Office of External Affairs

Welcome to External Affairs, a division of the Pacific Regional Office of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. External Affairs staff initiates, directs and coordinates a wide variety of communication activities at a regional level. We also provide assistance to field and regional office staff.

What we do
                        

• Congressional and Legislative Affairs—We coordinate the Pacific Region’s communications with elected officials regarding fish and wildlife issues. We track, analyze and comment on fish and wildlife related legislative proposals of interest to the Pacific Region and the Fish and Wildlife Service.

• Tribal Relations and Tribal Grants Management—We provide technical assistance to Tribes, and facilitate cooperative relationships between Tribes and the Fish and Wildlife Service, helping the Service to meet its government-to-government consultation requirements. We also manage the Tribal Wildlife Grants Program and Tribal Landowner Incentive Program Grants for the Pacific Region.
  
  
• Public Affairs—We respond, or coordinate responses to news media inquiries. We provide technical and policy support related to media communications to field and regional office staff.  We write, edit, and/or coordinate the region’s media strategies and news releases and distribute timely information to the news media.
  
  
• Web Development and Support—We oversee technical and policy development of the Region’s many websites, providing training and support to web developers throughout the region.  We create and maintain numerous regional and field station websites.
  
• Outreach Support—We assist and coordinate a number of Fish and Wildlife Service or interagency events. Our focus is on events with strong media interest, or those requiring speechwriting or other assistance for representatives of the Fish and Wildlife Service or Department of the Interior. We provide guidance and support on strategic outreach planning to enhance the effectiveness of the Service’s communications to the public.

Who we serve
We work with Service employees, elected and other public officials, news media representatives, Tribal representatives, stakeholder groups, and members of the public requesting assistance or resources.

How External Affairs can help you
The External Affairs staff has a wide array of resources and tools in each of the aforementioned areas that may be of use to you. For example, our Congressional and Legislative webpage provides links to local Congressional District maps and access to pending legislation. Our Public Affairs webpage features current news releases and information on how to contact regional and local staff. Click on the link related to your area of interest on the left side of this page. Contact information is provided in each area if you need further assistance.