What We Do

We work with communities and partners across Louisiana to support conservation through:

Endangered Species Listing & Recovery

Our office coordinates and supports the recovery of federally threatened and endangered species, and species being considered for Endangered Species Act protection. We support research and active propagation efforts that support conservation and management of federally listed species. We also compile and analyze data needed to inform decisions on species listing and classification.

Project Planning & Review

We work closely with other federal agencies to reduce or avoid impacts to plants, fish, and wildlife from projects they fund or authorize. See our Project Planning and Review page for more detailed information.

Habitat Restoration & Management

Our Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program works with private landowners to restore longleaf pine forest, stream, and riparian riparian
Definition of riparian habitat or riparian areas.

Learn more about riparian habitats that are home to endangered, threatened, and rare species. Projects can include implementing prescribed fire programs, identifying and eliminating sources of sediment and pollution, removing aquatic passage barriers such as derelict dams and crossing structures, and working to enhance plant, fish, and wildlife habitat on their land.

Management and Conservation

Our Programs

Our Services

To promote the conservation and recovery of federally listed endangered and threatened species, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) Louisiana Field Office's endangered species responsibilities include the following:

  • Identifying species that need protection. The Service is responsible for listing, reclassifying and delisting land and freshwater species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), based on an assessment of threats to the species and their habitats.
  • Providing biological and regulatory technical assistance to federal agencies through ESA section 7 consultation.
  • Providing biological and regulatory technical assistance to non-federal entities (individuals, organizations, companies and agencies) regarding activities that may affect listed species.
  • Implementing and coordinating recovery activities for listed species.
  • Working with private landowners to avoid and minimize impacts to listed species and to implement actions to benefit listed species.
  • Enforcing protections for federally listed species, and tracking their progress towards recovery.
  • Providing grants and technical assistance to states to assist with their conservation efforts benefitting species.
  • Working in partnership with people who have an interest in the conservation and recovery of federally listed species.
  • Evaluating the status of species to determine whether they qualify for listing under the ESA (candidate assessment).
  • Implementing conservation actions to prevent the need to list additional species (candidate conservation).

Our Programs

Our 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 Louisiana, from restoring longleaf pine forest and barrier islands to working to improve stream health for endangered mussels. Learn more about some of the key efforts we have underway.

Laws and Regulations

Authorities under which we provide assistance and guidance to help achieve environmental compliance include: