The National Wildlife Refuge System

Working Together — It Is All About Partnerships

Managing invasive plants is a real challenge. That’s why the US Fish and Wildlife Service works with government agencies and organizations at both the national and local level. Partnerships are key to making headway on invasive plant problems that cross jurisdictional boundaries and effectively allocating valuable resources, such as limited dollars and people power, to get the work done. Because the Refuge System is comprised of lands all over the United States, it isn’t surprising that the USFWS has a lot of partners!

NATIONAL LEVEL

• coordinate federal agencies’ efforts
• conduct scientific research
• provide management information
• manage public lands
• provide educational opportunities and materials
• and much more!

How does the US Fish and Wildlife Service differ from the other federal land management agencies?

Explore the websites of the USFWS’s partners to learn what they are doing about invasive plants and to find resources that may be of interest to you.

National Invasive Species Council	Federal Interagency Committee for the Management of Noxious and Exotic Weeds	National Park Service
United States Geological Survey	Bureau of Land Management	Forest Service
Center for Invasive Plant Management	The Nature Conservancy	National Wildlife Refuge Association

LOCAL LEVEL

At the local level, refuge staff are tackling invasive plant problems with a variety of partners, ranging from nonprofit conservation organizations to state government agencies. By working together they are achieving great results in protecting and restoring habitats.

Read about two refuges and their partners that are making a difference.

Buckthorn Across Borders: Protecting Native Wet Meadows, Minnesota Valley NWR, Minnesota

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Restoring Tidal Marsh Habitat San Pablo Bay NWR, California

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