In 1900, the Lacey Act became the Nation's first Federal wildlife protection law and with it was born the "duck cop". Since the 1900s, the developing needs of fish and wildlife and their habitats have become a top priority for the Department of Interior.

Today the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employs refuge law enforcement officers, wildlife inspectors, and special agents responsible for the enforcement of not only refuge regulations, but also numerous laws and international treaties.

Law enforcement priorities for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service include: 

• Investigating wildlife crimes on wild populations of federally protected species, with emphasis on commercial exploitation and/or habitat destruction and modification;
• Investigating wildlife crimes on wild populations of species protected by state or foreign laws, with emphasis on interstate and foreign commercial exploitation;
• Providing support and assistance to refuge enforcement activities on Service lands and to other Federal agencies on lands they manage;
• Inspecting import or export wildlife shipments, containing federally protected species; special emphasis on commercial exploitation, CITES Appendix I, II, or III species, threatened or endangered species, and species protected by state or foreign law, including species indigenous to the United States; and,
• Promoting awareness of, and support for, Federal wildlife laws and the role of law enforcement in protecting our wildlife resources and heritage.

Find more information about law enforcement within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and recent law enforcement events around the Pacific Region.

Give Us Your TIPs and Turn In Poachers 

Do you have information about illegal hunting or trapping on the Refuge? Let us know! You can call 1-844-NWR-TIPS (697-8477) or send us an email.

You will be asked for the type of incident as well as the date, place (refuge name or county/state) and approximate time of the incident. You may remain anonymous or leave your name and contact information which will help law enforcement with the investigation. Any contact information will be use for official purposes only.