The Mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, a bureau within the Department of Interior, is the
premier
government agency dedicated to the conservation, protection, and enhancement of fish,
wildlife
and plants, and their habitats. It is the only agency in the federal government whose
primary
responsibility is management of these important natural resources for the American
public.
The Service also helps ensure a healthy environment for people through its work
benefiting
wildlife, and by providing opportunities for Americans to enjoy the outdoors and our
shared
natural heritage.
The Service manages the 150-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System comprised of
551 national
wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands, and other special management areas. It
operates
70 national fish hatcheries, 65 fishery resource offices and 86 ecological services field
stations.
The agency also manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant
fisheries,
conserves and restores wildlife habitat and helps foreign governments with their
conservation
efforts.
The Service is responsible for implementing and enforcing some of our Nation’s most
important
environmental laws, such as the Endangered Species Act, Migratory Bird Treaty Act, Marine
Mammal
Protection, North American Wetlands Conservation Act and Lacey Act. It also oversees the
Federal
Aid program responsible for distributing hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes
on
fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
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