Ohio artists could land a $4,000 service contract, to design the state's 2027 Ohio Wetlands Habitat Stamp. 

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife announced Wednesday that it is now accepting artist submissions for the wetlands stamp. Ohio remains one of the few states that still features hand-painted artwork on its state wetlands stamp, according to ODNR.

Artists can submit designs featuring any of Ohio's native waterfowl species, as long as they have not already been featured on a past winning stamp — the waterfowl out of the running include hooded mergansers, the bufflehead and the American wigeon.

Any artists ages 18 and older who live in the U.S. are encouraged to enter the competition. A panel of judges with conservation backgrounds is set to choose the winner on February 14.

Entries cannot exceed 18 inches wide by 13 inches high and should be displayed on a single white mat of 2.5 inches wide; a removable acetate or cellophane cover should also be used to protect the entry. Submissions can be any two-dimensional art medium other than digital art and photographs, ODNR said.

"Established in 1982, Ohio's duck stamp program is one of the nation's longest running and most successful. Sales of the Ohio Wetlands Habitat Stamp have produced more than $11 million for wetland habitat protection and conservation," ODNR said in a statement.

Proceeds from stamp sales work to fund wetland projects across Ohio, preserving the habitats of both resident and migratory bird species. 

Anyone wishing to hunt waterfowl or migratory birds in Ohio is required to purchase an Ohio Wetlands Habitat Stamp. The stamps are available for purchase online for $15.

A full list of the contest rules and artist packets are available at wildohio.gov.

 

Winners of the most recent Ohio Wetlands Habitat Stamp contests, and their stamp subjects, were:

2025: Gerald Putt, from Pennsylvania, hooded mergansers
2024: Ray Easton, from New York, bufflehead
2023: Sam Timm, from Wisconsin, American wigeon
2022: Jeffrey Klinefelter, from Indiana, lesser scaup
2021: Sean Johnson, from Ohio, canvasbacks