The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Region 8 is headquartered in Sacramento, California, and has federal fish and wildlife management responsibilities in California, Nevada, and the Klamath Basin in southern Oregon.

What We Do

Our Services

The Region includes one of the most ecologically diverse areas in the United States, ranging from the arid sand dunes in the Mojave Desert to the snow-capped crags in the high Sierras; from rich farmland in the Central Valley to rain-soaked redwood forests along the Pacific coast. This highly diverse geography provides habitats for a vast array of wildlife. More than 42 million people live within the Region, and expanding population centers such as San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Reno, San Diego, and Las Vegas are increasing demands on natural resources, presenting unique challenges to the Region’s conservation mission.

The Service is responsible for managing the National Wildlife Refuge System, operating fish hatcheries and fishery resource offices, enforcing federal wildlife laws, managing migratory bird populations, conserving and restoring habitats, and overseeing a federal aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars to state, fish and wildlife agencies.

Latest Stories and Topics

Stories
Three sandhill crane in flight
Science and Technology
Conserving at Flyway Scales
Migratory birds face threats as wetlands vanish due to climate change and human actions. An innovative new tool represents a transformative leap in better understanding these crucial ecosystems and their avian inhabitants.
A pink flower in bloom with silvery green leaves sits in rocky soils.
Endangered Species Act
Northern California perennial plant Lassics lupine receives ESA protection
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced the Lassics lupine, a plant species found only in northern California, will be listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act.
Representatives from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, members of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, and other partners pose for the Numana Dam groundbreaking.
Habitat Restoration
Numana Dam Fish Passage Project
On September 13, the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service broke ground to commence construction on a fish passage project at Numana Dam in northern Nevada. Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Reclamation, Nevada Department of Wildlife and other partners joined the Service...
Colorful fish art hanging from a string.
For Parents and Educators
Get Outdoors with a Monster of a Fish - The Lahontan Cutthroat Trout
In June during National Get Outdoors Month, Lahontan National Fish Hatchery Complex in Gardnerville, Nevada provided a Lahontan cutthroat trout or LCT outdoor learning experience for Douglas County Recreation Adventure Camp. The Adventure Camp students ranged from kindergarten to fifth grade and...
a black bird sitting on a branch surrounded by other brances
Wildlife Wonders
Nine species to be on the lookout for at Ash Meadows NWR
Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge is located in the Mojave Desert, just outside of Pahrump, Nevada. This unique desert oasis is just under 24,000 acres and is home to 26 species that can be found nowhere else on Earth. Ash Meadows was named after the ash trees that once occupied the area as...
A fish with a black band on its fin and tail swims underwater.
Habitat Restoration
Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge helps ‘play defense’ for pupfish
Imagine growing up in a system where you are the top predator. Nothing scares you - why would it? That’s precisely the challenge the endangered Ash Meadows Amargosa pupfish had when faced with the invasive green sunfish.
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