From the January 16th, 2020, Postal Bulletin:

Save Vanishing Species Semipostal Stamps Reauthorized for Sale

Under the Multinational Species Conservation Funds Semipostal Stamp Act of 2013, the sale of Save Vanishing Species semipostal stamps (Item 576600) and related products have been reauthorized pursuant to Public Law 113-165.

The Postal Service™ will once again sell Save Vanishing Species semipostal stamps in 2020. Effective immediately, all Post Offices, stations, branches, and contract postal units units must return to sale the Save Vanishing Species semipostal stamps and related products. The items are also returned to sale at Stamp Fulfillment Services and on The Postal Store® website at usps.com/shop. All sales of the Save Vanishing Species semipostal stamp must be tracked in AIC 081.

This stamp was first issued in 2011, and an earlier Postal Bulletin had ordered post offices to withdraw it for sale on December 31, 2019.

They’re saying a mail carrier in Southern California’s Inland Empire may have saved Christmas for many Riverside residents.

His delivery truck had broken down while making the rounds midday on Christmas Eve and he was waiting for a tow when it burst into flames.

He grabbed as many packages as he could from the truck. However, the truck and whatever the man couldn’t save were a total loss.

The Riverside Press-Enterprise newspaper reports the USPS will send a letter to all customers along the delivery route. Those who were expecting a package that might have been destroyed should contact the local USPS consumers affairs office at 858-674-2670.

We have a similar story from Osawatomie, Kansas, about 50 miles south of Kansas City. This letter carrier was able to save all the packages in his truck. The volunteer fire department posted on Facebook, “the mailman saved Christmas!”

Photos right and below by the Osawatomie fire department.

Neither postal worker was identified.

These issues will be removed from sale December 31, 2019:

472800 (Forever) Special Olympics PSA Pane of 20
473800 (Forever) Jaime Escalante PSA Pane of 20
474000 (Forever) Star Trek PSA Pane of 20
476800 (Forever) The Art of Magic Pane of 20
556600 (Forever) Kwanzaa 2016 PSA Pane of 20
560600 (Forever) National Parks Full Pane of 16
561100 (Forever) Service Cross Medals SS/12
564400 (Forever) U.S. Flag 2017 ATM Sheetlet of 18
564700 (Forever) Love Flourishes PSA Pane of 20
586800 (Forever) Classics Forever SS/6
586900 (Forever) World Stamp Show NY-2016 SS/24
589000 (Forever) Elvis Presley PSA Pane of 16
589700 (Forever) Medal of Honor: Vietnam War SS/24
589800 (Forever) Gifts of Friendship PSA SS/12
681200 (Forever) Nativity Booklet of 20
681700 (Forever) Frozen Treats Booklet of 20
760000 (Forever) Patriotic Spiral PSA Coil/10k
786200 (AddOz) Penguins PSA Coil/100
788100 (5¢) Art Deco Bird Nonprofit PSA Coil/3k
788200 (5¢) Art Deco Bird Nonprofit PSA Coil/10k
788500 (25¢) Spectrum Eagle Pre PSA Coil/10k

[press release]
Postmaster General Announces New Chairman of the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee

WASHINGTON — Postmaster General Megan J. Brennan today named Bolivar J. Bueno as chairman of the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee (CSAC), effective immediately. Bueno succeeds Janet Klug, who is retiring.

A member of CSAC since 2012, Bueno is a lecturer, creative strategist and expert in building brands. A resident of Kissimmee, FL, he is founder of The Cult Branding Co., a think tank that offers consumer insight strategies, leadership coaching, brand education and training, and creative development services. [The Cult Branding Co.’s bio of Bueno is here.]

Bueno has written several books on marketing and branding, including “Why We Talk: The Truth Behind Word-of-Mouth” (2007), which aims to change the way marketers think about word-of-mouth advertising.

Klug, a noted philatelist and author, joined CSAC in 2010 and became chairman in 2014. She previously served as president of the American Philatelic Society and also chaired the New Initiatives Committee of the Smithsonian National Postal Museum Council of Philatelists.

A lifelong stamp collector, Klug writes regularly about stamps and collecting for Linn’s Stamp News and Scott Stamp Monthly magazine. Her articles have appeared in The American Philatelist, Stamp Collector magazine, and Global Stamp News. She also wrote the Smithsonian Guide to Stamp Collecting (2008) and 100 Greatest American Stamps (2007), co-authored with Donald Sundman.

Postmaster General Brennan thanked Klug for her years of service on CSAC and to the Postal Service. “We appreciate Janet’s dedication and enthusiasm for our stamp program,” said Brennan. “We wish her well in retirement and look forward to working with Bolivar in his new role.”

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

[press release] See additional material at the bottom
United States Postal Service Announces Retirement of Postmaster General Megan J. Brennan

WASHINGTON — The United States Postal Service today announced that Megan J. Brennan, Postmaster General and Chief Executive Officer, is retiring effective Jan. 31, 2020.

“Megan Brennan is a devoted public servant who has helped lead the United States Postal Service through some very challenging circumstances,” said Robert M. Duncan, Chairman of the Board of Governors. “The Governors greatly appreciate her leadership and devotion to the Postal Service.”

“Having begun her career as a letter carrier more than three decades ago, Megan has a fundamental understanding of the important role this organization plays in communities around the country and to our broader economy,” said Duncan. “She has been a strong advocate for postal employees and customers. We especially appreciate her recent leadership of the Postal Service’s efforts to make significant changes to the international mail system, and level the playing field for American businesses.”

“In the months to come, the Governors will conduct a nationwide search for the 75th Postmaster General of the United States, while continuing to work with Postmaster General Brennan through a successful holiday season and a seamless transition in leadership,” Duncan added.

Brennan expressed her sincere gratitude to the men and women of the United States Postal Service. “I have had the privilege to work with you over the course of my 33-year career. You embody the spirit of public service, you earn the trust of the American people every day, and you continually reinforce my reverence for this institution and my abiding belief in our mission.”

Brennan is the 74th Postmaster General and first woman to serve in this role. Upon her retirement she will have served in the position for five years. Brennan previously served as Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of the Postal Service for four years, and held prior roles as Vice President of both Eastern Area and Northeast Area Operations. Brennan began her Postal Service career as a letter carrier in Lancaster, PA.

As Postmaster General, Brennan advanced technology and customer-centric strategies to invest in the future of the Postal Service and to shape growth opportunities for the organization and the industries it serves. These strategies encompassed better use of data and technology, improved speed-to-market of product and service innovations, continuously improved processes throughout the organization, and fully engaged and leveraged the talents of the organization’s 635,000-employee workforce.

“When I was appointed Postmaster General, I made a commitment to the Board of Governors that I would serve for five years and it has been my absolute honor to do so,” said Brennan. “I feel a deep responsibility to this organization and to its future. The advance notice of my retirement will allow the Board adequate time to conduct an executive search, select the next Postmaster General, and ensure a seamless transition.”

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

The Washington Post suggests Brennan’s departure may have been the result of months of complaints from President Trump. (“Postmaster general who was the target of Trump’s ire announces retirement.”) “Officials” denied that to the Post. The story, however, goes on to detail all the criticism Brennan got from the administration.

[press release]
The Holidays are Coming! Do You Know the Shipping Deadlines?

WASHINGTON — In the blink of an eye summer is over and now it’s fall. Before you know it, it will be time for the holidays again. Fortunately, the U.S. Postal Service has your back with all the mailing deadlines you need to know for the expected delivery of cards and gifts to your loved ones, whether they’re overseas or across the country.

2019 Holiday Shipping Deadlines
The Postal Service recommends the following mailing and shipping deadlines for expected delivery by Dec. 25 to Air/Army Post Office/Fleet Post Office/Diplomatic Post Office and domestic addresses*:

• Nov. 6 — APO/FPO/DPO (all ZIP Codes) USPS Retail Ground® service
• Dec. 9 — APO/FPO/DPO (ZIP Code™ 093 only) Priority Mail® and First-Class Mail®
• Dec. 11 — APO/FPO/DPO (all other ZIP Codes) Priority Mail and First-Class Mail services
• Dec. 14 — USPS Retail Ground service
• Dec. 18 — APO/FPO/DPO (except ZIP Code 093) USPS Priority Mail Express® service
• Dec. 20 — First-Class Mail service (including greeting cards)
• Dec. 20 — First-class packages (up to 15.99 ounces)
• Dec. 21 — Priority Mail service
• Dec. 23 — Priority Mail Express* service

Alaska

• Dec. 18 — Alaska to mainland First-Class Mail service
• Dec. 19 — Alaska to mainland Priority Mail service
• Dec. 21 — Alaska to mainland Priority Mail Express service

Hawaii

• Dec. 19 — Hawaii to mainland Priority Mail and First-Class Mail services
• Dec. 21 — Hawaii to mainland Priority Mail Express service

*Not a guarantee, unless otherwise noted. Dates are for estimated delivery before December 25. Actual delivery date may vary depending on origin, destination, Post Office™ acceptance date and time and other conditions. Some restrictions apply. For Priority Mail Express® shipments mailed December 21 through December 25, the money-back guarantee applies only if the shipment was not delivered, or delivery was not attempted, within two (2) business days.

Busiest Mailing and Delivery Days
Thanks to more people shopping earlier and shopping online, the Postal Service’s “busiest day” notion is now a thing of the past. Instead, the Postal Service now has a busiest time, and it starts two weeks before Christmas. Beginning the week of Dec. 9, customer traffic is expected to increase, with the week of Dec. 16 – 22 predicted to be the busiest mailing, shipping and delivery week.

Skip the Trip and Ship Online
Consumers don’t even have to leave home to ship their packages, simply visit usps.com. The Postal Service anticipates Dec. 16 will be the Postal Service’s busiest day online with more than 8.5 million consumers predicted to visit usps.com for help shipping that special holiday gift. And usps.com is always open.

It’s estimated nearly 400,000 consumers will use the Click-N-Ship® feature and other online services on Dec. 16 to order free Priority Mail boxes, print shipping labels, purchase postage and even request free next-day Package Pickup.

New this year
There have been some changes made to how you can ship your packages this year. For safety reasons, as of Oct. 1, you can no longer drop off stamped packages – which means using individual stamps as postage – that are more than one-half inch thick and/or weighing more than 10 ounces into blue collection boxes, building mail chutes, or Post Office mail slots. Instead you must go to a retail counter or use the self-service kiosk (SSK) to purchase a postage label. If you opt to use the SSK, to buy a postage label, you can drop off your package in the package slot, not the mail slot, at a Post Office. If a restricted package is found in a collection box, mail chute or lobby mail slot it will be returned to sender. Mail that is returned to sender will have a Customer Return Label attached explaining the restrictions and reason for return. So don’t take any chances this year, make sure to follow the new package mailing guidelines.

Click-N-Ship customers are unaffected by this change.

[press release]
U.S. Postal Service Announces New Prices for 2020
No change in price of Forever stamp

WASHINGTON — The United States Postal Service filed notice with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) today of price changes to take effect Jan. 26, 2020.

The proposed prices, approved by the Governors of the Postal Service, would raise Mailing Services product prices approximately 1.9 percent. Shipping Services price increases vary by product. For example, Priority Mail Express would increase 3.5 percent and Priority Mail would increase 4.1 percent, on average. Although Mailing Services price increases are based on the Consumer Price Index, Shipping Services prices are primarily adjusted according to market conditions. The Governors believe these new rates will keep the Postal Service competitive while providing the agency with needed revenue.

If favorably reviewed by the PRC, the new prices will include no increase in the price of a First-Class Mail Forever stamp, which would remain at 55 cents. The single-piece letter additional ounce price would remain at 15 cents. Also unchanged would be the prices of postcard stamps at 35 cents, and 1-ounce flats at $1.

The proposed Mailing Services price changes include:

The proposed domestic Priority Mail Flat Rate Retail price changes are:

The Postal Service has some of the lowest letter mail postage rates in the industrialized world and also continues to offer a great value in shipping. Unlike some other shippers, the Postal Service does not add surcharges for fuel, residential delivery, or regular Saturday or holiday season delivery.

The PRC will review the prices before they are scheduled to take effect Jan. 26, 2020. The complete Postal Service price filings with prices for all products can be found on the PRC site under the Daily Listings section at prc.gov/dockets/daily. For the Mailing Services filing see Docket No. R2020-1. For the Shipping Services filing see Docket No. CP2020-5. The price change tables are also available on the Postal Service’s Postal Explorer website at pe.usps.com/PriceChange/Index.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

The “executive summary:” If your mailing weighs more than 10 ounces or is more than half an inch thick, and has stamps on it, you’ll have to either hand it to a clerk at a post office, or put it in the package bin at a self-service kiosk.

We are not aware of any recent incident prompting this change. The initial restriction in 1996 was caused by the Unabomber series of mail-bombs.

The first section of this press release is mostly history. The limit had been 13 ounces.

[press release]
Package Security Enhancements Begin This Month

WASHINGTON — The United States Postal Service is increasing the safety and security of its collection box procedures through a modification of the long-standing Aviation Mail Security Rule, which was established in August 1996 and called for all packages weighing 16 ounces to be presented in person to a postal clerk or a letter carrier. The action was taken to enhance security measures and to protect the public, postal employees and postal contractors who transport the U.S. Mail.

In 2007, the weight allowance was decreased to 13-ounces or more for all anonymous mail. Since then, packages and other mail pieces weighing 13 ounces or more, bearing only stamps as postage must only be presented to a postal employee at a retail counter.

This month’s update to the rule will enhance the existing safety program by prohibiting packages with stamps as postage that are more than one-half inch thick and/or weigh more than 10 ounces from anonymously being entered into the mail stream through collection boxes or Post Office mail slots. Packages and all other mail pieces of this type will now need to be taken to a retail counter. This change is effective Oct. 1, 2019.

How to mail a package
Consumers who opt to use postage stamps to mail packages, or other items, weighing more than 10 ounces and/or more than one-half inch thick must conduct their transactions at a Post Office retail counter. Consumers can also take advantage of Postal Service self-service kiosks to purchase postage labels and drop those packages into the package slots, not mail slots, at a Post Office. If a restricted package or mail piece is found in a collection box, mail chute or lobby mail slot after Oct. 1 it will be returned to the sender with a Customer Return Label attached explaining the restrictions and reason for return.

Click-N-Ship customers will be unaffected by this change. [Of course not: Click-N-Ship provides postage labels and its mailings don’t use stamps. —VSC.]

Consumers can expect to see label changes on collection boxes and Post Office mail slots with the updated information. The Postal Service apologizes for any inconvenience to its customers.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

In a letter, Vilhjalmur Sigurdsson, Iceland Post’s Head of Philately, says the agency’s philatelic operations, PostPhil, will cease at the end of 2019, after about 90 years in operation.

“Iceland Post currently has severe operating difficulties,” Sigurdsson says in a letter to collectors. The number of philatelic customers has been “decreasing year after year,” and the new CEO of Iceland Post is “cutting down everything that is not profitable in this company, including PostPhil.”

Iceland is scheduled to issue stamps for paintings by Icelandic artists and Christmas stamps on October 31, and that may be it for the country.

“The current management of Iceland Post Ltd., prefers if possible to stop issuing new stamps altogether,” Sigurdsson writes. “If the company must keep on issuing new stamps in 2020 and onward the number of new stamps will be very few each year and there will be no service for stamp collectors.” What stamp production remains may be handled by outside contractors.

Iceland Post announced the layoffs of about 50 employees on August 20th, and Sigurdsson says after October, there will only be three people handling philatelic orders. “I will leave Iceland Post Ltd., in September after 20 years in charge of Postphil.”

The art stamps being issued October 31 are shown below:

• Icelandic Art X – “New Painting“.
• Helgi Þorgils Friðjónsson – Poseidon’s Kingdom, 1988. 50g domestic (195 ISK) Daði
• Guðbjörnsson – Calda, calda, Hot, Hot, 1982. 50g to Europe (250 ISK) Brynhildur Þorgeirsdóttir – Sculpture, 1983. 50g outside Europe (315 ISK)
• Jón Axel Björnsson – Untitled, 1983. 2000g domestic (720 ISK)

[press release]
Australia Post proposes 10 cent stamp price increase to support the sustainability of community post

Australia Post has lodged a draft notification with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) seeking an increase in the Basic Postage Rate (BPR) from $1 to $1.10 to apply from January 2020, the first increase in four years.

This proposed increase, along with efficiency savings across the operational network, reflects a balanced approach to ensuring a sustainable community post service. The proposed increase would cost the average household, which regularly sends letters, less than $1.50 per year.

It will help keep Post Offices open – including Australia Post’s vital regional and rural network – keep posties delivering five days a week and ensure Australians everywhere can continue to access these important services.

Group Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Christine Holgate said importantly the 60 cent price of concession stamps would be protected and available to 5.7 million Australians, including pensioners and veterans, and the 65 cent seasonal greeting card stamps will stay the same.

“In the last financial year, we delivered a profit in-line with that three years earlier. We did this with 820 million less letters delivered to over 700,000 more homes,” Ms Holgate said.

“Our posties deliver to more than 12.1 million addresses across the country. It doesn’t matter if they have one letter or 100 for the address, they still need to drive past the letterbox each day.

“Last year our letters business lost $190 million – this is after the benefit of significant efficiency savings. It is important that we responsibly address pricing if we are to protect this important service and keep our network of community post offices open.”

Business and government customers, who send around 97 per cent of all mail in Australia, will continue to receive incentives to encourage them to use mail as part of their communication strategy. Charities will also continue to receive significant discounts off the BPR.

Since the last BPR increase in January 2016, the General Retail Industry Award has risen by 13 per cent, as well as many of Australia Post’s other costs.

[For U.S. readers, $1.10 Australian dollars is about 74¢ U.S. —VSC]