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.

Academic Institutions

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

Conservation, Science, and Land Management Organizations

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.

Economic, Tourism, Retail, and Industry

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

Icon /Federal Agencies
Federal Agencies

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

Friends Groups

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. 

View Partnership Categories

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.

View Full Partner List

Latest Stories About Our Partners

Blue bird with brown & black patterned wings sitting on a branch
Blue grosbeak
A colorful beauty, the Blue grosbeak was currently spotted on Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, adding a splash of bright blue to the refuge sky
Aerial view of a landscape with forest and wetlands
Migratory Species
2023 WBPHS Field Report - Eastern Montana and Southern Alberta
Because the number of wetlands is low, suitable nesting and rearing wetlands are crowded with high densities of birds making counting challenging at times.
Shoreline with a posted warning sign reading "do not enter"
Habitat Restoration
Trustees Sign Agreement to Cooperate on Natural Resource Damage Assessment Activities at Former Gas Plant Near Bremerton, Washington
Federal, state and Tribal natural resource trustees have signed an agreement to jointly conduct Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration (NRDAR) activities for the Bremerton Gas Works Superfund Site.
Saltmarsh sparrow
Climate Change
What migrating birds can teach us about managing for climate change 
At the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act, the Service is latching on to the tools that can help us protect the species and places we love as climate change shifts the landscape. From predictive studies to innovative land management guidelines, the Service forges ahead with a plan.
Sunset with birds migrating
Migratory Species
Motus Stations
Motus towers are helping to solve many mysteries of migratory species. By joining this international effort, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is helping to fill knowledge gaps about migratory bird behavior and ecology from coast to coast.
Four small owls sit among shrubs on the ground and look at the camera
Our Partners
Three California species supported by Tribal Wildlife Grants
People have lived in California for thousands of years, inhabiting the vast terrain from coastal wetlands to old growth forests and arid deserts. Before the land was dotted with buildings and etched with freeways, Indigenous people developed deep cultural connections with native wildlife.

Partnership Services

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Image Details

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.

View Partner Services