WASHINGTON — Next month the United States Postal Service will issue a new commemorative postage stamp celebrating the centennial of the creation of Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge, which also marks the beginning of the National Wildlife Refuge system. The Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge postage stamp will be issued at a 10:00 a.m. ceremony on March 14 at Riverview Park in Sebastian, Fla., 32958. The issuance ceremony will be part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s year-long Centennial Celebration and Festival that will also include a flag ceremony, exhibits, a time capsule dedication, live music and boat and kayak tours of the island.

“This new commemorative stamp helps the Postal Service mark a milestone in the history of wildlife conservation in America,” said Patrick R. Donahoe, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President, U. S. Postal Service, who will dedicate the stamp. “This stamp will provide Americans an opportunity to learn more about our natural resources and encourage people to help preserve the beauty and majesty of American wildlife.”

“It is truly an honor to have the Postal Service recognize the birth of America’s National Wildlife Refuge System through this commemorative stamp,” said Steve Williams, Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “Enthusiasm for the stamp has spread across the country, as hundreds of dedication ceremonies for the Pelican Island stamp will be hosted on refuges from Maine to Alaska over the coming months.”

Jack Hanna, Director Emeritus of the Columbus Zoo and member of the National Wildlife Refuge Centennial Commission, will be the emcee for this ceremony. Joining Donahoe and Hanna will be Toni Jennings, Lieutenant Governor of Florida; Gale Norton, Secretary of the Interior; Steven Williams, Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Craig Manson, Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Fish and Wildlife and Parks; Edmund Morris, author and biographer of Theodore Roosevelt; Henrietta Holsman Fore, Director, United States Mint; Roy Disney, with Walt Disney Studios and Pete Captain, District Manager, Central Florida District, Postal Service.

Established on March 14, 1903, by executive order of President Theodore Roosevelt, Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge was the first official wildlife refuge in the United States. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in 1903 Pelican Island was “the last breeding ground for brown pelicans along the entire east coast of Florida.”

Today, in addition to the three acres of Pelican Island, the refuge also encompasses 5,377 acres consisting largely of submerged land, mangrove islands, marshes and maritime hammocks (raised, fertile areas usually occupied by hardwood vegetation). Hundreds of species of birds, fish, plants and mammals live within the refuge, including some that have been listed by the federal government as threatened or endangered.

The National Wildlife Refuge System encompasses more than 95 million acres across more than 540 national wildlife refuges and wetland management districts. At least one can be found in every state and U.S. territory.

The stamp features a photograph by James Brandt of a brown pelican. The other North American species of pelican, the American white pelican, can be found within the Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge during winter. Carl T. Herrman was the art director for this stamp.

Text along the bottom of the stamp reads “Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge 1903-2003.” The following text appears on the back of the stamp: Established in Florida on March 14, 1903, Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge was the first official wildlife refuge in the United States. Its creation marked the beginning of the National Wildlife Refuge System. Postal retail items including T-shirts, tote bags, pins and cachets manufactured by official Postal Service licensed vendors, will be available for sale at the event.