"U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists are reviewing the Army Corps of Engineers final Environmental Impact Statement on its Missouri River operations that was issued today. In the meantime, the Service will continue to work closely with the Corps to assist in the identification of shallow water habitat beneficial to the pallid sturgeon. Together, the Corps and the Service have already identified a significant amount of that habitat. We look forward to continuing to work with the Corps to help it meet its obligations under the Endangered Species Act to ensure the protection and conservation of the sturgeon while it carries out its operations on the river"
Craig Manson, Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Fish and Wildlife and Parks
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 542 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resources offices and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
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For more information about the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
visit our homepage at http://www.fws.gov
