The Carlsbad Fish and Wildlife Office is part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Ecological Services program. The ES program helps lead conservation across the nation and administers the Endangered Species Act.

The Carlsbad Office has two office locations: Carlsbad, CA and Palm Springs, CA. With our partners, our goal is to establish a system of conserved, managed and enhanced habitats to support native wildlife across more than 50,000 square miles of Southern California.
green field with purple flowers and hills in background
Biodiversity and Wildlife Preserved at Proctor Valley

The Service and its partners acquired 1,291 acres of property in Proctor Valley in southwestern San Diego County, benefitting the Quino checkerspot butterfly, San Diego fairy shrimp, coastal California gnatcatcher and golden eagle. Read the full press release

About Us

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service works with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.

Southern California is a land of contrasts. From the sandy coast along the Pacific Ocean, to the Transverse and Peninsular mountain ranges, to the Mojave Desert, these diverse geologic and climatic shifts support a multitude of plants, animals and fish, some of which are found nowhere else in the world. The Carlsbad and Palm Springs offices use a variety of conservation tools in partnership with federal and state agencies, tribes, local governments and private landowners to preserve these habitats and species for future generations. 

What We Do

We are responsible for implementing the Endangered Species Act (ESA) throughout Southern California. Our office also works in partnership with federal and state agencies, Tribes, local governments, non-governmental organizations and private landowners to conserve and recover species and habitats.

A large vernal pool on Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve in Riverside County, California.

Our Species

Within our area of responsibility we have 107 species listed under the Endangered Species Act. Federally listed species are either "threatened" - likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future, or "endangered" - in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range.

Our offices work in partnership with others to protect and recover threatened and endangered species and their habitats to ensure their continued existence. We also work to conserve species "at-risk" of becoming threatened or endangered by promoting conservation efforts so that protection under the ESA is not needed.

The Santa Ana sucker, pictured above, is one of more than 100 federally listed species of plants and animals the Carlsbad and Palm Springs offices work to conserve and recover. 

For a complete list of the species we work with visit our Species page. 

Projects and Research

Our offices work with numerous partners to fund and support research on species and their habitats. Together, our work results in positive conservation gains that support the recovery of listed and at-risk species.

Location and Contact Information