Partners are valuable allies to the the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and play a vital role in meeting the Service's conservation goals. We team up with private conservation organizations, state and federal agencies and tribes. Together, with the landowner, this collective shares funding, materials, equipment, labor and expertise to meet restoration goals and our conservation mission.

Partnership Categories

Great things happen when partners are matched with the right opportunities. That's why we work with many types of partners at FWS from local businesses and conservation groups to veterans and large industry partners. Here are just a few of the Partner Categories working with FWS today.

We frequently partner with academia to further the conservation of and research into the stewardship of many species.

We often partner with non-governmental conservation organizations on conservation projects, whether it's to conserve identified species such as the monarch butterfly or to advise on land acquisition for conservation so that it has the greatest benefit for species.

We partner with these groups to help them conduct their commercial activities in a way that best promotes conservation.

We work with other federal agencies to help them meet their legal responsibilities as well as their mission.

Friends groups are organizations of community members committed to helping national wildlife refuges and national fish hatcheries meet conservation goals that would otherwise be out of reach. 

Our Partners

Here are just a few of our national partners.  You can view the full list of FWS partners, along with the regions and areas of focus our work together entails.

Latest Stories About Our Partners

Two Mexican wolf pups asleep on a blanket
Wildlife Management
2023 Mexican Wolf Fostering
Partners in Mexican wolf conservation are pleased to announce the successful fostering of 16 genetically valuable Mexican wolf pups this spring. The pups traveled from four captive facilities across the country and were placed into six wild dens in eastern Arizona and western New Mexico.
Mammoth Spring Earth Day 2023
Get Involved
Earth Day
On April 22, 2023, Mammoth Spring National Fish Hatchery (MSNFH) didn’t just have a good day, it was a GREAT day! This was the day to enlighten people on the value of taking care of our planet as part of a global event that is celebrated by 193 countries around the world, called Earth Day.
A huge school of silver fishes swimming in a stream
Climate Change
Olympic Peninsula Fish Hatcheries Adapt to a Changing Climate
On the Olympic Peninsula at the Quinault and Makah National Fish Hatcheries and the Makah Indian Tribe’s Hoko Falls Hatchery, managers share their observations, concerns, adaptations, and outlook for hope for managing the changes in climate that have affected the precious resources of salmon,...
a fish in water by a log
Climate Change
People of the Salmon
Since time immemorial, salmon were the common thread uniting Tribal communities throughout the Klamath River Basin. But a changing climate is impacting their natural world, especially the once abundant salmon runs. Read how the Yurok, Resighini Rancheria and Karuk nations struggle to maintain...
Beautiful turquoise, black, yellow striped butterfly, with red and blue highlights near a violet flower on a green leafy stalk
Zebra Swallowtail
Wildflowers are in bloom across Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge. And blooming flowers attract butterflies, such as the Zebra Swallowtail, pictured below.
A frog on the edge of a pond with a person standing out-of-focus in the background.
Working Toward Recovery for the Chiricahua Leopard Frog
When people think about the southwestern United States, most picture arid deserts and mountainous areas, however southwestern states including Arizona and New Mexico also contain riparian woodlands and wetlands that many species rely on. One of those species is the Chiricahua leopard frog.

Partnership Services

Through our partnerships we are able to expand our capabilities through the inclusion of services in areas such as:

  • Grant opportunities
  • Sponsorship of grants
  • Cooperative Agreements

To find out more about how our partner provides services view our partner services below.