The Great Plains Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office provides fish and wildlife management technical assistance to Native American Tribes, U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, state agencies, and the public.

About Us

The Great Plains Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office is one part of a network of field stations located throughout the nation that works to conserve fish and aquatic resources. Biologists from the Arctic Circle to the Florida Keys work to protect native species, restore imperiled species and their habitats, monitor and control invasive species invasive species
An invasive species is any plant or animal that has spread or been introduced into a new area where they are, or could, cause harm to the environment, economy, or human, animal, or plant health. Their unwelcome presence can destroy ecosystems and cost millions of dollars.

Learn more about invasive species
, evaluate native fish stocks and their habitats, and make management recommendations to improve natural resources.

What We Do

Our office provides technical assistance to Tribes, collaborate on fisheries restoration with the National Fish Hatchery System, conduct scientific studies into fisheries problems, restore habitat through the National Fish Passage Program and the National Fish Habitat Action Plan, and collaborate with partners to conserve migratory fishes that cross multiple jurisdictions.

  • Aid recovery of federally-listed threatened and endangered species through research, monitoring, and implementing management actions.
  • Assist Native American Tribes and federal agencies with management of fisheries and other aquatic resources.
  • Conduct research and develop strategies to improve management of aquatic invasive species invasive species
    An invasive species is any plant or animal that has spread or been introduced into a new area where they are, or could, cause harm to the environment, economy, or human, animal, or plant health. Their unwelcome presence can destroy ecosystems and cost millions of dollars.

    Learn more about invasive species
    .
  • Collaborate with state agencies to improve aquatic ecosystem and fisheries management.
Services
Tortoises saved and released on Eglin range

The Sikes Act requires most military installations within the United States to develop and implement a comprehensive plan for natural resource conservation and management (e.g., fish and wildlife, forestry, land management, outdoor recreation) on the installation. This conservation plan, known...

woman holding survey equipment

The National Fish Passage Program provides financial and technical assistance for projects that improve the ability of fish or other aquatic species to migrate by reconnecting habitat that has been fragmented by a barrier such as a dam or culvert. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists...

Dozens of silver fish swim over a rocky stream bed.

The National Fish Habitat Partnership is a national investment strategy designed to maximize the impact of conservation dollars on the ground. Funds are leveraged through regional partnerships to address the nation’s biggest fish habitat challenges and projects are identified and completed...

Our Organization

Juvenile Northern Pike in aquarium at Gavins Point National Fish Hatchery, South Dakota
The Fish and Aquatic Conservation program leads aquatic conservation efforts for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. We are committed to tackling the nation’s highest priority aquatic conservation and recreational challenges to conserve, restore, and enhance fisheries for future generations.
A person is walks through a large wide culvert that passes under a gravel road. A small river runs through the culvert.
Across the country, millions of barriers are fragmenting rivers, blocking fish migration, and putting communities at higher risk to flooding. Improving fish passage is one of the most effective ways to help conserve vulnerable species while building safer infrastructure for communities and...
A jet black, scaly snake with a burnt orange colored face curled up in some grass
We foster collaborative partnerships with the Department of Defense to promote conservation on military lands. Working under the authority of the Sikes Act, we offer guidance and field support for the conservation and management of fish and wildlife resources on military installations while...
A view of the Sacramento River. Its flat, blue water is lined by bright green trees and vegetation. Blue skies are overhead.
The National Fish Habitat Partnership is a comprehensive effort to treat the causes of fish habitat decline, not just the symptoms. The Partnership is a national investment strategy to maximize the impact of conservation dollars on the ground. Funds are leveraged through regional partnerships to...

Our Species

A pallid sturgeon swims along a rocky stream bed. The fish is long and slender, with whiskers and small ridges along its back and sides.

The pallid sturgeon was first recognized as a species different from shovelnose sturgeon by S. A. Forbes and R. E. Richardson in 1905 based on a study of nine specimens collected from the Mississippi River near Grafton, Illinois (Forbes and Richardson 1905). They named this new species...

FWS Focus

Location and Contact Information