The Coastal Program is one of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s most effective resources for restoring and protecting fish and wildlife habitat on public and privately-owned lands. We play an important role in promoting the Service’s mission and priorities, delivering landscape-scale conservation, and implementing strategic habitat conservation.

What We Do

Our Services

Landscape of beach cliff covered in green plants and rolling tide
Image Details

We deliver habitat conservation in coastal watersheds (i.e., headwaters to nearshore) on both public and private lands. Our ability to work on public and private lands and with a diversity of partners is necessary for implementing a coastal habitat conservation strategy, especially in coastal watersheds where land ownership is often a mosaic of private and public entities. This ability also creates a unique opportunity for the Service to deliver landscape conservation, maintain habitat connectivity and continuity, and to connect and engage partners with the Service’s conservation priorities and objectives.

Habitat protection is an important component of the Service’s landscape-scale conservation strategy. Coastal Program fulfills a unique role by providing both technical and financial assistance for third-party land acquisitions to protect habitats. This practice allows the Service to complement its land holdings and expand its conservation efforts beyond the boundaries of the National Wildlife Refuges System.
 

Latest Stories and Topics

Stories
Smiling youngsters use binoculars to look at birds at San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge.
Recreation
11 Ways Wildlife Refuges Make Life Better
National wildlife refuges improve the quality of life for millions of Americans by boosting access to outdoor recreation, buffering storms, cleaning our air and water, and conserving wildlife. And that's just for starters.
Intern in river holding a freshwater mussel
Meet the Future of Conservation
Internships provide opportunities for young adults to gain knowledge and experience about wildlife conservation work.
Laysan albatross flying above Kahuku Golf Course
Migratory Species
Bird-Friendly Golf Courses
The golf industry is getting greener and improving its environmental game with bird-friendly best practices.  A growing number of clubs have converted out of play rough into protected areas where little to no maintenance occurs and wildlife are free to live undisturbed. Others are taking on new...
A sparrow--primarily gray and black with russet around the eyes--perches in tall marsh grass.
Habitat Restoration
Restoring Salt Marshes for People & Wildlife
Salt marshes are home to unique, native wildlife that live nowhere else. Many birds other wildlife including commercial and recreational fish rely on salt marshes. Salt marshes are important for people too, buffering coastal communities from destructive floods. But there are bright spots:...
An ‘ākohekohe sits on a branch. It has a black body with orange patches strewn throughout its body. An orange circle outlines its eye.
Climate Change
Decision-making in a new era of conservation
Conservation practitioners have numerous tools in their toolbox to help animals and plants survive in their habitats. But what do you do when a species’ habitat is no longer a safe place to live? The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) developed A Decision Support Framework for Conservation...
Stillaguamish Tribal land along the North Fork of the Stillaguamish River in the Trafton Reach, Snohomish County, Washington State.
Habitat Restoration
$10.8 Million To Protect and Restore Coastal Wetlands and Build Coastal Resiliency
As part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s efforts to conserve and restore coastal wetlands, the Service is awarding $10.8 million to support 12 projects in seven coastal states to protect, restore or enhance over 2,000 acres of coastal wetlands and adjacent upland habitats under the National...
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Our Services

Wetland Project Site
National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grants

The National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grants Program annually provides grants of up to $1 million to coastal and Great Lakes states, as well as U.S. territories to protect, restore and enhance coastal wetland ecosystems and associated uplands. The Program is funded by revenues collected...

USFWS staff meeting with partners on working lands.
Farm Bill Conservation Programs
Helping to Deliver Conservation on Private Lands through the Farm Bill 

The conservation provisions of the Farm Bill provide billions of dollars a year for voluntary conservation of soil, water and wildlife habitat on private lands through delivery of financial and technical assistance to...

Our Library

Front page of Coastal Program brochure
Coastal Program Brochure
The Coastal Program brochure highlights the importance of coastal habitats and Coastal Program with infographics and statistics.
Library Collection
1 Items
Excavator works on Stillaguamish Tribe's zis-a-ba Coastal Restoration Project
Coastal Program Accomplishment Reports
Collection of the Coastal Program Accomplishment Reports. These reports highlight the passion and commitment of our employees and partners to conserving natural habitats for fish, wildlife, and people.
Library Collection
5 Items
Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program & Coastal Program - Urban Habitat Conservation Report
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Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program & Coastal Program - Urban Habitat Conservation Report

The Coastal Program and Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program have a long history of engaging and working with urban communities. By using principles reflected in the Service’s Standards of Excellence, we are able to collaboratively design and implement landscape-scale habitat conservation that...

PDF
Nature's Good Neighbors
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Nature's Good Neighbors

A series of project stories that highlight the connections people and communities have with natural places. The stories  also highlight the assistance provided by the Coastal Program to partners and stewards who are working to make a home for people and wildlife and to conserve...

PDF
National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program Factsheet
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National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program Factsheet

This factsheet is geared toward increasing understanding of the National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program and to increase application submissions from the conservation community. This factsheet was prepared in collaboration with Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program.

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Farm Bill Brochure
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Farm Bill Brochure

Guide to Farm Bill conservation programs with Coastal Program and Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program project examples.

PDF
Tidal marsh in Currituck Sound, North Carolina.
Coastal Program - Carbon Study
The Coastal Program evaluated the carbon co-benefits delivered by habitat conservation (i.e., improvement and protection) completed between 2010 and 2020. The purpose of the carbon study is to demonstrate the important role that habitat conservation projects have in removing atmospheric carbon...
Library Collection
2 Items