Working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.

What's going on at FWS

With more than 560 National Wildlife Refuges, 70 national fish hatcheries, numerous regional and field offices across the country and thousands of active conservation projects, the more than 8,000 employees of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service have a lot going on. Here are a few of the latest news stories from across the Service...

Smiling youngsters use binoculars to look at birds at San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge.
Recreation
11 Ways Wildlife Refuges Make Life Better
National wildlife refuges improve the quality of life for millions of Americans by boosting access to outdoor recreation, buffering storms, cleaning our air and water, and conserving wildlife. And that's just for starters.
Two men hold up documents for the camera
Our Partners
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Celebrate Co-stewardship
On September 5, the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service celebrated the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the two governments for the co-stewardship of the Waubay National Wildlife Refuge
Representatives from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, members of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, and other partners pose for the Numana Dam groundbreaking.
Habitat Restoration
Numana Dam Fish Passage Project
On September 13, the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service broke ground to commence construction on a fish passage project at Numana Dam in northern Nevada. Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Reclamation, Nevada Department of Wildlife and other partners joined the Service...
A tree curves out over the river, with long, serpentine roots clinging to the river bank
Long-abandoned, 'orphaned' wells find champion named BIL
Oil and gas wells are considered “orphaned” when there is no known owner and therefore no party (person, business, landowner...) responsible for their upkeep and maintenance. In this sense, it is like discarded trash on the side of the road: It is a problem; it needs to be cleaned up; but who is...
A group of six women admire the winning duck stamp artwork.
Migratory Species
Montana Artist Chuck Black Wins 2023 Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest
After two days of competition, Chuck Black of Belgrade, Montana, emerged as the winner of the 2023 Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest with an oil painting of a northern pintail.
A close-up of a large turtle with rugged carapace and piked beak opened
Endangered Species Act
More Than $40.6M Coming to Conserve America’s Most Imperiled Species
The Department of the Interior today announced more than $40.6 million in grants through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to 10 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands to support land acquisition and conservation planning projects on over 7,200 acres of habitat for 65 listed and at-risk species...

Our Focus

The history of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service can be traced back to 1871. We are the only federal government agency whose primary responsibility is to manage fish and wildlife resources in the public trust for people today and future generations. Here are just a few of our focus areas...

What We Do For You

If you’re looking for places to experience nature; interested in partnering with us; seeking technical advice, permits, grants, data or scientific research; want to know more about today’s conservation challenges; looking for ways on how you can get involved and make a difference -- the Service has a lot to offer and more…

Visit Us - Our Locations

With more than 560 national wildlife refuges, dozens of national fish hatcheries and more than 100 field offices, there are numerous great U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service locations to visit.