A new stamp will allow a slice of the Upper Peninsula to be sent across the country.
The United States Postal Service unveiled the stamp which depicts the Ontonagon River, on Nov. 20. The 25-mile waterway flows across the Western U.P. to Lake Superior. Tim Palmer captured the image featured on the new stamp.
It was one of several stamps in the Wild and Scenic Rivers series, which celebrates American streams that run freely through natural landscapes without man-made alterations. The series was released as part of the USPS 2019 Forever Stamp lineup.
Since 1847, the stamp program has celebrated the people, events and cultural milestones unique to the history of the United States.
“The miniature works of art illustrated in the 2019 stamp program offer something for everyone’s interest about American history and culture,” said U.S. Postal Service Stamp Services Executive Director Mary-Anne Penner.
“From legendary poet Walt Whitman to the entertainment genius of Gregory Hines to the majestic beauty of our Wild and Scenic Rivers, this program is diverse and wide ranging and tells America’s story on stamps.”
The Ontonagon River is one of 12 featured. The stamp shows Tim Palmer’s photo of what appears to be Kakabika Falls on the Cisco Branch of the river in Gogebic County, according to the Ironwood Daily Globe.
Congress created the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System in 1968, according to the National Park Service, to, “Preserve certain rivers with outstanding natural, cultural and recreational values in a free-flowing condition for the enjoyment of present and future generations.”
Sections of the Ontonagon River were designated as part of the Wild and Scenic Rivers system in 1992. Forty-three miles of the river are designated as wild, according to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System’s website, with an additional 35 miles listed as scenic. The different designations describe how undeveloped and accessible the various waterways are.
The system protects 209 rivers in 40 states and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, stretching 12,754 miles.
The series is one of roughly 20 forever stamp designs the Postal Service will use in the new year.
“The miniature works of art illustrated in the 2019 stamp program offer something for everyone’s interest about American history and culture,” U.S. Postal Service Stamp Services Executive Director Mary-Anne Penner said in a news release. “From legendary poet Walt Whitman, to the entertainment genius of Gregory Hines, to the majestic beauty of our Wild and Scenic Rivers, this program is diverse and wide ranging and tells America’s story on stamps.”
Source : Brandon Champion, “Upper Peninsula river featured on new U.S. Postal Service stamp”, MLive, November 30, 2018.