairie Pothole Region, through land purchases, leases, and conservation easements that protect wetlands. Since 1934, funds from the sales of Federal Duck Stamps have protected more than 6 million acres of wetlands in the United States, an area roughly the size of Vermont.

Unfortunately, the price has remained unchanged for so long that the Duck Stamp’s impact on habitat has diminished. According to the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2015 it would take $25.74 to have the same buying power as $15 in 1991.

Though it is called the “Duck Stamp,” habitat protected by these funds is used by hundreds of other species, including birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish, invertebrates and plants.

Any waterfowl hunter age 16 or older must buy a Federal Duck Stamp every year. The Duck Stamp provides also allows free entry for wildlife watchers into any National Wildlife Refuge that charges admission.

The Duck Stamp is a good investment not only for waterfowl hunters and stamp collectors, but also for any conservationist, birder or wildlife viewer who wants to ensure that wetland wildlife continues to have a place to live, Phelps said.

“The Duck Stamp is vital to wetland habitats,” said Phelps. “And we hope that this increase does not cause hardship to hunters and other conservationists. The Federal Duck Stamp Program has never been more important.”

The 2015 stamp will be released July 1, and can be purchased at some Indiana license retailers, many U.S. Post Offices, toll-free at (800) STAMP-24, and online at duckstamp.com.