United States Fish and Wildlife Service

"FWS" redirects here. For other uses, see FWS (disambiguation).

United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Seal of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Flag of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Agency overview
FormedFish and Wildlife Service: June 30, 1940; 84 years ago (1940-06-30) U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: 1956; 68 years ago
Preceding agency
  • Bureau of Fisheries
JurisdictionUnited States Federal Government
HeadquartersBailey's Crossroads, Virginia, United States[Note 1]
38°50′44″N 77°07′12″W / 38.845663°N 77.120087°W / 38.845663; -77.120087
EmployeesApprox. 8,000[1]
Annual budget$1.584 billion (FY2021)[2]
Agency executives
Parent departmentU.S. Department of the Interior
Websitefws.gov
Footnotes
[3][4][5][6][7][8]
Heather Bartlett, an Arctic Refuge law enforcement officer with the Fish and Wildlife Service, next to her Piper PA-18 Super Cub in 2009
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service personnel in uniform on 11 April 2018

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS) is a U.S. federal government agency within the United States Department of the Interior which oversees the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats in the United States. The mission of the agency is "working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people."[1]

Among the responsibilities of the USFWS are enforcing federal wildlife laws; protecting endangered species; managing migratory birds; restoring nationally significant fisheries; conserving and restoring wildlife habitats, such as wetlands; helping foreign governments in international conservation efforts; and distributing money to fish and wildlife agencies of U.S. states through the Wildlife Sport Fish and Restoration Program.[10] The vast majority of fish and wildlife habitats are on state or private land not controlled by the United States government. Therefore, the USFWS works closely with private groups such as Partners in Flight and the Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council to promote voluntary habitat conservation and restoration.

The Fish and Wildlife Service was created in 1940 through the combination of two previous bureaus within the Department of the Interior. Its current director is Martha Williams, who was appointed by U.S. President Joe Biden on March 8, 2022.

USFWS employs approximately 8,000 people[1] and is organized into a central administrative office in Falls Church, Virginia, eight regional offices, and nearly 700 field offices distributed throughout the United States.

  1. ^ a b c "About the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service". fws.gov. United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
  2. ^ R. Eliot Crafton (January 5, 2021). U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: FY2021 Appropriations (Report). Congressional Research Service. p. 1. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
  3. ^ "US Fish and Wildlife Service Moving to Bailey's Crossroads?". Falls Church, VA Patch. August 6, 2013. Retrieved December 6, 2017.
  4. ^ "GSA Announces New Lease for US Fish and Wildlife Service". Archived from the original on November 30, 2018. Retrieved December 6, 2017.
  5. ^ "Zinke taps Utah wildlife director to head US Fish and Wildlife Service". Spokesman.com. Retrieved September 11, 2017.
  6. ^ [1] Archived November 11, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ [2] Archived March 6, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ USFWS – National Organizational Chart. Fws.gov. Retrieved on August 12, 2013.
  9. ^ "Director Martha Williams". fws.gov. United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  10. ^ "About WSFR". US Fish and Wildlife Service. Retrieved December 26, 2018.