US #3191g
2000 Recovering Species – Celebrate the Century (1990s)
• Part of the tenth and final sheet in the Celebrate the Century stamp series issued from 1998-2000
• Commemorates efforts to bring endangered species back from the brink of extinction
• Includes text on the back with historical details
Stamp Category: Commemorative
Series: Celebrate the C... more
US #3191g
2000 Recovering Species – Celebrate the Century (1990s)
• Part of the tenth and final sheet in the Celebrate the Century stamp series issued from 1998-2000
• Commemorates efforts to bring endangered species back from the brink of extinction
• Includes text on the back with historical details
Stamp Category: Commemorative
Series: Celebrate the Century
Value: 33¢ First Class Mail Rate
First Day of Issue: May 2, 2000
First Day City: Escondido, California
Quantity Issued: 82,500,000
Printed by: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd.
Printing Method: Offset, Intaglio
Format: Panes of 15
Perforations: 11.5
Tagging: Block tagging
Why the stamp was issued: To honor the accomplishments of conservationists in helping endangered species recover and eventually move out of endangered status.
About the stamp design: Pictures artwork by Drew Struzan of a peregrine falcon. Includes the following text on the back: “Coordinated efforts led to the recovery of some animals that once were endangered or threatened. In the 1990s, two peregrine falcon sub-species – arctic and American – were removed from the Endangered Species List.”
First Day City: The First Day of Issue Ceremony was held at the Village Amphitheater of San Diego Wild Animal Park in Escondido, California.
About the Celebrate the Century series: The USPS launched the Celebrate the Century series in 1998 to mark the end of the 20th century and herald the arrival of the 21st. The series includes 10 sheets of 15 stamps (150 in total), with each honoring important moments from a different decade (1900s, 10s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s). At the time of completion, it was the longest and most ambitious commemorative stamp series in US history.
History the stamp represents: In 1998, Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt announced that a number of animals on the federal endangered species list were on their way to recovery. Efforts to save the gray wolf, bald eagle, American peregrine falcon, and the black-footed ferret have been so successful that these species will be removed from the list or downgraded from endangered to threatened.
The US Fish and Wildlife Service has the largest responsibility for overseeing the plants and animals on the endangered species list. The species on the list are identified either as endangered (in danger of extinction) or threatened (likely to become endangered in the future). After a species is placed on the list, recovery plans are established. Plans can include habitat protection and breeding programs. For example, one reason the bald eagle is on its way to recovery is that young birds born in captivity were reintroduced into the wild. Captive breeding of red wolves and California condors has increased their numbers also.
As of August 1998, there were 675 plants and 468 animals listed as either threatened or endangered in the US. The Fish and Wildlife Service and other agencies are working to save these animals to this day.
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