West Texas Sub-office, Lubbock, Texas

The West Texas Sub-office of the Arlington Ecological Services Field Office is located in the city of Lubbock, Lubbock County, Texas.

The West Texas Sub-office is responsible for providing technical and financial assistance to private landowners to restore and/or enhance fish and wildlife habitat through involvement in the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, Southern Great Plains Riparian Initiative, and Playa Lakes Joint Venture.  The West Texas Sub-office also provides endangered species technical assistance and guidance.

The primary focus of the West Texas Sub-office to date has been the delivery of the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program (PFW). Since 2000, the West Texas Sub-office has enrolled 85 landowners in the PFW program, with projects ranging from prairie restoration, wetland enhancement and restoration, and outdoor classrooms.

The lesser prairie-chicken, a candidate for listing under the Endangered Species Act, has been the focal species for the PFW program in the West Texas Sub-office work area.  A total of 103,000 acres have been enrolled in cost-share agreements to improve native rangeland habitat for this species.  Other species of concern that have been incorporated into PFW projects include the black-tailed prairie dog, burrowing owl, interior least tern, and Arkansas River shiner.

The plight of western riparian ecosystems was the impetus for the creation of the Southern Great Plains Riparian Initiative (SGPRI), a multi-agency effort involving state and federal resource agencies and initiated by the National Wild Turkey Federation. The goal of SGPRI is to restore riparian areas in the southern great plains to benefit all native wildlife species dependent on these habitats, including imperiled species such as the Arkansas River shiner and interior least tern. The West Texas Sub-office is the lead FWS office in Texas for the SGPRI, and has worked with NWTF since 2001 to complete 17 cooperative habitat restoration projects totaling 15,536 acres.

The Playa Lakes Region of the Southern High Plains provides crucial wintering, migrating, and breeding habitat for waterfowl in the Central Flyway.  Because of this region's value to trust species, in 1990 the FWS entered into a formal partnership to coordinate habitat protection and enhancement efforts within the Southern High Plains.  Known as the Playa Lakes Joint Venture, this partnership includes state and federal agencies, conservation groups, corporations, communities, and individuals. 

Follow the links above for more information regarding activities at the West Texas Sub-office or contact us or duane_lucia@fws.gov.

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

All images Credit to and Courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service unless specified otherwise.