The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) manages public lands in all 50 states and 5 U.S. territories and within an hour’s drive of 100 major cities. This varied and abundant network of public lands and waters generate many economic benefits for both rural and urban areas.

What We Do

Our Services

We conduct economic analyses for regulatory decision-making, natural resource damage assessment, natural resource based economic policy and development, National Wildlife Refuges, National Fish Hatcheries, and others.

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Our Projects and Initiatives

Economic impact analysis estimates the economic effects of expenditures in local, regional or national economies When the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) promulgates new or revised regulations, the regulatory process often requires an assessment of the economic effects under consideration. The Economics Branch is experienced in developing economic analyses to support the required determinations and NEPA requirements of the rulemaking process. Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration (NRDAR) is the process restoring natural resources injured as a result of oil spills or hazardous substance releases into the environment. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), through the Department of the Interior (DOI), works in partnership with affected state, tribal and federal trustee agencies to conduct damage assessments that serve as the basis for determining restoration needs that address the public's loss from injured natural resources.

Our Laws and Regulations

Our Library

USFWS Banking on Nature 2017
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USFWS Banking on Nature 2017

The Economic Contributions of National Wildlife Refuge Recreational Visitation to Local Communities The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service manages an unparalleled network of public lands and waters called the National Wildlife Refuge System. With 567 wildlife refuges and 38 wetland management...

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