The Illinois-Iowa Field Office is the home of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Ecological Services Division, for the states of Illinois and Iowa. Ecological Services at the Illinois-Iowa Field Office includes the following programs: Endangered Species, Environmental Response and Restoration, Partners for Fish and Wildlife and Conservation Planning Assistance. Our mission is to provide leadership and expertise using sound science to conserve and restore endangered species, migratory birds, wetlands and other important fish and wildlife resources in Illinois, Iowa and the greater Midwest.

If you need a species list or to start a project review, visit the link below.

https://ipac.ecosphere.fws.gov

What We Do

Our conservation vision is to provide enduring resource benefits through strategic conservation actions that support a growing conservation estate and a more resilient landscape throughout Illinois, Iowa and the greater Midwest. If you require a review of your project with a federal nexus (funding or permitting) for impacts to federally listed species or critical habitat, please see our project review page for more information. 

Services
Butterfly rests on tall flowering plant.

The purpose of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) is to provide a means to conserve the ecosystems upon which endangered and threatened species depend and provide a program for the conservation of such species. The ESA directs all federal agencies to participate in conserving these species....

Mojave desert tortoise

Since two-thirds of federally listed species have at least some habitat on private land, and some species have most of their remaining habitat on private land, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) has developed an array of tools and incentives to protect the...

Tortoises saved and released on Eglin range

The Sikes Act requires most military installations within the United States to develop and implement a comprehensive plan for natural resource conservation and management (e.g., fish and wildlife, forestry, land management, outdoor recreation) on the installation. This conservation plan, known...

Screen capture of IPaC homepage.

Information for Planning and Consultation (IPaC) is a digital project planning tool that provides information to project proponents to help determine whether a project will have effects on federally listed species or designated critical habitat, as well as other sensitive resources managed...

Our Organization

Ecological Services at the Illinois-Iowa Field Office includes the following programs: Endangered Species, Conservation Planning Assistance, Environmental Response and Restoration, Partners for Fish and Wildlife and Conservation Planning Assistance, and Species Recovery.

A rocky shoreline of a river. The water is calm. Mist and green branches line the river.
The Ecological Services Program works to restore and protect healthy populations of fish, wildlife, and plants and the environments upon which they depend. Using the best available science, we work with federal, state, Tribal, local, and non-profit stakeholders, as well as private land owners, to...
Close up of a California condor. Its pink featherless head contrasts with its black feathers.
We provide national leadership in the recovery and conservation of our nation's imperiled plant and animal species, working with experts in the scientific community to identify species on the verge of extinction and to build the road to recovery to bring them back. We work with a range of public...
Pronghorn running through sagebrush with natural gas field facility in background.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service works collaboratively with other federal agencies, industries, and other stakeholders to achieve infrastructure development goals in ways that are sustainable and compatible with the conservation of fish, wildlife, and their habitats.
Partners for Fish and Wildlife: Nevada Coordinator Susan Abele Meets with Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe Member to Conduct a Site Visit at Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation
The Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program provides free technical and financial assistance to landowners, managers, tribes, corporations, schools and nonprofits interested in improving wildlife habitat on their land. Since 1987, we have helped more than 30,000 landowners to complete more than 50,...
Wading bird stands in oil damaged marsh.
We provide national leadership in the protection and restoration of fish, wildlife, and habitats that have been threatened or injured by oil discharges, releases of hazardous substances, or other emerging contaminants of concern.
Condor soars over mountain ridge.
We work with partners to conserve the ecosystems upon which endangered species and threatened species depend, developing and maintaining conservation programs for these species to improve their status to the point that Endangered Species Act protection is no longer necessary for survival. This...

Our Species

We conserve and restore threatened and endangered species and their habitats with a focus on imperiled bat and freshwater mussel species. Our office has also been actively involved with the conservation and recovery efforts for species such as the Topeka shiner, Iowa Pleistocene snail, decurrent false aster, and eastern prairie fringed orchid to mention a few. In addition, our office has taken an active role in the conservation of pollinator species including the monarch butterfly and their habitats in Illinois and Iowa.

For a list of threatened and endangered species, visit the link below.

https://ipac.ecosphere.fws.gov

Brown and black striated freshwater mussels sitting a steel truck bed

Shell surface: Many low, wide bumps run in a single file line down the outer shell surface, from the beak (the swelling above the point where the 2 shell halves join) to the opposite shell edge. The rest of the shell surface is smooth (without bumps), and looks slightly pressed-in from the beak...

FWS Focus
The decurrent false aster is threatened species. It is a perrenial plant found in moist, sandy floodplains and prairie wetlands along the Illinois River. Although not very tolerant to prolonged flooding, this plant relies on periodic flooding to scour away other plants that compete for the same...
FWS Focus
Cluster of roosting bats.

The Indiana bat is a medium-sized Myotis, closely resembling the little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) but differing in coloration. Its fur is a dull grayish chestnut rather than bronze, with the basal portion of the hairs on the back a dull-lead color. This bat's underparts are pinkish to...

FWS Focus

Projects and Research

Get Involved

We frequently partner with schools, museums, industry, private individuals and conservation organizations to communicate our involvement with fish and wildlife resources and conservation opportunities within the states of Illinois and Iowa. We also work with these groups and individuals to develop or identify conservation projects that may benefit threatened and endangered and other important fish and wildlife species and their habitats.

Location and Contact Information