Who
are we?
Goals
Restore
native, Interjurisdictional fishes, and
aquatic habitats
|
Survey National Wildlife Refuges, provide management options |
Fulfill
federal trust responsibilities to Native American
Tribes
|
Attain fish passage on streams and restore historic fish migrations |
Prevent
the extinction of federally endangered fish and mussels
|
Develop Driftless Area and Fishers & Farmers partnerships under NFHAP |
Impede
the spread of nonindigenous aquatic nuisance species
|
Coordinate Upper Mississippi River Conservation Committee (UMRCC) |
Provide
environmental education
|
Work with Friends of Upper Mississippi Fishery Services (FUMFS) volunteers |
Geographic
Area Served:
 FWS graphic
And includes
bodies of water:
-
in
Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.
-
Mississippi
River bordering the Upper Mississippi River National
Fish and Wildlife Refuge to Rock Island, Illinois.
-
Illinois
Waterway.
Services
Provided To:
Activity
Highlights:
-
Fishery
restoration - lake sturgeon restoration efforts on
the Wolf and Red River basins.
-
Monitoring
for zebra mussel infestations on the St. Croix and
Mississippi rivers, and round goby and Asian carp
distribution in the Illinois
Waterway.
-
Aquatic
habitat restoration and enhancement.
-
Assist
with endangered mussel restoration - Higgins' eye
and Winged mapleleaf.
-
Spring
and fall electrofishing with GLIFWC, monitoring walleye
populations on ceded territory lakes in northern Wisconsin
and Minnesota.
-
Annual
Fishing Days for veterans and young first time anglers.
History:
In
1981, the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act authorized
the establishment of the La Crosse Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office (FWCO)
in Winona, Minnesota. The FWCO was created to provide
technical assistance within the states of Illinois,
Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin to sixteen Native American
Reservations, one U.S. Army Installation, eight National
Wildlife Refuges, two Veteran's Administration Hospitals,
one National Cemetery and numerous Waterfowl Production
Areas.
The FWCO
office was relocated in 1995 to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service Resource Center, 555 Lester Avenue, Onalaska,
Wisconsin where it still resides today. In addition
to the La Crosse FWCO, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service Resource Center accommodates field offices,
laboratories, instructional facilities, and maintenance
equipment for several other regional and national U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service programs, including the La
Crosse District Office of the Upper Mississippi River
National Wildlife and Fish Refuge (NWFR), the La
Crosse Fish Health Center (FHC), Ecological
Services, and Law Enforcement.
Staff:
FWS Photo
First Row: Pam Thiel, Ann Runstrom, Heidi Keuler, Mark Steingraeber
Second Row: Dave Wedan, Louise Mauldin, Nancy Christopherson, Scott Yess
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