Habitat Conservation

The Fish and Wildlife Service provides technical assistance regarding fish and wildlife management and habitat restoration to other federal agencies, states, industry, and the public through the Habitat Conservation Program. Through this cooperative program, the Service promotes the conservation of fish and wildlife habitats as Americans utilize and develop the Nation’s land and water resources. By working with and providing technical assistance to its partners, the Service safeguards public and environmental health by protecting and restoring the Nation’s natural resources.

The Service’s primary habitat conservation tools consist of:

• Forming partnerships for habitat restoration, protection, and conservation;
• Providing habitat planning and technical assistance for natural resource use and extraction;
• Coordinating Service responsibilities under the National Environmental Policy Act;
• Protecting, restoring, and inventorying coastal habitats; and
• Inventory mapping and assessment of the Nation’s wetlands.

Service regional and field office personnel provide project sponsors with on-the-ground assessments of the potential impacts to fish and wildlife habitats resulting from proposed development, and offer technical assistance to avoid or minimize these impacts. They also work hand-in-hand with private landowners and communities to protect and conserve pristine habitat, and to restore degraded habitats such as wetlands, streams, grasslands and woodlands. Finally, the Service provides the public with high quality and easily accessible information about wetlands via the Internet through its National Wetlands Inventory program.

The following programs are included within the Habitat Conservation Program

• The Partners for Fish and Wildlife
• Coastal Programs
• Project Planning
• National Wetlands Inventory

Most Habitat Conservation program activities within the Pacific Region are handled by our Fish and Wildlife field offices.  Please select an office below to access more detailed information about activities in your area. 

Select a Field Office Oregon Fish & Wildlife Office Pacific Islands Fish & Wildlife Ofice Snake River Fish & Wildlife Office Upper Columbia Fish & Wildlife Office Western Washington Fish & Wildlife Office