# 5799i - 2023 First-Class Forever Stamp - Endangered Species: Lower Keys Marsh Rabbit

U.S. #5799i
2023 Lower Keys Marsh Rabbit – Endangered Species  

• Part of the Endangered Species set celebrating the 50^th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act
• Design pictures a photograph by Joel Sartore’s famous “Photo Ark” project

Stamp Category:  Commemorative
Set:  Endangered Species
Value:  63¢, First Class Mail Rate (Forever)
First Day of Issue:  May 19, 2023
First Day City:  Wall, South Dakota
Quantity Issued:  30,000,000
Printed by:  Banknote Corporation of America
Printing Method:  Offset, Flexographic
Format:  Panes of 20
Tagging:  Phosphor tagged paper

Why the stamp was issued:  To commemorate the 50^th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act and the endangered Lower Keys marsh rabbit.

About the stamp design:  Like the others in the set, the photograph on the stamp is from Joel Sartore’s famous “Photo Ark” project.  They are among over 13,000 the National Geographic photographer has taken in his quest to shoot photos of as many animal species as possible.

Special design details:  Stamp includes “Endangered” and the common name of the species.

First Day City:  First Day of Issue Ceremony was in Wall, South Dakota, at the National Grasslands Visitor Center.  The center encourages visitors to see the 20 National Grasslands and Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie.  These habitats are home to the black-footed ferret, one of the endangered species pictured in the set of stamps.

About the Endangered Species set:  The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) was signed into law by President Richard Nixon on December 28.  The legislation “protect[s] species and the ecosystems upon which they depend,” with a goal “to halt and reverse the trend toward species extinction, whatever the cost.”  The ESA is jointly administered by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service.

In 2023, the US Postal Service celebrated the 50^th anniversary of the ESA with a set of 20 Forever stamps.  The stamps were issued on Endangered Species Day, which lands on the third Friday in May.  Each design pictures a different endangered species, representing only a small handful of the over 1,300 plants and animals protected under the ESA as of 2023.  The images used for the stamps were part of Joel Sartore’s “Photo Ark.”  Partnering with National Geographic, he set out to capture 20,000 species living in zoos and wildlife sanctuaries around the world.  Together, they are determined to intimately picture each species in order to educate and bring awareness to their preservation.  Sartore calls his work as a photographer a “mission to document endangered species and landscapes in order to show a world worth saving.”

Thanks to the ESA, many plant and animal species that were once endangered have made a comeback.  With the continued effort of conservationists, volunteers, and increased awareness, even more species can make their way back from the brink of extinction one day.

History the stamp represents:  The Lower Keys marsh rabbit (Sylvilagus palustris hefneri) is a small-to-medium-sized rabbit first mentioned in 1984 by James D. Lazell Jr.  Because he received substantial funding by the Playboy Corporation, the Lower Keys marsh rabbit was given the scientific subspecies name heferni after Hugh Hefner.  This rabbit’s small natural range has made it especially vulnerable to threats like pollution, attacks by cats and dogs, rising sea levels, and more.  It was listed as a federal endangered species on June 21, 1990.

Lower Keys marsh rabbits are 12 to 15 inches long and weigh two to three pounds.  They are the smallest subspecies of marsh rabbit and have short, dark brown fur with gray-white bellies and dark brown tails.  They can be distinguished from other marsh rabbits by the size and shape of their heads and teeth.

Conservation efforts are underway to help the Lower Keys marsh rabbit.  One example is the reintroduction of captive-bred rabbits to potentially suitable habitats.  There are also efforts to improve and protect known areas the rabbits live in.  The goal is to reduce human impact on habitats while improving the ability of rabbits to move between individual populations.  It is also important to eliminate invasive plants and animals.  With these actions and many others, the Lower Keys marsh rabbits may yet recover.