The Austin Ecological Services Field Office is one of four field offices throughout the state of Texas under the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Ecological Services program. This program works closely with our partners to conserve the nation's fish, wildlife, plants and habitat by providing national leadership for the conservation of species and their habitats under the authorities of the Endangered Species Act, the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, the Coastal Barrier Resources Protection Act, the Clean Water Act and more.
Important Notice:

In an effort to ensure continuity of operations of the Austin Ecological Services Field Office, please submit all project review requests in electronic format (email) until further notice. Questions or project requests located within the Field Office area of responsibility should be directed as follows:  

    

Latest News

A photo collage of seven species found in the Edwards Aquifer on a black background. The species are the orange Comal Springs dryopid beetle, the pink to clear Texas blind salamander, the tan to orange San Marcos salamander, the orange to burnt red Comal Springs riffle beetle. The second row of species features the clear Peck’s cave amphipod, the green and yellow Texas wild-rice and tan and blue fountain darter.
Endangered Species Act
Service Extends Public Comment Period on Draft Recovery Plan for Edwards Aquifer Listed Species
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is extending the public comment period for the draft recovery plan for seven southern Edwards Aquifer species listed as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act. These species are dependent upon groundwater from the aquifer to support their needed...
Ponds surrounded by browning grass. The pond in the foreground has algae growth and the day is sunny.
Endangered Species Act
Final Recovery Plan for Three Endangered Aquatic Invertebrates Available
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is releasing the final recovery plan for three endangered aquatic invertebrate species that inhabit springs within desert wetlands of the Chihuahuan Desert of West Texas: the Diamond tryonia, Gonzales tryonia and Pecos amphipod. The overall recovery strategy...
A photo collage of seven species found in the Edwards Aquifer on a black background. The species are the orange Comal Springs dryopid beetle, the pink to clear Texas blind salamander, the tan to orange San Marcos salamander, the orange to burnt red Comal Springs riffle beetle. The second row of species features the clear Peck’s cave amphipod, the green and yellow Texas wild-rice and tan and blue fountain darter.
Endangered Species Act
Draft Recovery Plan Available for Seven Listed Species of the Edwards Aquifer
The public can now review and comment on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s draft recovery plan for seven species listed as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act found in the southern Edwards Aquifer springs and associated aquatic ecosystems. This recovery plan comprises a...
A simplified food web with the words, Edwards Aquifer, Texas simplified food web. Producers are on the bottom of the web and include CLAMs and decaying plants. The primary consumers are comas springs dryopid beetle, water slater and cave shrimp and are found on top of the Producers box. Secondary consumers include Peck's cave amphipod and is found on top of the primary consumer box. Tertiary consumers is the Texas blind salamander and is found on top of the secondary consumer box. .
Wildlife Wonders
Edwards Aquifer's Rock Eaters
Tiny microbes found within the Edwards Aquifer help make it one of the most ecologically diverse aquifers in the world. The Edwards Aquifer is a significant source of drinking water for Central Texas, one of the fastest growing areas in the United States. People, plants and animals depend on...
a Satan eurystomus in profile
Endangered Species Act
Service Extends Final Listing Rule and Reopens Comment Period for Texas Catfishes
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is announcing a six-month extension to finalize whether to list the toothless blindcat and widemouth blindcat as endangered species. The Service is also reopening the public comment period for 30 days. The comment period will open Aug. 1, 2024, and close on Sept....
A profile of a Mexican long-nose bat- a tan to gray bat with somewhat small ears, large eyes, a pointy nose, and almost smiling snout.
Endangered Species Act
Mexican Long-Nosed Bat Revised Recovery Plan
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has approved a revised recovery plan for the Mexican long-nosed bat, an endangered migratory bat found seasonally in West Texas and New Mexico. The revised recovery plan establishes downlisting and delisting criteria for the Mexican long-nosed bat, which was...
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About Us

Our Ecological Services field office works to protect species that are federally listed as endangered or threatened as well as species that are candidates for Federal listing within a 74-county area throughout central and western Texas. 

We also provide technical and financial assistance to non-Federal landowners seeking to promote stewardship of Federal trust resources, such as migratory birds, interjurisdictional fish, and wetlands through the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program.

What We Do

The conservation of our nation’s most imperiled species is at the heart of our office’s work. It drives what we do, from reviewing federally funded or authorized projects, to proactively working to recover rare species. All of our work is done in conjunction with partners, including state wildlife agencies, Tribes, other federal agencies, private industry, colleges and universities, and non-profit organizations.

Services
Mojave desert tortoise
Habitat Conservation Plans

Since two-thirds of federally listed species have at least some habitat on private land, and some species have most of their remaining habitat on private land, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) has developed an array of tools and incentives to protect the...

Service
Consultation and Technical Assistance
Permits
Business Owner/Commercial Business
Government or Government Representative - Local Government
Government or Government Representative - State Government
Two curious animals with long necks and what looks like black masks around their eyes peek out from a burrow in the ground.
Safe Harbor Agreements

NOTE: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) finalized new Endangered Species Act (ESA) section 10(a) implementing regulations, which became effective on May 13, 2024. The changes simplify section 10(a)(1)(A) by combining Candidate Conservation...

Service
Consultation and Technical Assistance
Land Management and Conservation Assistance
Species Management

Our Organization

Our Ecological Services field office works to protect species that are federally listed as endangered or threatened as well as species that are candidates for Federal listing within a 74-county area throughout central and west Texas. We also provide technical and financial assistance to non-Federal landowners seeking to promote stewardship of Federal trust resources, such as migratory birds, interjurisdictional fish, and wetlands through the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program.

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
Partners for Fish and Wildlife: Nevada Coordinator Susan Abele Meets with Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe Member to Conduct a Site Visit at Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation
The Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program provides free technical and financial assistance to landowners, managers, tribes, corporations, schools and nonprofits interested in improving wildlife habitat on their land. Since 1987, we have helped more than 30,000 landowners to complete more than 50,...
Program

Our Species

Our staff are experts on several federal threatened and endangered species of central and western Texas, and we work to prevent the extinction and to recover our nation’s most imperiled species. Learn more about the species that are the focus of our conservation efforts.

Projects and Research

Working with others is at the core of how we operate, and through those partnerships, we develop a number of conservation projects across central and western Texas. Learn more about some of the key efforts we have underway.

View of a two-lane highway cutting through Alaskan wilderness.
Image Details
Transportation Planning

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) recognizes the critical role of transportation in the economic and ecological well-being of human communities. Transportation projects influence the character of a region by the number of people and amount of goods and services it transports. Transportation designs also influence plant and animal species and their habitats, and the ecological health...

Transportation Planning
An endangered rusty patched bumblebee feeds at a flowering plant.
Image Details
Recovery Planning and Implementation

Working with partners, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) uses a range of conservation tools to recover threatened and endangered species to ensure that they are able to survive on their own in the wild. These tools can include acquiring and restoring habitat, removing invasive species, conducting surveys, monitoring individual populations, and breeding species in captivity to...

Recovery Planning and Implementation

Our Library

Sharing resources to support your plant and wildlife conservation efforts, or to help you better understand our efforts.

Photo of a captive held Houston Toad in its enclosure staring through the clear plastic walls at the camera
Houston Toad Protocol and Permit Guidelines
The documents below [Updated September 21, 2020] identify survey methods and reporting guidelines to be used for conducting presence/absence surveys for Houston toads (Bufo houstonensis) under a section 10(a)(1)(A) scientific research and recovery permit. Sound clips of Houston Toad are saved as...
Library Collection
12 Items
Electromag Cave in Williamson County, Texas
Terrestrial Karst Invertebrates
Fifteen species of karst invertebrates are listed as endangered in central Texas. The following documents and links are provided to help you understand the life history and federal listing status of these species.
Library Collection
28 Items
Photo of a fourteen Texas fatmucket mussels resting above a sand and algae streambed on a sunny day
Texas Freshwater Mussels
Eight species freshwater mussels are currently listed as endangered in Texas and one species is listed as threatened. An additional 3 species have been proposed to receive endangered species status in the state and 1 more is proposed to receive threatened status. The following documents and links...
Library Collection
19 Items

Get Involved

As a small office with a large work area, partnering with others is a foundation of our work - whether it be funding research, coordinating on-the-ground conservation efforts, or shepherding the next generation of conservation leaders. There may be opportunities for you to get involved conserving some of the rarest species and special habitats of central and western Texas, either with us, or with one of our myriad partners.

Location and Contact Information