U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Home Connect and Share Find Land Trusts and Conservation Groups National and Regional Conservation Partners U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service manages the 93 million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System of more than 520 National Wildlife Refuges and thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. Under the Fisheries program, we also operate 69 National Fish Hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 78 ecological services field stations.

The vast majority of fish and wildlife habitat is on non-Federal lands, and partnership activities like Partners for Fish and Wildlife and Partners in Flight are the primary means for fostering aquatic, avian, and terrestrial conservation and assisting voluntary habitat conservation and restoration.

Our objectives include

Assisting in the development and application of an environmental stewardship ethic for our society, based on ecological principles, scientific knowledge of fish and wildlife, and a sense of moral responsibility.
Guiding the conservation, development, and management of the Nation's fish and wildlife resources.
Administering a national program to provide the public opportunities to understand, appreciate, and wisely use fish and wildlife resources.

We work to meet our mission by:

enforcing Federal wildlife laws,
protecting endangered species,
managing migratory birds,
restoring nationally significant fisheries,
conserving and restoring wildlife habitat like wetlands,
helping foreign governments with their international conservation efforts, and
using our Federal Aid program to distribute hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to State fish and wildlife agencies.

USFWS Programs and Resources

© Oksana Perkins (Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund Grants Featured Image)

Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund Grants

The US Fish and Wildlife Service offers grants to states through the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund to support voluntary conservation projects for candidate, proposed, and listed species. Authorized under Section 6 of the Endangered Species Act, these funds may be awarded in turn to private landowners and groups for conservation projects.

Read More
© David Moynahan (DM_CNC026_jpg2)

Migratory Bird Conservation Fund

The Migratory Bird Conservation Fund provides the Department of the Interior with financing for the acquisition of migratory bird habitat.

Read More
© David Moynahan (North American Wetlands Conservation Act Featured Image)

North American Wetlands Conservation Act

The North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) provides matching grants for the acquisition, restoration, and enhancement of wetland ecosystems for the benefit of waterfowl and other wetland dependent migratory species.

Read More
Joint Ventures in Bird Conservation

The 1986 North American Waterfowl Management Plan established a framework for establishing self-directed partnerships between agencies, organizations, corporations, tribes, or individuals that take responsibility for implementing bird conservation plans for specific species or geographic areas.

Read More
Partners for Fish and Wildlife

The Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program provides technical and financial assistance to private landowners and Tribes who are willing to work with us and other partners on a voluntary basis to help meet the habitat needs of our Federal Trust Species (federally endangered, threatened, and candidate species).

Read More