Our coasts, rivers, estuaries, wetlands and other natural places are home to spectacular native wildlife and provide Americans with unrivaled places to fish, hunt, and get outdoors. They also play a critical role in our economy, generating revenues in tourism and recreational opportunities, while providing us with clean water and performing countless other important ecological functions.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service works collaboratively with states, tribes, municipalities, private landowners, and industries to keep these special places vibrant and healthy, but oil and chemical spills can hamper those efforts, causing serious and potentially permanent ecological damage.
We work with others to protect and restore fish and wildlife populations, and habitats that have been injured by the release of oil or hazardous substances.