Ecological Services has a dual approach to natural resource management, focusing on both helping manage species and helping conserve their habitats. Programs under Habitat Conservation conserve natural resources for the future by collaborating with partners to protect and restore fish and wildlife habitats in a landscape-based approach.
Read below to learn about these programs.
Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration Program
Through NRDAR, the Service and other Department of Interior, state, tribal and federal partners act as trustees for natural resources that are damaged by hazardous substances. Trustees identify the natural resources injured, determine the extent of the injuries, recover damages from those responsible, and plan and carry out natural resource restoration activities using damages funds.
Coastal Program
The Coastal Program enhances the Service's efforts within the nation's coastal areas and securing funding for conservation, including habitat restoration efforts. The program provides incentives for voluntary protection of threatened, endangered and other species on private and public lands alike. The program's protection and restoration successes to date give hope that, through the cooperative efforts of many public and private partners, adequate coastal habitat for fish and wildlife will exist for future generations.
Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program
The Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program protects, enhances and restores important fish and wildlife habitats on private lands through partnerships. The voluntary cost-share program offers a chance to regain some of America's most important natural resources and builds on the strength and interest of committed individuals and organizations to accomplish shared conservation goals. The program focuses on the habitats of federal trust species, removing barriers to fish passage, and restoring wetlands and other habitats.
Energy Program
The Energy Program works with scientists and managers from a variety of Fish and Wildlife Service divisions and offices to help assess and minimize the detrimental effects of energy development to our trust species and their habitats. Each energy industry poses unique challenges, from both an environmental and a regulatory perspective, and our assistance to project developers and other agencies may involve endangered species permitting, NEPA review, eagle permitting, dam relicensing, best management practices development, and other technical assistance.
Endangered Species Recovery Program
The Recovery Program works to conserve threatened and endangered species within the ecosystems upon which they depend. This requires a concerted effort to reverse the species' decline by removing or adequately reducing threats to its continued existence. Recovery involves the use of a variety of conservation tools, such as restoring and acquiring habitat, removing invasive species, conducting surveys, monitoring individual populations, and breeding species in captivity to release them into their historic range.
Bald and Golden Eagle Guidelines
Though no longer protected under the Endangered Species Act, bald eagles remain protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. The Eagle Act prohibits anyone from disturbing, harming or killing bald eagles. The Service has prepared guidelines to help landowners, land managers and others meet the intent of the Eagle Act and avoid disturbing bald eagles and their habitats.
We also work closely with other Service programs to help implement national plans such as the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, North American Landbird Conservation Plan, U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan, North American Waterbird Conservation Plan, National Fisheries Strategic Plan, National Wildlife Refuge System Strategic Plan, Refuge Comprehensive Conservation Plans, Partners in Flight, and Endangered Species Habitat Conservation and Recovery plans.
Because of these and related experiences, our program will become increasingly active in integrated Trust Resource conservation planning that will provide for Service-wide integrated management strategies for fish and wildlife conservation.
Likewise, in this era of cooperative conservation, we will continue to provide biological and technical expertise to other Federal agencies to complement their habitat initiatives, as well as to states in implementing State Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Plans.
The success of the program relies on building trust and credibility with our partners. We achieve this by providing accurate information and being available to assist our partners in a timely manner, by leveraging resources, and by helping implement cost-efficient and effective projects. Our staff is experienced at helping people come together to forge and implement collaborative solutions that meet local and regional needs for fish and wildlife stewardship.
To help landowners, conservationists, biologists, and others take advantage of conservation programs in the 2008 Farm Bill, the North American Bird Conservation Initiative in partnership with the Intermountain West Joint Venture has published the Field Guide to the 2008 Farm Bill for Fish and Wildlife Conservation. The publication presents an overview of the Farm Bill and its history, as well as important information on organizations that administer it. Also provided is information on setting priorities, maximizing wildlife benefits, conservation planning, conservation practice standards, performance measurements, and assessments.
