About Us

The Appalachian Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office is part of a network of field stations located throughout the nation that works to conserve fish and aquatic resource, protect imperiled species and their habitats, and monitor and control invasive species.

Our office works primarily in the Ohio River basin in West Virginia and in the upper Tennessee River basin of Virginia, but we also work in rivers that drain to the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic that have their headwaters in the Allegheny Highlands, Blue Ridge, and Potomac regions of West Virginia and Virginia.

What We Do

Our biologists help landowners and other partners assess, plan, and conduct habitat restoration including: 

• Restoring wetlands, riparian , in-stream and upland / forested habitats
• Removing fish passage barriers such as dams and culverts
• Replacing road-stream crossings and culverts resilient to high water flows and provide better fish passage at all times of the year. 
• Controlling invasive species
• Planting native trees and shrubs
• Fencing livestock out of stream and riparian areas

Our Mission

Since 1871, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has been applying science-based approaches to conservation challenges. We work with our partners and engage the public to conserve, restore, and enhance fish and other aquatic resources for the continuing benefit of the American people. Conservation is at the heart of what we do, and we do this work for the American people, and for the future generations who will inherit our legacy of conserving America’s aquatic resources.