Mission

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's mission is, working with others, to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are the only agency of the U.S. Government with that primary mission.

The Service helps protect a healthy environment for people, fish and wildlife, and helps Americans conserve and enjoy the outdoors and our living treasures. The Service's major responsibilities are for migratory birds, endangered species, certain marine mammals, and freshwater and anadromous fish.

Today, the Service employs approximately 7,500 people at facilities across the country including a headquarters office in Washington, D.C., seven regional offices, and nearly 700 field units. Among these are national wildlife refuges, national fish hatcheries and management assistance offices, law enforcement and ecological services field stations.

The National Wildlife Refuge System

The mission of the Refuge System is to administer a national network of lands and waters for the conservation, management, and where appropriate, restoration of the fish, wildlife, and plant resources and their habitats within the United States for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.

The San Luis National Wildlife Refuge Complex

Our management goals and objectives include: 1) managing and providing habitat for endangered or sensitive species (Aleutian Canada goose, bald eagle, San Joaquin kit fox, fairy/tadpole shrimp, California tiger salamander, tricolored blackbird, white-faced ibis, Swainson's hawk, etc.); 2) produce optimum habitat conditions for wintering waterfowl and other migratory birds; 3) Maintain and enhance the overall biodiversity associated with the existing mix of vegetative communities; and, 4) Provide an area for compatible management oriented research and education/interpretation and recreational programs which may include observation, photography, hunting.