Central Washington Field Office

What We Do

The Central Washington Field Office (CWFO) was opened in 1994 to bring Fish and Wildlife Service closer to the central Washington community and facilitate collaboration with the state, local partners and other stakeholders in addressing natural resource issues, particularly in relation to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973, as amended; the Northwest Forest Plan; and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) relicensing of hydroelectric dams on the mid-Columbia River. The CWFO is co-located with the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, the Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Cascadia Conservation District.

Jurisdiction

The CWFO’s area of responsibility includes eight counties along the Columbia River in the central part of the state, extending from the eastern slopes of the Cascade Mountains eastward and from the Canadian border south to the Columbia River. The office is located in Wenatchee, Washington.

Current Activities

• Species Recovery.  Our office implements all aspects of species and habitat recovery under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). There are 26 federally listed endangered, threatened, and candidate species, and designated critical habitat for four species in the CWFO area of responsibility. CWFO works with partners, such as local land owners, environmental organizations, federal, state, and local government agencies, to implement activities that restore and conserve listed species and their habitats to aid in their recovery.
  
  
• ESA Consultations.  We administer regulatory authority under section 7 of the ESA to protect and conserve federally listed species and their habitats in central Washington. We work with Federal Agencies and other partners to protect listed species on projects that are federally funded, authorized, or carried out. We strive towards recovery of bull trout, northern spotted owl, gray wolf, grizzly bear, Canada lynx, as well as several rare native plants. We are also working with our partners to conserve and increase the abundance of Pacific lamprey in the mid-Columbia River and its tributaries.
  
  
• Northwest Forest Plan.  The Northwest Forest Plan (NFP) is an integrated, comprehensive plan for old growth ecosystem management through intergovernmental and public collaboration and rural community economic assistance for federal forests in western Oregon, Washington, and northern California. The NFP was designed to manage northern spotted owl habitat, as well as old growth ecosystems, while meeting the need for forest products. The CWFO has actively participated in the implementation of the NFP, since it was adopted in 1994.
  
  
• Kids In The Creek Outdoor Education (http://www.fws.gov/leavenworth/kc.html).  Kids In The Creek is a national award-winning curriculum. CWFO staff takes part annually by sharing their interests in natural resources with teachers, kids, and adults in Central Washington. Standing in creeks, participants learn about the importance of healthy streams and watersheds with a “hands on” approach. There are future benefits when we work with some of these same folks as partners in restoration and recovery of listed species and habitats.