The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Kansas Ecological Services Field Office is located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the northern Flint Hills. The office provides information related to at-risk species, threatened and endangered species, migratory birds, eagles, habitat and other natural resources throughout Kansas.
IMPORTANT

Effective immediately the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Kansas Ecological Services Field Office requires the use of our online Information for Planning and Consultation (IPaC) tool for all project reviews submitted for review and response.   The tool can be found at the following address: https://ipac.ecosphere.fws.gov.   This tool allows project proponents to identify the presence of Federally protected species, their habitats and other Federal Trust Resources at a project site and will assist with the development of technical assistance and consultation packages, as appropriate.   For Section 7 Section 7
Section 7 Consultation The Endangered Species Act (ESA) directs all Federal agencies to work to conserve endangered and threatened species and to use their authorities to further the purposes of the Act. Section 7 of the Act, called "Interagency Cooperation," is the mechanism by which Federal agencies ensure the actions they take, including those they fund or authorize, do not jeopardize the existence of any listed species.

Learn more about Section 7 consultation under the Endangered Species Act, please use IPaC IPaC
Information for Planning and Consultation (IPaC) is a project planning tool that streamlines the USFWS environmental review process

Learn more about IPaC , and to the extent it is available for a given project type, the associated Consultation Package Builder.   Please include the Project Code generated by IPAC for your project in the subject line and body of your request, and include all official documentation generated by IPaC as an email attachment to your project correspondence that you submit for review to our office email, kansases@fws.gov.    The Kansas Ecological Services Field Office will no longer accept project review submissions unless they have official correspondence from IPaC.   A printed resource list from the IPaC Explore Location page is not considered official correspondence and will have a “NOT FOR CONSULTATION” watermark.   If you do not have a federal nexus, (i.e., the project is not funded, carried out, or permitted by a Federal agency) you may use IPaC for informational purposes and technical assistance (e.g., Official Species List).

For assistance on using IPaC, please note the “Helpful Videos” and “Frequently Asked Questions” at the bottom of IPaC’s landing page.   

Latest News

Regal fritillary butterfly on a common milkweed
Endangered Species Act
USFWS Proposes ESA Protections for Both Subspecies of the Regal Fritillary Butterfly
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced a proposal to list both subspecies of the regal fritillary, a large butterfly, under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Based on a review of the best available science, the Service is proposing to list the eastern regal fritillary as endangered, and the...
Brown and black striated freshwater mussels sitting a steel truck bed
Endangered Species Act
Draft recovery plan for four imperiled freshwater mussels
They have quirky names and are often mistaken for stones, but freshwater mussels are very much alive and perform critical ecological functions in rivers and streams. We've drafted a plan to save four imperiled mussels protected under the Endangered Species Act: the rayed bean, sheepnose, snuffbox...
Western fanshell mussels
Endangered Species Act
Protecting two more freshwater mussel species under the Endangered Species Act
Following a review of the best available scientific and commercial information, we are protecting the western fanshell and a newly identified species known as the “Ouachita” fanshell as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. These two freshwater mussel species are found in rivers and streams...
Rabbitsfoot Mussel
Endangered Species Act
Service Announces Availability of Final Recovery Plan for Rabbitsfoot Mussel
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is announcing the availability of the final recovery plan for the rabbitsfoot mussel. This plan includes specific criteria for determining when the rabbitsfoot should be considered for delisting, removing it from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened...
Northern long-eared bat with white-nose syndrome in a cave
Endangered Species Act
Effective date to reclassify northern long-eared bat as endangered extended
The effective date of the final rule to reclassify the northern long-eared bat from threatened to endangered under the Endangered Species Act is being extended by 60 days, from Jan. 30, 2023, to March 31, 2023. The extension will allow us to finalize conservation tools and guidance to avoid...
Northern long-eared bat with white-nose syndrome in a cave
Endangered Species Act
Northern long-eared bat reclassified as endangered under the Endangered Species Act
The bat, listed as threatened in 2015, now faces extinction due to the rangewide impacts of white-nose syndrome, a deadly disease affecting hibernating bats across North America. The rule takes effect on January 30, 2023. The growing extinction crisis highlights the importance of the Endangered...
View All News

What We Do

The Kansas Ecological Services Field Office provides biological and regulatory advice to other federal and state agencies, tribes, industry, and members of the public concerning the conservation of fish and wildlife, their habitat and other federal trust resources that may be affected by development activities. Staff assess the potential effects of projects and devise options for project proponents to achieve their objectives, as well as, conservation and regulatory compliance of migratory birds, eagles, threatened and endangered species, anadromous fish, at risk species, and their habitats and other federal trust resources.  In Kansas, our work with projects typically include activities such as agriculture, mining, power generation, power lines, dredge and fill activities, dam and reservoir operations, oil leasing, and highway construction. The effects of contaminants on fish and wildlife are also assessed. Recommendations are made regarding ways to avoid, or minimize and offset potential impacts.

Additionally, we work with a range of public and private partners to use a variety of tools to achieve recovery of threatened and endangered species and seek opportunities to preclude the need to list through proactive conservation of species of concern. These efforts include include restoring and acquiring habitat, removing invasive species invasive species
An invasive species is any plant or animal that has spread or been introduced into a new area where they are, or could, cause harm to the environment, economy, or human, animal, or plant health. Their unwelcome presence can destroy ecosystems and cost millions of dollars.

Learn more about invasive species , conducting surveys, monitoring populations, research, grants, and breeding species in captivity to release them into their historic range. 

Our Organization

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...
Program
Falls Church,VA

Our Species

The Kansas Ecological Services Field Office currently works on 35 species as part of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) including 10 Endangered, 11 Threatened, 2 Proposed Endangered, 3 Proposed Threatened, and 9 Under Review or Petitioned for Listing species.   We also work with bald and golden eagles, and other migratory birds.  Search for information on our species through our Environmental Conservation Online System (ECOS).  Click the following link for more information on these species, and explore trust resource lists for your specific proposed project area, including federally listed species and designated critical habitat, through the Service's Information for Planning and Consultation (IPaC).  At-risk species with a scheduled status review with potential to be listed under the ESA are maintained on our National Listing Workplan.  Our National Downlisting and Delisting Workplan includes species being considered for an improved status under the ESA due to conservation and recovery efforts.  

Location and Contact Information