SPONSOR:	Sen. Adams & Sen. Simpson ; Rep. Carey & Rep. Ewing Booth Schwartzkopf

DELAWARE STATE SENATE

144th GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 29

HONORING DELAWARE WILDLIFE ARTIST RICHARD CLIFTON AND CONGRATULATING HIM UPON HIS RECENT ACCOMPLISHMENT IN WINNING THE 2006 FEDERAL DUCK STAMP ART CONTEST.

WHEREAS, Richard Clifton of Milton, Delaware, was, on the Eighth Day of October, 2006, declared the winner of the Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest; and

WHEREAS, the said contest, an annual event sponsored by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is the nation’s only federally-sponsored art competition and is the oldest and most prestigious wildlife art competition in America; and

WHEREAS, since the establishment of the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp program in 1934 by then President Franklin D. Roosevelt, some 119 million Federal Duck Stamps have been purchased nationwide, 522,324 of which were bought in the State of Delaware; and

WHEREAS, $3.6 million in duck stamp proceeds were used to purchase 8,356 acres of the Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge near Mr. Clifton’s hometown of Milton; and

WHEREAS, sales of Federal Duck Stamps have made it possible to purchase or lease more than 5.2 million acres of waterfowl habitat across the United States, and to acquire land at hundreds of wildlife refuges in nearly every state in the union; and

WHEREAS, in view of the foregoing, the true magnitude of Mr. Clifton’s accomplishment in winning the 2006 duck stamp contest may be appreciated; and

WHEREAS, Delaware’s importance as a waterfowl habitat, which clearly influenced Mr. Clifton during his formative years as a developing artist, may be seen from the location in our state of Prime Hook and Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuges; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Clifton is a self-taught artist, having begun his career during his teenage years by drawing songbirds and coloring them with inexpensive watercolors; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Clifton, an avid hunter, was later inspired to begin painting ducks, geese and waterfowl, and has been, for the past 18 years, a full time artist; and

WHEREAS, during the course of his career, Mr. Clifton has won the Delaware Duck Stamp Contest four times since 1992, and has won 24 contests in other states, including the 2006 Ohio Duck Stamp Contest, as well as wining a duck stamp competition in Australia; and

WHEREAS, through his art, Mr. Clifton has contributed more than $100,000 toward the mission to conserve, restore and manage wetlands and habitats for America’s waterfowl, sustaining the objective of making the American public aware of the close relationship between wildlife art and conservation; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Clifton’s growing national and international reputation as one of America’s finest waterfowl artists has brought great credit not only upon himself and his family, but upon his community and his state;

NOW, THEREFORE:

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the 144th General Assembly of the State of Delaware, the House of Representatives concurring therein, that the members do hereby commend Mr. Richard Clifton for his distinguished artistic achievements in the realm of wildlife art, and congratulate him upon winning the 2006 Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Delaware General Assembly thanks Mr. Clifton for the favorable attention he has brought to our state through the excellence and beauty of his work, much of which has been inspired by the beauties of Delaware’s natural environment.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Senate and House of Representatives extend the sincere hope that Mr. Clifton will continue to share his great gifts for many years to come.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Mr. Clifton with the heartfelt best wishes of the entire membership of the Delaware General Assembly during ceremonies at which he is honored at Milton’s Hometown Event on the Fourteenth Day of July, 2007.