Dr. Benjamin N. Tuggle

Dr. Benjamin N. Tuggle is presently the Regional Director for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Southwest Region.  He has had a distinguished career with the Service, having served in leadership positions throughout the organization for the past 28 years.  He most recently served as the Acting Special Assistant to the Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service. Prior to that assignment, he was the Chief of the Division of Habitat and Resource Conservation in the Washington Office.

Throughout his career with the Service, Dr. Tuggle has worked extensively in a collaborative manner with other federal, state and local resource agencies; the private sector; and, non-governmental environmental groups in order to accomplish goals and objectives that promote fish and wildlife conservation.

Dr. Tuggle has provided program direction on numerous environmental issues of national significance including: water resource development and associated wetland and upland habitat protection and mitigation; habitat conservation and restoration; endangered species; transportation; energy development; National Wetlands Inventory mapping activities; Coastal Barrier Resources Act; conservation efforts on military installations; marine mammal protection; International wildlife conservation; and other related conservation issues that impact fish and wildlife resources.

As the Regional Director for the Southwest Region, he provides policy direction for conservations activities in the region under key environmental laws including the Endangered Species Act, National Wildlife Refuge Improvement Act, Clean Water Act, NEPA, Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, Migratory Bird Treaty Act, Partnerships For Wildlife Act, Federal Power Act, Federal Aid, Emergency Wetlands Resources Act, Coastal Barrier Resources Act, Sikes Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, and other related conservation laws under which the Service has specific trust responsibilities.

Dr. Tuggle holds a B.S. in Biology from Fort Valley State University, Fort Valley, GA (1975); and advanced degrees in Zoology from The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH (M.S., 1977 and Ph.D., 1982). As a result of Dr. Tuggle’s academic pursuits, he has written a total of 16 publications in eight referred scientific journals and three chapters in a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Resource Publication, and also served as editor on several DOI publications.

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