The Urban Wildlife Conservation Program expands access to green space, education and outdoor recreation for Americans living in and around cities and suburbs.

What We Do

Our Services

A group of youth and staff members enjoy the outdoors at Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico, an urban wildlife refuge.

With 80 percent of Americans living in cities and suburbs, ensuring they can connect to nature is vital – both to people’s quality of life and the future of conservation. 

That’s where the Urban Wildlife Conservation Program comes in.

Since 2000, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has partnered with urban and suburban communities to improve residents’ access to nature. Often, these efforts involve urban wildlife refuges — the 100+ national wildlife refuges located within 25 miles of urban areas. Participants in the Urban Bird Treaty, a Service effort combining bird conservation and community improvement, are also frequent partners. 

List of Urban Wildlife Refuges

List of Urban Partnership Cities

By the Numbers

  • 101 urban national wildlife refuges within 25 miles of 250,000 people or more 
  • 8 flagship urban national wildlife refuges  
  • 32 designated Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership cities, 26 with nearby refuges 
  • 30 Urban Bird Treaty cities, 16 that are also associated with refuge partnerships 
“Bug Hunting” in Providence with HAF intern Angie Pertuz. The Providence Parks Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership provides year-round environmental education programming to elementary schools in the city. USFWS

Conservation Through Community 

The Urban Wildlife Conservation program centers on the idea that building strong, meaningful relationships with local communities is key to achieving conservation success. Community-building prizes innovation, welcomes individual participation, and works to resolve differences amicably.   

At the core of the urban program are eight Standards of Excellence:

  1. Know and relate to the community.
  2. Use stepping stones to engage people in nature.
  3. Build partnerships.
  4. Be a community asset.
  5. Ensure adequate long-term resources.
  6. Provide equitable access.
  7. Ensure visitors feel welcome and safe.
  8. Model sustainability. 
Jeannette Guess, then president of the Friends of John Heinz Refuge, and fellow Friends members and neighbors celebrate successes in 2016.



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