We are the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service office responsible for the following activities in Minnesota and Wisconsin: administering the Endangered Species Act; identifying sources of environmental contamination, assessing impacts of contaminants to fish and wildlife resources and helping to restore contaminated habitats; ensuring that fish and wildlife are considered by federal agencies during project planning for construction of roads, bridges, dams and other infrastructure; working with partners to restore and protect coastal resources, enhance fish passage and control exotic invasive species around the Great Lakes through the Great Lakes Coastal Program.
Special Announcements

MN-WI ES FO ArcGIS Story Map 

  • Check out our new office Story Map. We created this story map to introduce ourselves and highlight some of the work we do that contributes to fulfilling the mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 

Endangered Species Determination Key 

  • To streamline consultations, our office recently released the Minnesota-Wisconsin Federal Endangered Species Determination Key (Dkey). The determination key is available in IPaC IPaC
    Information for Planning and Consultation (IPaC) is a project planning tool that streamlines the USFWS environmental review process

    Learn more about IPaC     and can be used to determine if prohibited take might occur and, if not, will generate an automated verification letter. No further review from our office is necessary, if you receive a “no effect” or “may affect, not likely to adversely affect (NLAA)” determination letter. If you submit a project and receive a “may affect” determination for any species, please contact us and we will assist you with your consultation request.
  • Please visit our Library Collection to find more resources and a demonstration video on how to use the new Dkey.

Latest News

A small brown bat with what looks like white powder on its nose. The white is in fact a fungus.
Wildlife Wonders
Do "bat” an eye. These critters need our help!
Halloween is near and bats are on our mind. Hibernation can become fatal due to a disease called white-nose syndrome. Can we help?
Regal fritillary butterfly on a common milkweed
Endangered Species Act
USFWS Proposes ESA Protections for Both Subspecies of the Regal Fritillary Butterfly
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced a proposal to list both subspecies of the regal fritillary, a large butterfly, under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Based on a review of the best available science, the Service is proposing to list the eastern regal fritillary as endangered, and the...
logo that shows a silhouette of a bighorn sheet and bird going up the side of a mountain with the text "Endangered Species Athletics"
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 went feather-to-fin and leaf-to-paw in four virtual events: swimming, climbing, track and strength.
People searching a plot around a wind turbine with wind turbines in the background.
Energy
Seeking public comment for Alliant Wind Interstate Wind Project Habitat Conservation Plan
We're seeking public comment on a draft habitat conservation plan and environmental assessment for the Alliant Wind Interstate Wind Project in eight wind facilities in Iowa and one facility in Minnesota.
a fisher climbing a tree
Endangered Species Act
Endangered Species Athletics 2024 Climbing
This is the climbing event, and the athletes are as diverse as their climbing styles. From rocky slopes to slick cave walls and Giant sequoias, these athletes rely on impeccable balance, agility and grip to avoid a potentially devastating fall. Some approach the pitches upside down. Others prefer...
Brown and black striated freshwater mussels sitting a steel truck bed
Endangered Species Act
Draft recovery plan for four imperiled freshwater mussels
They have quirky names and are often mistaken for stones, but freshwater mussels are very much alive and perform critical ecological functions in rivers and streams. We've drafted a plan to save four imperiled mussels protected under the Endangered Species Act: the rayed bean, sheepnose, snuffbox...
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Our Organization

A rocky shoreline of a river. The water is calm. Mist and green branches line the river.
The Ecological Services Program works to restore and protect healthy populations of fish, wildlife, and plants and the environments upon which they depend. Using the best available science, we work with federal, state, Tribal, local, and non-profit stakeholders, as well as private land owners, to...
Program
Baileys Crossroads,VA

Our Species

Working with partners within and beyond the boundaries of our two states, the Minnesota-Wisconsin Ecological Services Field Office works to recover and prevent the extinction of our nation’s most imperiled species. We focus our efforts on many species, including the rusty patched bumble bee, Karner blue butterfly, piping plover, Poweshiek and Dakota skipperlings, freshwater mussels and northern long-eared bat.

Projects and Research

Get Involved

Our imperiled and listed species need your help! There are many ways you can help threatened and endangered species in your yard. Learn what you can do to provide the resources your local species need.

Location and Contact Information