United States Department of the Interior                                        FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE                                                   Washington, D.C. 20240

SUBJECT: Ecosystem Approach to Fish and Wildlife Conservation

A. POLICY. The Service will apply an ecosystem approach to fish and wildlife conservation.

B. SCOPE. Servicewide.

C. DEFINITION. An ecosystem approach means protecting or restoring the natural function, structure, and species composition of an ecosystem, recognizing that all components are interrelated.

D. IMPLEMENTATION. The concept document is appended. It introduces the ecosystem approach and provides guidance about adoption, partnerships, principles, ecosystem units, teams, planning and action, readiness and training, evaluation and adaptation, and definitions.

E. INCORPORATION.     This issuance incorporates the Service's Ecosystem Approach to Fish and Wildlife Conservation (February 1995) into the National Policy Issuance System and supersedes NPI #94-07 and #94-09. Recipients should insert the concept document as an appendix to this NPI in their National Policy Reference Books.
 
                                                                                            Mottie Beattie
                                                                                            Director

This appendix is available as a separate PDF file.  Click here ->  to open file.