Department of the Interior
Departmental Manual
Effective Date: 1/23/98
Series: Organization
Part 142: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Chapter 2: Office of the Director
Originating Office: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
142 DM 2
2.1 Basic Organization Structure (organization chart ). The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is composed of a main office in Washington, D.C., seven Regional Offices, and a variety of field installations--including national wildlife refuges and fish hatcheries, and ecological services stations. The Service also has a nationwide network of law enforcement agents, as well as a number of field study teams for biological and ecological activities. The Director is the chief executive of the Service and provides line authority to the Regional Directors, who in turn are responsible for and have line authority over all activities within their Region.
2.2 Office of the Director. The Director, under the supervision of the Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks, formulates Service policy delegated by the Assistant Secretary, and directs all activities of the Service. The Director is served by a Deputy Director or Deputies, as needed.
The Deputy Director (the first assistant) shares with the Director the responsibility for all Service functions and provides day-to-day direction and coordination of Service activities through Regional Directors and Assistant Directors. The Deputy Director also serves as the Service's Chief Financial Officer.
2.3 The Assistant Directors provide staff assistance to the Director and each Assistant Director is supported by a small staff that provides administrative and budget development services. The staff functions of the Assistant Directors are described in the following chapters.
2.4 The Office for Human Resources develops, implements, and evaluates the Service's affirmative action program designed to provide equal opportunity in Federal employment on the basis of merit and fitness and without discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or physical or mental handicap; ensures that sufficient resources are provided to administer the program in a positive and effective manner; provides orientation, training, and advice to managers and supervisors to ensure their understanding and implementation of the equal opportunity program; ensures that employees receive the maximum feasible opportunity to enhance their skills so that they may perform at their highest potential and advance in accordance with their abilities; provides counseling for employees and applicants who believe they have been discriminated against because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or physical or mental handicap; provides for the prompt, fair, and impartial consideration and disposition of discrimination complaints based on such grounds. Coordinates equal employment opportunity programs with the Service's personnel management program.
2.5 The National Conservation Training Center, located in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, provides training to fish and wildlife resource professionals from the Fish and Wildlife Service as well as from other federal, state, tribal and private entities, to ensure they have the skills they need to conserve the Nation's fish and wildlife resources. To accomplish this, the Center develops, conducts, and evaluates training programs; develops new training methods using alternative delivery methods and new technologies including distance learning; administers and maintains facilities at their optimal level to assure an atmosphere conducive to learning. The Center also develops, tests, disseminates and evaluates education materials, curriculum, and methods for education/outreach programs of the Service.
2.6 The Office of Law Enforcement, through the Director, is responsible for Servicewide direction for law enforcement programs, including providing technical direction to investigation and law enforcement staff. The Office coordinates, analyzes, advises, recommends, and reports on the investigative and enforcement matters of the Service. Its activities include national planning, policy guidance development, operational procedures formation, legislative and regulatory support, liaison with national and international organizations and other government law enforcement agencies, and responding to external inquiries on national issues. These activities contribute to the protection of plant and wildlife species and wildlife refuges in accordance with the Endangered Species Act; CITES, and other laws, treaties, and regulations.
1/23/98 #3189
Replaces 3/11/94 #3000