Fish and Wildlife Service
Official logo
Agency overview
Formed	June 30, 1940
Preceding Agencies	Bureau of Biological Survey   Bureau of Fisheries
Jurisdiction	Federal government of the United States
Headquarters	Ballston, Virginia
Employees	7,960 (2006)
Agency Executives	H. Dale Hall, Director   Randall Luthi, Deputy Director   Ken Stansell, Acting Deputy Director
Parent agency	Department of the Interior
Child Agencies	National Wildlife Refuge System   Endangered Species program   Federal Duck Stamp program
Website
www.fws.gov
Footnotes
[1][2][3]

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is a unit of the United States Department of the Interior that is dedicated to managing and preserving wildlife.

Units in the Fish and Wildlife Service include:

• National Wildlife Refuge System
• Bird Habitat Conservation
• Federal Duck Stamp
• National Fish Hatchery System
• Endangered Species program

History

It began as the U.S. Commission on Fish and Fisheries (later known as the Bureau of Fisheries) in the United States Department of Commerce and the Division of Economic Ornithology and Mammalogy (later known as the Bureau of Biological Survey) in the United States Department of Agriculture. It took its present form in 1939 when these Bureaus were transferred to the Department of the Interior and were merged...

The Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is a bureau within the Department of Interior. The FWS's mission is, working with others, to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The FWS manages more than 520 National Wildlife Refuges and 66 National Fish Hatcheries.

Pursuant to the eagle feather law, Title 50 Part 22 of the Code of Federal Regulations (50 CFR 22), and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service administers the National Eagle Repository and the permit system for Native American religious use of eagle feathers.¹²³

The FWS governs two National Monuments, Hanford Reach National Monument in Washington State and Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, a huge maritime area northwest of Hawaii (jointly with NOAA).

See also

Related governmental agencies

• National Fish and Wildlife Forensics Laboratory
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Office for Law Enforcement
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
• United States Coast Guard

Regulatory matters

• Coastal Barrier Resources Act
• Endangered Species Act
• Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act
• Marine Mammal Protection Act
• Migratory Bird Treaty Act
• National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966
• Wild Bird Conservation Act of 1992
• National Wetlands Inventory
• Sikes Act
• Listing priority number

Wildlife management

• Timeline of environmental events
• United States Fish and Wildlife Service list of endangered species
• International Migratory Bird Day
• Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research

Non-governmental organizations

• Safari Club International
• National Rifle Association
• World Hunting Association
• National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
• Ducks Unlimited

References

External links

• Official web site of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
• Office of Law Enforcement of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
• Fish And Wildlife Service
• FWS Midwest Region

Meeting Notices and Rule Changes] from The Federal Register

• RSS Feed
• Arizona Game and Fish Department

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