Mission and Goals

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

The Service's Fishery Program has developed a Vision for the Future to Conserve America's Fisheries by enhancing aquatic species conservation and management, aquatic habitat conservation and management, partnerships and accountability, cooperation with Native Americans, leadership in science and technology, public use, and workforce management.

Within the Great Lakes Basin, the Service works to encourage cooperative conservation, restoration, and management of Great Lakes fishery resources and their habitats. Priorities are to restore and manage interjurisdictional fisheries and aquatic habitats, recover listed or candidate species and to restore depleted fish populations to preclude their listing, combat aquatic invasive species, enhance and build partnerships, provide fish and wildlife technical assistance to Tribes and on Service lands, support public use, fulfill mitigation obligations, provide leadership, and conduct sound fishery science.

Alpena NFWCO works toward the Fishery Program's Vision within U. S. waters of Lake Huron, western Lake Erie, and connecting waterways of the St. Marys River and Huron Erie Corridor (St. Clair River, Lake St. Clair, and the Detroit River) through specific goals that guide office activities.

Alpena NFWCO goals to address Service Fishery Program priorities include the following:

Lake whitefish were tagged as part of a treaty fishery study. The Fish Passage Program restores fish passage in areas where degraded road stream crossings are present. Before and after restoration on the Little Ocqueoc River in northern lower Michigan. Alpena NFWCO conducts surveillance and monitoring for invasive species including the round goby. Partnerships are an important component of the mission of the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Michigan Sea Grant works with Alpena NFWCO staff on lake sturgeon restoration efforts in the Detroit River.

1. Implement U.S. versus Michigan programs in the 1836 Treaty area of Lake Huron, including fishery independent lake whitefish assessments and technical assistance to the parties through the Technical Fisheries Committee (TFC) and Modeling Subcommittee.
   
   
2. Continue to serve as Chair of the TFC and coordinate this function effectively through meetings, regular conference calls and informal communications involving Green Bay FRO, Ashland FRO, and the Regional Office.
   
   
3. Continue technical assistance activities to management authorities in the Lake Huron and Lake Erie basins through their Technical Committees and fully support the Fish Community Objectives for both Lakes.
   
   
4. Continue Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program activities in the assigned counties of northern Michigan to assist private land owners who want to improve fish and wildlife habitat on their property.
   
   
5. Continue Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) surveillance activities in Lake Huron and work with the RO in enhancing the invasive species program in Lake Huron, Lake Erie and their connecting waters.
   
   
6. Obtain funding for and implement fish passage projects to reconnect habitat fragmented by barriers in Michigan or Ohio within the Lake Huron or Lake Erie basins.
   
   
7. Provide Service leadership for establishment and expansion of local partnerships for delivery of aquatic habitat restoration efforts in the lakes Huron and Erie basins, consistent with priorities of the National Fish Habitat Action Plan.
   
   
8. Continue emphasis on interagency lake sturgeon restoration activities and coordination focusing on the Lake Huron and Lake Erie basins and their connecting waters.
   
   
9. Implement conservation, restoration and management activities in Lakes Huron and Erie that seek to achieve the 32 recommendations of the Great Lakes Fishery Resources Restoration Study under the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act of 1998.
   
   
10. Conduct regular coordination meetings and initiate frequent informal communications with state and tribal partners to facilitate interagency restoration activities and provide information on Fish and Wildlife Service programs.
    
    
11. Develop and distribute information and public outreach materials to inform people about fish and wildlife resources, natural ecosystems and programs of the Fish and Wildlife Service.
    
    
12. Submit station activities to the Region 3 Accomplishment Reporting System.
    
    
13. Conduct appropriate Congressional outreach, in coordination with External affairs, to provide information on station activities.