The Coastal Program is one of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s most effective resources for restoring and protecting fish and wildlife habitat on public and privately-owned lands. We play an important role in promoting the Service’s mission and priorities, delivering landscape-scale conservation, and implementing strategic habitat conservation.

What We Do

Our Services

We deliver habitat conservation in coastal watersheds (i.e., headwaters to nearshore) on both public and private lands. Our ability to work on public and private lands and with a diversity of partners is necessary for implementing a coastal habitat conservation strategy, especially in coastal watersheds where land ownership is often a mosaic of private and public entities. This ability also creates a unique opportunity for the Service to deliver landscape conservation, maintain habitat connectivity and continuity, and to connect and engage partners with the Service’s conservation priorities and objectives.

Habitat protection is an important component of the Service’s landscape-scale conservation strategy. Coastal Program fulfills a unique role by providing both technical and financial assistance for third-party land acquisitions to protect habitats. This practice allows the Service to complement its land holdings and expand its conservation efforts beyond the boundaries of the National Wildlife Refuges System.
 

Latest Stories and Topics

Our Services

Our Library

Front page of Coastal Program brochure
The Coastal Program brochure highlights the importance of coastal habitats and Coastal Program with infographics and statistics.
Excavator works on Stillaguamish Tribe's zis-a-ba Coastal Restoration Project
Collection of the Coastal Program Accomplishment Reports. These reports highlight the passion and commitment of our employees and partners to conserving natural habitats for fish, wildlife, and people.
Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program & Coastal Program - Urban Habitat Conservation Report

The Coastal Program and Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program have a long history of engaging and working with urban communities. By using principles reflected in the Service’s Standards of Excellence, we are able to collaboratively design and implement landscape-scale habitat conservation that...

Nature's Good Neighbors

A series of project stories that highlight the connections people and communities have with natural places. The stories  also highlight the assistance provided by the Coastal Program to partners and stewards who are working to make a home for people and wildlife and to conserve...

National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program Factsheet

This factsheet is geared toward increasing understanding of the National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program and to increase application submissions from the conservation community. This factsheet was prepared in collaboration with Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program.

Farm Bill Brochure

Guide to Farm Bill conservation programs with Coastal Program and Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program project examples.