Bird Habitat Conservation
4401 N. Fairfax Drive
Mail Stop: MBSP 4075
Arlington, VA 22203
Phone: 703/358-1784 Fax: 703/358-2282
www.fws.gov/birdhabitat

The Division of Bird Habitat Conservation administers two multi-million-dollar grant programs, supports migratory bird conservation plans and partnerships, and manages the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp (Duck Stamp) Program.

Roles and Responsibilities
Located within Migratory Birds, the Division:

• Administers the North American Wetlands Conservation Act Grants Program, affecting habitat in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
• Coordinates and provides staff to the North American Wetlands Conservation Council.
• Administers the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act Grants Program in the United States, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
• Provides national leadership in the U.S. for the North American Waterfowl Management Plan and staff support to the Plan Committee and the Plan Committee’s Science Support Team.
• Provides liaison staff for joint venture coordinators and joint venture management boards.
• Supports conservation work conducted under Partners in Flight, U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan, and North American Waterbird Conservation Plan, and provides staff support for the North American Bird Conservation Initiative.
• Administers the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp (Duck Stamp) and the Junior Duck Stamp programs. <www.fws.gov/duckstamps>

Budget, Planning, and Human Resources has the authority and responsibility to develop policy directives; budget formulation and execution, and resource allocation and analyses, as well as forecasting workforce requirements and facilitating compliance with legal, regulatory, and Departmental policies in all functional areas.

Roles and Responsibilities
Human Capital - Develops and administers human resources policies and programs, workforce and strategic planning, and automation for the most effective management of human resources. HC develops and administers equal opportunity and civil rights policies and programs and is responsible for Affirmative Employment and Diversity, alternative dispute resolution and discrimination complaints, educational partnerships, and accessibility for individuals with disabilities. <www.fws.gov/hr>

Budget - Directs and manages the budget formulation process prescribing policies, procedures, and controls, and ensures compliance with Administration objectives and conformance to statutory authorities. Budget maintains control of the budget process and the limitation of funds imposed by Congress and OMB. <www.fws.gov/budget>

Policy and Directives Management - Develops, administers, and reviews Service-wide policies, systems, and procedures for activities such as directives, information collection, advisory committees, reports and forms management, processes regulations and Federal Register notices, patents and inventions, Alternative Dispute Resolution, FAIR Act Inventory, Competitive Sourcing, and OIG and GAO audits. <www.fws.gov/pdm>

Planning and Evaluation Staff - Administers GPRA, coordinating the development and maintenance of the Service’s portion of the DOI Strategic Plan, the Secretary’s MBOs, the Service Operational Plan, the performance section of the Service Budget, the Service Performance Accountability Report, the OMB Program Assessment Rating Tool, and Activity Based Cost Management. <www.fws.gov/planning/abc>

Business Management and Operations is an integral part of the Service’s day-to-day operations, providing a foundation and the necessary tools for all natural resource programs to accomplish their mission. Functional areas include financial management, engineering, contracting and facilities management, Service-wide occupational safety and health, economic analysis, and clerical support services.

Roles and Responsibilities of Divisions
Financial Management - Directs accounting and financial operations focusing on accounting policies, fund control, travel, cash management, debt collection, cost recovery activities, investment program, and internal/external financial reporting. <dfm.fws.gov>

Engineering - Directs the Service’s engineering, construction, dam safety, bridge safety, seismic safety, energy management, and environmental and facilities compliance activities.

Contracting and Facilities Management - Develops policy and manages programs for Federal acquisition, personal property, Government quarters, space leasing, and the motor vehicle fleet. Also manages office facilities at the Washington, D.C. headquarters, and at most regional offices. <www.fws.gov/contracts>

Safety and Health - Develops and administers safety and occupational health and policies and procedures to prevent and reduce employee injuries and work-related illnesses.

Economics - Conducts economic analyses to meet legislative requirements and Executive Orders and provides programs with technical assistance during the decision-making process on critical habitat designations and natural resource valuations.

Office of Clerical Support Services – Provides a full range of clerical and administrative support services for the Washington, D.C. headquarters program offices including general office support, office automation, document and material production, budgetary and financial support, meeting support, and assistance in the administration of grants and cooperative agreements.

The Division of Congressional and Legislative Affairs (CLA) is the Service's primary point of contact with Congress and is responsible for the Service's legislative agenda and congressional relations program. Located within External Affairs, CLA also coordinates congressional and legislative activities with regional Congressional Liaisons.

In FY2007, CLA, working with the Service's programs, regional and field offices, and partner organizations, organized more than 17 congressional hearings; coordinated more than 250 congressional briefings, meetings, and field trips; and handled hundreds of congressional correspondence and legislative referrals.

Roles and Responsibilities
Congressional and Legislative Affairs staff:

• Develop and promote the Service's legislative agenda including making recommendations for initiatives to the Service Directorate.
• Prepare legislative priorities, review and report on legislation referred by the Department of the Interior, and coordinate the Service’s views with other bureaus and offices to achieve Service objectives.
• Educate Congress about Service programs and accomplishments.
• Inform Service leadership, programs, and regional and field offices about congressional actions and legislative activities.
• Serve as the main point of contact with individual members and committees of the Congress.
• Provide information and materials in response to congressional inquiries and other assistance as required by members of Congress .

The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) recognizes that fish, wildlife, and plants “are of esthetic, ecological, educational, historical, recreational, and scientific value to the Nation and its people.” The Endangered Species Program works cooperatively with partners, including States, Tribes, other Federal agencies and private landowners, to help conserve and recover our country’s threatened and endangered species through technical assistance and support. Recent successes include the reclassifying of the American crocodile - Florida population - from endangered to threatened, the delisting of the bald eagle and the Western Great Lakes population of the gray wolf. The program also identifies species that are candidates for listing and works with partners to make it unnecessary to list candidates and other species at risk. In FY 2007, cooperative conservation efforts made listing unnecessary for three, including the basalt daisy, Sand Mountain blue butterfly, and the surprising cave beetle.

Roles and Responsibilities
Conserving endangered and threatened species and restoring them to a secure status in the wild so they no longer need to be listed is the main objective of the Endangered Species Program. Another key objective is the conservation of candidate and other at-risk species so listing them under the ESA is unnecessary. Responsibilities include:

• Recovery - Facilitate and provide leadership for planning and partnering on recovery activities for listed species.
• Proactive Conservation - Provide planning and technical assistance to partners to design conservation agreements and implement actions for candidate and other at-risk species.
• Grants - Fund State, local, and private efforts for the conservation of listed and other imperiled species.
• Listing/Delisting - Use the best available scientific information for listing, reclassifying, or delisting species under the ESA.
• Consultation - Consult with Federal agencies whose activities may affect listed species and evaluating the likely effects for compliance with the ESA.

Through the use of voluntary landowner conservation tools such as Conservation Banks, Safe Harbor Agreements, and Candidate Conservation Agreements with Assurances, the Program strives to make the ESA work better and increase the flexibility and certainty for private landowners with listed, candidate, or at-risk species on their property.

Concerns for pollution impacts on fish and wildlife began in the early 1900s when water quality was studied as part of fisheries research program. In the late 1940s, Service researchers made important strides by studying the effects of pesticides such as DDT on fish and wildlife.

National attention focused on the ecological effects of toxic chemicals after former Service employee Rachel Carson published Silent Spring in 1962. Today, the Division of Environmental Quality is the only Federal program that investigates the effects of pollution, pesticides, and other contaminants on fish and wildlife.

Each year, more than 7 billion pounds of toxic substances are released into the land, air, water, and underground and more than 4.5 billion pounds of pesticides are used in the United States alone. The division’s goal is to prevent further degradation and to correct the effects of contaminants.

Roles and Responsibilities
Located within Fisheries and Habitat Conservation, the Division of Environmental Quality works with other agencies and the private sector to prevent, investigate, and mitigate the adverse impacts of environmental contaminants on fish and wildlife by:

• Prevention - reviewing pending environmental legislation, consulting with other Federal agencies on their construction projects, and reviewing Clean Water Act permits and pesticide use permits.
• Investigations - evaluating contaminant exposure and effects on fish and wildlife resources, as well as evaluating contaminant impacts on the National Wildlife Refuge System.
• Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration - Determining the effects of oil spills and hazardous substance releases on fish and wildlife and ensuring those resources are restored.

The Division of Fish and Wildlife Management and Habitat Restoration, located under Fisheries and Habitat Conservation, supports various activities, programs, and cooperative ventures involving States, Tribes, other Federal agencies, and private and international interests.

Roles and Responsibilities
Fish and Wildlife Management Assistance - Provides scientific leadership and technical assistance in the management and restoration of the Nation’s aquatic resources and habitats, working in partnership with private entities as well as Federal, State, and Tribal governments. Priorities include conservation of native interjurisdictional and imperiled fishes; providing technical assistance on Tribal, Federal, and military lands; restoring fish passage; and conserving and recovering aquatic and terrestrial species. The program maintains 71 Fishery Resource Offices, two Sea Lamprey Control Offices, and a state-of-the-art Conservation Genetics Laboratory. FWMA projects and activities fall within the core areas of the Fisheries Program strategic plan, which include partnerships and accountability, aquatic habitat conservation and management, aquatic species conservation and management, cooperation with Native Americans, and public use.

The Coastal Program - Identifies coastal resource problems and solutions, seeks partnerships to carry out habitat restoration and protection projects, and encourages public action in the Nation's highest priority coastal areas. Since 1994, the Program has restored more than 100,000 acres of coastal wetlands, 45,000 acres of coastal uplands, and 1,000 miles of coastal streamside habitat and opened 4,000 miles of stream for spawning fish. <www.fws.gov/coastal>

Habitat and Resource Conservation
4401 N. Fairfax Drive
Mail Stop: 840
Arlington, VA 22203
Phone: 703/358-2161 Fax: 703/358-1869
www.fws.gov/habitat

The Division of Habitat and Resource Conservation, located within Fisheries and Habitat Conservation, plays a key role in preventing adverse impacts to wetlands and other sensitive habitats. This is accomplished primarily by recommending habitat enhancement, protection, and/or conservation measures during the planning and implementation of development projects that are federally funded, permitted, or licensed. The Division also updates wetlands maps; evaluates wetlands status and trends; maintains the wetland plant list; and implements the Coastal Barrier Resources, Marine Mammal Protection, and Sikes acts.

Roles and Responsibilities
Project Planning - Assists Federal agencies and other parties needing permits and approval to develop land and water resources projects in an environmentally sensitive manner. These projects may include navigation, flood control, hydroelectric power, highways, irrigation projects and wind power. Project Planning advocates environmental approaches that balance natural resource concerns while considering project goals and coordinates NEPA review.

Coastal Barrier Program - Administers provisions of the Coastal Barrier Resources Act and works with Congress to maintain the official Coastal Barrier Resources System maps.

Sikes Act - Works with the military, states, and other organizations to help the military develop integrated natural resource management plans for more than 25 million acres on about 400 military installations, protecting ecosystems while meeting the needs of military operations.

National Wetlands Inventory - Produces resource maps, digital data, and reports on characteristics, extent, and status of the Nation’s wetland, riparian, and deepwater habitats.

Marine Mammal Program - Coordinates the Service's implementation of the MMPA internally and externally with partners. Responsibilities include clearing regulations for publication, publishing Annual Reports to Congress and the public on the Service's activities, developing and advocating for policies and legislative positions, and communicating with partner agencies and stakeholders.

The Office of the Assistant Director for IRTM directs the implementation of technological advances within the Service, bringing state-of-the-art applications to an array of natural resource and business management operating systems. Functional areas include technology management, telecommunications management, automated system security management, inventory and asset management, information project management, information system strategic and long-term planning, and IM career development programs and activities. The Assistant Director serves as the Service’s Chief Information Officer.

Roles and Responsibilities
IRTM is responsible for:

• Developing, implementing, administering, and reviewing Servicewide policies, systems, and procedures for information technology management (enterprise architecture, IT capital planning and investment control processes, and information technology acquisition).
• Security management (system accreditation and certification, access control, and compliance).
• Information management (records management, Freedom of Information Act, information quality, Privacy Act, and the Government Paperwork Elimination Act).
• Telecommunications management (network security and optimization, bill auditing and analysis, radio spectrum management, and wireless communication).
• Inventory and asset management (tracking and accounting of information resources and equipment).
• Strategic planning (development and redesign of the Service’s information technology work processes).
• Project management (monitoring the project scope, schedule, and budget targets).
• Information technology career/skills management (developing standards and training requirements for IT professionals).

The Division Chief serves as the Deputy Chief Information Officer and the Chief Technology Officer for the Service.

The Service has various international responsibilities under some 40 conventions, treaties, and agreements. Located within International Affairs, the divisions of International Conservation, Management Authority, and Scientific Authority implement these authorities for the benefit of wildlife. International Affairs provides leadership and assistance to other nations for wildlife management, conservation, and protection of global biodiversity. The divisions work with other governments and a variety of NGOs, scientific and conservation organizations, industry groups, and hobbyists to ensure the effective implementation of treaties and laws and the global conservation of species.

Roles and Responsibilities
Working with partners around the world to conserve species and their ecosystems, International Affairs:

• Provides technical assistance to fish and wildlife managers in other countries.
• Conserves species at risk by regulating trade and implementing policies with a broad impact on conservation.
• Works closely with States and Native American Tribes to help ensure conservation of U.S. species in trade.
• Helpsconserve wildlife of concern to Americans through matching grants that support research, education, and conservation for species such as tigers, great apes, marine turtles, rhinos, and African and Asian elephants.
• Works with the scientific community to assess the conservation status of foreign species and ensure the conservation of species in international trade and regulates imports and exports to ensure species protection and sustainability.

In 1900, Congress passed the Lacey Act, the first Federal law to protect wildlife. Additional wildlife conservation laws followed, including the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the Bald Eagle Protection Act, and the Endangered Species Act. All are upheld by Service law enforcement professionals.

Today, Service Law Enforcement contributes to virtually every aspect of wildlife conservation, from protecting endangered species to preserving opportunities for hunting and fishing. Enforcement efforts target potentially devastating threats – illegal trade, habitat destruction, and environmental contaminants. Innovative partnerships with industry groups are improving compliance with wildlife laws and eliminating hazards to wildlife.

Law Enforcement consists of seven regional offices that conduct investigations and inspections throughout the country; a headquarters operation that oversees training, conducts special investigations, and provides policy, intelligence, and administrative support; the Clark R. Bavin National Fish and Wildlife Forensics Laboratory; and the National Eagle and Wildlife Property Repositories.

Roles and Responsibilities
Law Enforcement investigates wildlife crimes, monitors a $1.7 billion annual trade in wildlife and wildlife products, and helps Americans obey wildlife protection laws. This work includes:

• Infiltrating smuggling rings that target imperiled animals.
• Preventing commercial exploitation of protected U.S. species.
• Protecting wildlife from environmental hazards and safeguarding habitat.
• Inspecting wildlife shipments to ensure compliance with laws and treaties and detecting illegal trade.
• Using forensic science to analyze evidence and solve wildlife crimes.

Migratory Bird Management
4401 N. Fairfax Drive
Mail Stop MBSP 4107
Arlington, VA 22203
Phone: (703)358-1714
Fax: (703)358-2217
www.fws.gov/migratorybirds
www.fws.gov/birds

Migratory birds are some of nature's most magnificent resources. They play a significant ecological, economic, and cultural role in the United States and internationally. The first law calling for international cooperation to conserve migratory birds was passed in 1918. Far-reaching for its time, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act guides the work of the Division of Migratory Bird Management today. The mission of the Migratory Bird Program is to conserve migratory bird populations and their habitats for future generations through careful monitoring and effective management.

Roles and Responsibilities
The Migratory Bird Management Program:

• Monitors more than 800 bird species in North America.
• Identifies species and populations that require management action.
• Evaluates the effects of human activities and natural conditions on the health of bird populations.
• Conducts hundreds of annual surveys across key breeding, migration, and wintering areas, and supports the National Aviation Manager in the Office of Aviation Management.
• Plays a central role in working with others to develop and implement local, regional, national, and international bird management plans including Partners In Flight, U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan, North American Waterbird Conservation plan, and North American Waterfowl Management Plan.
• Provides opportunities, through the issuance of permits and regulations, for organizations and individuals to participate in migratory bird activities, such as hunting, scientific research, rehabilitation of injured birds, education, falconry, and taxidermy, as well as control of overabundant species.

National Activities
The national program office provides guidance on national, international, and regional policy matters that directly relate to migratory bird management. This office works in conjunction with the Service Directorate, Regional Offices, and regional migratory bird program staff.

Regional Activities
Migratory Bird Management Program biologists in each Service region plan and implement program objectives on regional and local levels. Regional migratory bird biologists provide policy guidance, issue migratory bird permits, participate in monitoring and habitat conservation strategies, and conduct outreach and education initiatives.

The NCTC was established in 1997 as a home for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to provide training and education services to employees, ensuring they have the skills and tools to accomplish our conservation mission. That mission begins with the words, “working with others,” so NCTC encourages the participation of other government agencies, businesses, and non-government organizations as both instructors and students in NCTC courses. On campus, people from all sectors come together to learn skills, share perspectives, establish networks, and build bridges for conservation based on respect and mutual interest.

NCTC works with Service offices to develop education/outreach materials designed to reach the public as resource conservation partners, providing Service-wide coordination for Shorebird Sister Schools (304/876-7783); Girl Scouts of the USA (304/876-7314); and Boy Scouts of America, 4-H, and Extension Education (304/876-7495). NCTC also develops video, print, computer, and broadcast-based materials for training and education.

NCTC preserves the heritage of the Service and its predecessor agencies by collecting, interpreting, and disseminating the history of the Service and American conservation. Here, in the Service’s national archive, you’ll find everything from Rachel Carson’s magnifying glass to the original surveys for Pelican Island - America’s first national wildlife refuge.

Roles and Responsibilities
NCTC advances conservation of fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats with:

• Training for the Service and America’s conservation and resource management community.
• Conservation education for the public.
• Alliances among diverse resource interests.

Fish have long been important to our Nation, so much so that in 1871, Congress established an agency to study the decline of fish stocks. That agency, the predecessor of today’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and its fisheries program, also propagated fish and built hatcheries to improve dwindling stocks.

Today, the NFHS, composed of 70 Fish Hatcheries, seven Fish Technology Centers, nine Fish Health Centers, one Historic National Fish Hatchery, and the Aquatic Animal Drug Approval Partnership (AADAP) Program, conserves and protects fish and other aquatic species and protects and restores the habitats these species need. The NFHS, located within Fisheries and Habitat Conservation, has a unique responsibility to recover species listed under the Endangered Species Act, restore native aquatic populations, mitigate for fisheries lost as a result of Federal water projects, and provide healthy fish to benefit Tribes and national wildlife refuges.

Roles and Responsibilities
Through its nationwide network, the NFHS addresses:

Migratory Fish - When fish cross domestic and international boundaries, the Service and other Federal, Tribal, and State fishery managers work together to monitor populations, set sustainable harvest levels, and boost troubled stocks. Hatcheries propagate and release fish for restoration and recovery.

The Threat of Extinction - There are 216 threatened or endangered aquatic species in the U.S. Hatcheries contribute to the recovery of fishes, mussels, and toads through propagation and refugia technology and health centers, as well as genetic and health protection.

Federal Fishery Obligations - When Federal dams and other projects disturb fisheries, this program steps in to help mitigate adverse effects on aquatic species and to ensure angling opportunities. Hatcheries support angling on national wildlife refuges, provide support for fishery and wildlife management to Native American Tribes, and work to control exotic and aquatic nuisance species.

New Aquatic Animal Drug Approvals – FDA approval of new aquatic animal drugs is essential to meet critical current and future fisheries management needs of Federal, Tribal, and State fishery managers and private aquaculture. The AADAP leads a cooperative effort with these partners to obtain approval of these drugs.

National Wildlife Refuge System
4401 N. Fairfax Drive
Mail Stop 670
Arlington, VA 22203
Phone: (703)358-1744
Fax: (703)358-2248
www.fws.gov/refuges

The NWRS began in1903 when President Theodore Roosevelt established Pelican Island, a 3-acre island off Florida’s coast, as the first national wildlife refuge. NWRS has grown to about 97 million acres of strategically located habitats in all 50 States and U.S. territories, including 548 refuges and 37 wetland management districts that contain thousands of Waterfowl Production Areas and small prairie wetlands. It is the only network of Federal lands devoted specifically to wildlife and wildlife habitat conservation. 

Roles and Responsibilities
The NWRS provides habitat for threatened and endangered species, migratory birds, and some of the Nation’s most important fishery resources. It also includes about 20 percent of the designated Wilderness areas in the U.S. Fifty-nine national wildlife refuges have been established specifically to protect endangered species.

The NWRS offers outstanding wildlife-dependent recreational opportunities, including fishing, hunting, wildlife observation and photography, and environmental education and interpretation for present and future generations. Around 40 million people visit the NWRS annually .

Division of Natural Resources and Planning comprises three branches:

• The Branch of Wildlife Resources oversees wilderness policy and refuge-specific issues such as invasive species and pest management; biological support; water rights, management, and use; marine resources; contaminants; and migratory birds and endangered species.  It also provides leadership in policy development and implementation; technical assistance and oversight in the development of Comprehensive Conservation Plans and step-down management plans; reviews proposals to create new or expand existing refuges; develops products, materials, and training courses to facilitate consistent implementation and application of policy; and provides budgetary information on refuge planning and policy issues.
• The Branch of Air Quality supports air quality monitoring, regulation development and initiatives, and training and planning.
• The Fire Management Branch provides policy, oversight, and scientific/technical support for managing fire on Service lands. This includes fire preparedness; wildland fire use; fire suppression and emergency fire rehabilitation; hazardous fuels reduction; rural fire assistance; policy, procedures, and standards development; and coordination of the Service's interagency fire involvement, including serving as the contact for the Department's Office of Wildland Fire Coordination.

Division of Refuge Law Enforcement provides policy, training, and budgeting functions for the NWRS law enforcement program. More than 375 officers nationwide are commissioned to enforce the laws protecting the Nation's wildlife resources and their habitats, providing for visitor and employee safety, and protecting the public infrastructure. Refuge officers across the NWRS routinely deal with a myriad of crimes, including drug cultivation and production, in addition to the traditional natural resource crimes that occur on our public lands..

Division of Realty acquires land interests for the NWRS and the National Fish Hatchery System using primarily the Land and Water Conservation Fund and the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund. Nationally, Realty develops policy guidance, performs management oversight, and issues annual reports on the acquisition, utilization, and disposition of the Service’s land interests. Overall responsibilities include Acquisition Management, Real Estate Operations, Appraisal, Cartography, and Land Surveying. <www.fws.gov/realty>

Division of Visitor Services and Communications is responsible for leading national programs to promote the highest quality visitor experiences on refuges; foster the Refuge Support Group Program nationwide; and lead a strategic, coordinated, and integrated communications program that builds long-term relationships and support for the NWRS.  Using field station input from the Accomplishment Reporting System and other mechanisms, the Division develops the bimonthly Refuge Update newsletter, the quarterly Friends Forwward newsletter, and a variety of materials and information for national media, among other communication tools.

Division of Information Technology and Management develops and manages nationwide data base applications that support budget and management decision-making for refuge acquisition, operations, and maintenance. Also, the Division is the lead for the NWRS and the Service for comprehensive asset management programs for facility portfolios and equipment fleets.  More than 41,000 facility assets with a combined portfolio value of $19 billion are vital to management of NWRS lands and waters.

Accomplishment Reporting System: <www.fws.gov/arsnew>

Working together with Regional Native American Liaison officials and leaders from 562 federally recognized Tribes nationwide, the Native American Liaison, located under External Affairs, identifies areas in which both Federal and Tribal conservation efforts can most effectively conserve fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats. The Regional Native American Desks and the Native American Liaison combine their backgrounds in wildlife biology, conservation, and Indian law and policy to achieve the best possible conservation scenario in Indian Country.

Roles and Responsibilities
Responsibilities of the Native American Liaison include:

• Providing counsel to the Directorate concerning Native American issues that impact Service operations.
• Serving as point-of-contact for Tribal conservation issues.
• Providing implementation of the Tribal Wildlife Grant and Tribal Landowner Incentive Programs.
• Serving as liaison to Tribal governments for wildlife conservation issues that impact Federal and Tribal resources.
• Developing guidance materials, such as handbooks, Director’s and Secretarial Orders, as well as legal and policy memoranda regarding Tribal/Service issues.

Native American Liaisons:
Washington, D.C., Office - Pat Durham 703/358-1728
Region 1 - Pat Gonzales-Rogers 503/231-6123
Region 2 – Joe Early 505/248-6602
Region 3 - John Leonard 612/713-5108
Region 4 – Kyla Hastie 404/679-7125
Region 5 - D.J. Monette 413/253-8662
Region 6 – Kimberly Greenwood 303/236-4575
Region 7 – Sue Detwiler 907/786-3868
Region 8 – David Wooten 916/414-6576

Program and Partnership Support
4401 N. Fairfax Drive,
Mail Stop: 3103
Arlington, VA 22203
Phone: 703/358-1711 Fax: 703/358-2548
www.fws.gov/partnerships

Located within External Affairs, the Division of Program and Partnership Support provides strategic leadership to enhance Service partnerships by identifying needs, improving cross-agency relationships, streamlining methods of developing partnership agreements, and providing a central repository for partnership-related information.

Roles and Responsibilities
Program and Partnership Support works with all Service programs by:

• Serving as the liaison with Regions, Programs, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and outside entities to develop new partnerships and assist current ones. DPPS maintains a data base of major partnership agreements and the partnerships web portal.
• Managing Service support for the federally chartered Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council. The SFBPC was established in 1993 to advise the Director and the Secretary of the Interior on sport fishing and boating issues.
• Managing Service support for the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation. The RBFF, a non-profit organization created in 1998, works under a cooperative agreement with the Service to carry out a congressionally mandated communication effort to increase boating and fishing participation and promote conservation and the responsible use of aquatic resources.
• Supporting the National Outreach Coordinator, who coordinates the Washington Office Outreach Forum. The WOOF enhances communications techniques and promotes and facilitates outreach and inreach by Service employees, contractors, and volunteers. The coordinator produces the annual Employee Pocket Guide.
• Overseeing the Customer Service Center, a national Service communications center since 2003, to provide greater information service to the public. Through 800/344-WILD and <contact2@fws.gov> internet e-mail address, the public has enjoyed greatly improved access to the Service.
• Working with NCTC to plan conservation forums designed to engage Service partners in strategic planning sessions leading to collaborative actions on behalf of conservation.

Public Affairs
4401 N. Fairfax Drive
Mail Stop: AEA-330
Arlington, VA 22203
Phone: 703/358-2220 Fax: 703/358-1780
www.fws.gov/r9extaff and www.fws.gov/news/NewsReleases

The Division of Public Affairs, located in External Affairs, works to ensure that information about Service activities is provided to the public in a timely way and in formats the public can easily access, use, and understand. The office works with the news media and Service programs to coordinate communication on often controversial issues. Most of all, Public Affairs staff are a valuable resource for Service employees seeking guidance and assistance in developing effective communications strategies for their programs, as well as for employees dealing with direct inquiries from the media.

Roles and Responsibilities
Public Affairs consists of three branches: Media Services, Broadcasting and Audio-Visual, and Printing and Publications. Public Affairs:responds to inquiries from the news media, constituent groups, and the public;

• Keeps other program areas aware of developments with the media and stakeholder groups.
• Helps develop communications and outreach strategies for emerging issues and crisis events.
• Maintains the Service home page on the Web and implements Internet policy guidance.
• Works with Service programs to continually enhance communications techniques and improve current methods.
• Develops and reviews news releases, publications, videos, and displays that inform others how the Service is “Conserving the Nature of America.”