The U.S. Postal Service has issued a 44-cent Nature of America: Kelp Forest commemorative stamps in 10 designs in a pressure-sensitive adhesive pane of 20 and a $8.95 Premium Stamped Postal Card booklet of 10. Designed by Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, Md., the stamps are on sale nationwide. Some 25 million stamps have been printed.

This 2009 Nature of America issuance features a kelp forest off the central California coast. This is the 11th stamp pane in an educational series focusing on the beauty and complexity of major plants and animal communities in the United States. A kelp forest is a remarkable undersea ecosystem dominated by very large marine algae ore commonly known as seaweeds or kelp.

To illustrate the biodiversity of a kelp forest, artist John D. Dawson, Hilo, HI, depicted more than 27 different species in his colorful acrylic painting. The scene itself is imaginary and a dense grouping of creatures was necessary to illustrate as many species as possible on the stamp pane.

Even so, all of the species could be encountered at or near the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, the area featured on the pane. All of the species and their interactions are appropriate and were recommended by scientists.

Previous issuances in the Nature of America series were Sonoran Desert (1999), Pacific Coast Rain Forest (2000), Great Plains Prairie (2001), Longleaf Pine Forest (2002), Arctic Tundra (2003), Pacific Coral Reef (2004), Northeast Deciduous Forest (2005), Southern Florida Wetlands (2006), Alpine Tundra (2007), and Great Lakes Dunes (2008).

Customers have 90 days from the official first day of issuance date to obtain first day of sale postmarks on new stamps and stationery items. Collectors may request a local first day of sale postmark by mail only.

There is no charge for servicing of first day of sale postmarks up to 50 covers. Mail-in customers must supply a self-addressed envelope with sufficient return postage applied to return the serviced covers.

To obtain the first day of sale postmark, mail stationery items bearing Kelp Forest stamps to: Customer Relations USPS, 79 Mid Cape Terr Ste 8, Cape Coral, FL 33991. Please specify which city you are requesting a postmark for – Fort Myers, Cape Coral, or Naples; if not specified, the postmark applied will be for the return address city. All orders must be postmarked by January 1, 2010.

For more information about purchasing stamps, stamps by mail, postal regulations, a free subscription to USA Philatelic magazine, Post Office events, the location of the nearest postal store or contract unit, or for answers to your specific Postal Service questions, contact USPS at 1-800-275-8777, or visit www.usps.com. To schedule a presentation for your community, club or group on how the Postal Service brings the Post Office to your home or office computer, call 239-573-9638.