Working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.

What's going on at FWS

With more than 560 National Wildlife Refuges, 70 national fish hatcheries, numerous regional and field offices across the country and thousands of active conservation projects, the nearly 8,000 employees of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have a lot going on. Here are a few of the latest news stories from across the Service...

Butterfly rests on tall flowering plant.
Endangered Species Act
Administration Revises Endangered Species Act Regulations to Strengthen Certainty, Reduce Burdens and Uphold the Law
WASHINGTON — The Department of the Interior’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced four proposed rules to restore Endangered Species Act regulations to their proven 2019 and 2020 framework. The actions advance President Donald J. Trump’s directives to strengthen American energy...
Biologist stands on the front of a boat with net to catch fish.
Wildlife Management
Into the Weeds: Virginia Biologists Track the Life of Invasive Snakehead
Biologists from the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) stand ready on the bow, nets in hand, scanning for movement. They’re conducting long-term surveys for Channa argus, better known as the Northern Snakehead, a non-indigenous fish found in many Chesapeake Bay tributaries. Snakeheads...
Florida manatee swims in shallow water toward camera.
Wildlife Wonders
America 250: Our nation’s nature
To celebrate America's 250th birthday, we're highlighting the incredible wildlife that calls this beautiful country home. This week, learn about the red drum, bordered mantis, West Indian manatee, kit fox, alligator gar, meadow vole and American crow.
a close up of a black-footed ferret head poking through an artificial den entrance
Science and Technology
Cloned Black-footed Ferret Kits Offer Hope for the Species
Announcing the birth of four litters of black-footed ferrets this summer at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute and the National Black-footed Ferret Conservation Center — an exciting development in ongoing cloning research. These remarkable kits — 6 females and 6 males...
Habitat Restoration
Restoring the Riverbed: How Sport Fish Restoration Act Funds Are Rebuilding Salmon and Steelhead Habitat in California’s Central Valley
In California’s Central Valley, along the Merced River, the low rumble of bulldozers signals renewal. Crews are returning clean, sorted gravel to the riverbed, rebuilding spawning habitat that salmon and steelhead have relied on for thousands of years.
Six judges at the 2025 Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest hold the winning artwork.
Get Involved
Minnesota Artist James Hautman Wins 2025 Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest
After two days of competition, James Hautman of Chaska, Minnesota, emerged as the winner of the 2025 Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest with an acrylic painting of three buffleheads. The announcement was made at an in-person event and via livestream at Patuxent Research Refuge in Laurel, Maryland.

Our Focus

The history of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service can be traced back to 1871. We are the only federal government agency whose primary responsibility is to manage fish and wildlife resources in the public trust for people today and future generations. Here are just a few of our focus areas...

What We Do For You

If you’re looking for places to experience nature; interested in partnering with us; seeking technical advice, permits, grants, data or scientific research; want to know more about today’s conservation challenges; looking for ways on how you can get involved and make a difference -- the Service has a lot to offer and more…

Visit Us - Our Locations

With more than 560 national wildlife refuges, dozens of national fish hatcheries and more than 100 field offices, there are numerous great U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service locations to visit.