Privacy

Privacy Statement

In accordance with the Department of the Interior Privacy Policy, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is committed to maintaining a web site that protects the individual’s right to privacy.

We do not require personal information from our visitors, nor do we collect any personally identifying information (name, email address, Social Security number, or other unique identifier) unless you knowingly provide it. Likewise, we do not give, sell, or transfer any personal information to a third party except as might be required by law .

Data Collection for Statistics

To aid in web site management, certain information is collected for statistical purposes. The Service uses specialized software to create summary statistics, which are used for such purposes as assessing what information is of most and least interest to our customers, determining technical design specifications, and identifying system performance or problem areas.

We collect only the following information about your visit:

We use the information we collect to measure the number of visitors to the different sections of our web site, allowing us to make our web site more useful and accessible to visitors. We do not store any personal identifiers.

Information Collected from E-mails and Forms

You may decide to send us personally identifying information through e-mail messages or through on-line forms. Electronic communication allows us to collect information that will improve our web site for you, and we encourage it. We use personally-identifying information from consumers in various ways to further our customer's protection and to provide better service. This may be to correct broken links that you have identified or provide additional information that you have requested.

Visit the Department of the Interior's Privacy Policy page to learn what can happen to the information you provide us when you send us e-mail or fill out a questionnaire or guestbook. Any information that we collect via a questionnaire or a guestbook may be subject to disclosure, but will be handled in accordance with the requirements of the Privacy Act and the Freedom of Information Act to ensure the greatest protection of personal privacy in the face of any required disclosure.

Security Checks

For web site security purposes and to ensure that this service remains available to all users, we employ software programs to monitor network traffic, identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise cause damage. Unauthorized attempts to upload or change information on this web site are strictly prohibited and may be punishable under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986 and the National Information Infrastructure Protection Act.

Cookies

When you visit some Web sites, their web servers generate pieces of information known as cookies. Some cookies collect personal information to recognize your computer in the future. This is not the case at www.fws.gov, where we only use non-persistent cookies or "per-session cookies." These cookies do not collect personal information on users and they are erased as soon as you leave our Web site.

Per-session cookies serve technical purposes like providing seamless navigation through www.fws.gov. These cookies do not permanently record data and they are not stored on your computer's hard drive. www.fws.gov cookies are stored in memory and are only available during an active browser session. Again, once you close your browser, the cookie disappears.

For Kids!

Please don't send us e-mail, Especially if you are under 13 years old. Instead, have an adult send the message. Have your parents, teachers and school librarian. For further guidance, please visit DOI's chidren's privacy policy page and the Federal Trade Commission's Children's Privacy statement.

STANDARD DISCLAIMER

The Department of the Interior Disclaimer Statement applies to the Service.

We will link to external sites that help us perform our mission - "working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. https://www.doi.gov/privacy