Stamp Services

Stamp Announcement 19-17: Wild and Scenic Rivers Stamps

©2018 USPS

On May 21, 2019, in Bend, OR, the U.S. Postal Service^® will issue the Wild and Scenic Rivers stamps (Forever^® priced at the First-Class Mail^® rate) in 12 designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive pane of 12 stamps (Item 571500). The stamps will go on sale nationwide May 21, 2019, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue. The Wild and Scenic Rivers pane of 12 stamps may not be split and the stamps may not be sold individually.

This issuance celebrates wild and scenic rivers — exceptional American streams that run freely through natural landscapes without man-made alterations. The pane features photographs that represent the more than 200 rivers or river segments designated within the wild and scenic rivers system:

n First row, left to right: Merced River (Michael Melford, photographer), Owyhee River (Michael Melford, photographer), and Koyukuk River (Michael Melford, photographer).

n Second row, left to right: Niobrara River (Michael Melford, photographer), Snake River (Tim Palmer, photographer), and Flathead River (Tim Palmer, photographer).

n Third row, left to right: Missouri River (Bob Wick, staff photographer for Bureau of Land Management), Skagit River (Tim Palmer, photographer), and Deschutes River (Bob Wick, BLM, photographer)

n Fourth row, left to right: Tlikakila River (Michael Melford, photographer), Ontonagon River (Tim Palmer, photographer), and Clarion River (Bob Wick, BLM, photographer).

Small type on the bottom of each stamp indicates the name of the river. Michael Melford’s photograph of the Merced River is featured again in the selvage. Art director Derry Noyes designed the pane using existing photographs.

Availability to Post Offices: Item 571500, Wild and Scenic Rivers (Forever Priced at the First-Class Mail Rate) Commemorative Pane of 12 Stamps

Stamp Fulfillment Services will make an automatic push distribution to Post Offices of a quantity to cover approximately 30 days of sales. Distribution quantities for the automatic push distribution will be available by logging on to SFS Web at sfsweb.usps.gov. Post Offices may begin ordering stamps on the first-day-of-issue through SFS Web; offices must also check the amount they will receive in their automatic push distribution.

How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark

Customers have 120 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office™ or at The Postal Store^® website at usps.com/shop. They must affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

FDOI – Wild and Scenic Rivers Stamps
USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300
Kansas City, MO 64144-9900

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service™ will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark up to a quantity of 50. There is a 5-cent charge for each additional postmark over 50. All orders must be postmarked by September 21, 2019.

How to Order First-Day Covers

The Postal Service also offers first-day covers for new stamp issues and Postal Service stationery items postmarked with the official first-day-of-issue cancellation. Each item has an individual catalog number and is offered in the USA Philatelic publication and online at usps.com/shop. Customers may register to receive a free USA Philatelic publication online at usps.com/philatelic.

Locally produced items are not authorized. Only merchandise that has been approved and assigned an item number by Headquarters Retail Marketing may be produced and sold.

— Stamp Services,
Marketing, 4-11-19