U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

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 & Wildlife Service have a lot going on. Here are a few of the latest news stories from across the Service...

Wildlife Wonders

Endangered Species Athletics

The premier summer sporting event of 2024 is here – the Endangered Species Athletics competition! From July 20-July 27, 2024, 16 listed species from across the United States will go feather-to-fin and leaf-to-paw in four virtual events: swimming, climbing, track and strength. And YOU get to be on...

Jul 18, 2024

The orange arm of a construction excavator reaches into a river to break apart a dam

Habitat Restoration

Of herring and humans

Taunton residents lived with the specter of dam failures for decades, as structures that once harnessed the Mill River’s power fell into disrepair. A wake-up call in the early 2000s led to a restored waterway that not only increases public safety but also offers river herring and other migratory...

Jul 15, 2024

Our Partners

New resource provides guidance for wood-turtle friendly forest management

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Alliance of Forest Owners, and the National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Inc., have released a new resource that provides guidance for forest managers to support wood turtles on their woodlands. The guidance document is the first landowner...

Jul 16, 2024

A man in waders, ballcap, and nitrile gloves holds an instrument in a river.

Science and Technology

Skin, Scales, and Scat

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service eDNA expertise harnessed by new White House strategy to explore, map and monitor aquatic life. Environmental DNA, or eDNA for short, is a tool that can be used to monitor the presence of a species in the water, on land, or even in the air. This emerging technology...

Jul 10, 2024

Endangered Species Act

States and Territories Receive $7.4 Million in Competitive Grants to Conserve Vulnerable Wildlife

Vulnerable wildlife across the nation will benefit from more than $7.4 million in grants thanks to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Competitive State Wildlife Grants (C-SWG). Since 2008, the C-SWG program has provided over $103 million in federal grant funds to states, commonwealths,...

Jul 3, 2024

Endangered Species Act

$48.4M for Collaborative Efforts to Conserve America’s Most Imperiled Species

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced $48.4 million in grants to 19 states and Guam to support land acquisition and conservation planning projects on over 23,000 acres of habitat for 80 listed and at-risk species through the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund (CESCF). The...

Jul 1, 2024

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...

Director's Priorities

Morning view of Mortenson Lake National Wildlife Refuge, part of the Laramie Plains refuges in south central Wyoming.

National Wildlife Refuges

Protecting Wildlife

Climate Change

Invasive Species Management

Law Enforcement

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.