The Fish and Wildlife
Management Assistance program consists of fish and wildlife management
professionals in seven Regional offices
and 64 field offices, located in 33 states. These field offices
– e.g. Fishery Resources Offices, Fish and Wildlife Management Assistance
Offices, Fish and Wildlife Offices, Coordination Offices, Marine
Mammals Management Office – staff about 300 professional fishery
biologists and other experts.
The Fish and Wildlife
Management Assistance program fills a vital role in restoring and
maintaining the health of the Nation’s fish and wildlife resources.
The program functions like a general practitioner in the medical
field: its biologists monitor the health of fish and wildlife resources,
diagnose ailments, prescribe remedies, refer specific problems to
specialists, and coordinate diverse efforts to restore and maintain
health. The program helps avoid listing actions under the Endangered
Species Act – or in other words, keeps the patient out of the
intensive care unit. The American people benefit from healthier
ecosystems and resulting increases in fishing and other recreational
opportunities.
Responsibilities Of
The Fish And Wildlife Management Assistance Program Include:
-
Native
Fish Conservation- Restoring imperiled fish and aquatic
species – i.e. those that are in serious decline or listed under
the Endangered Species Act – by planning, coordinating,
implementing, and evaluating activities such as habitat restoration
and captive propagation.
-
Federal
Lands Assistance -Assisting Federal land managers (e.g.
Department of Defense) in fish and wildlife management on Federal
lands and assisting National Wildlife Refuges in planning, managing,
and restoring fisheries and aquatic resources on refuge lands.
-
Marine
Mammal Management -Managing and conserving polar bears,
walruses, and sea otters, and supporting efforts to conserve
manatees under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
-
Interjurisdictional
Fisheries Assistance - Providing technical and coordination
services to regional, interstate, and international fishery
commissions and other organizations for Service trust species.
People And Partnerships
The strength of the
Fish and Wildlife Management Assistance program is in our people
– a cadre of fish and wildlife management experts across the Nation
– and our partnerships – working relationships with States, Tribes,
regional organizations, and the private sector. The program is unique
in its ability to work across borders of states, Indian reservations,
and even nations. Our work is generally non-regulatory, noncontroversial,
and conducted in partnership with others. Cooperators across the
Nation within and outside the Service look to the Fish and Wildlife
Management Assistance program to meet their needs for monitoring,
coordinating, and implementing fish and wildlife management and
restoration plans. Our accomplishments benefit the Nation’s fish
and wildlife resources, the ecosystems on which they depend, and
the American people who use and enjoy fish and wildlife.
The Fish and
Wildlife Management Assistance program operates under numerous
legal authorities, including (among others):
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