Difference between revisions of "United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)"

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*Region 12: Pacific Islands
 
*Region 12: Pacific Islands
  
The national headquarters are located in Washington, D.C. and USFWS has many local offices in every US state and territory.<ref>Reference text https://www.fws.gov/offices/statelinks.html </ref> These state offices carry out [[National Wildlife Refuge]] operations, host researchers, and house Office of Law Enforcement personnel.<ref>Reference text https://www.fws.gov/offices/Directory/ListOffices.cfm?statecode=6 </ref>   
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The national headquarters are located in Washington, D.C. and USFWS has many local offices in every US state and territory.<ref>Reference text https://www.fws.gov/offices/statelinks.html </ref> These state offices carry out [[National Wildlife Refuge System]] operations, host researchers, and house Office of Law Enforcement personnel.<ref>Reference text https://www.fws.gov/offices/Directory/ListOffices.cfm?statecode=6 </ref>   
  
 
Although USFWS has a large amount of autonomy and many of its decisions are based on the scientific research and collaboration with other local managers, the presidentially-appointed [[US Secretary of the Interior]] has the ultimate authority over agency actions. As a statutory member of the presidential cabinet, the secretary reports directly to the president.
 
Although USFWS has a large amount of autonomy and many of its decisions are based on the scientific research and collaboration with other local managers, the presidentially-appointed [[US Secretary of the Interior]] has the ultimate authority over agency actions. As a statutory member of the presidential cabinet, the secretary reports directly to the president.

Revision as of 14:11, 4 March 2021

A organizational summary by the ENVS 560/L Watershed Systems class at CSUMB.


This page is an introduction to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) with specific emphasis on the Central Coast of California.

US Fish & Wildlife Service logo.[1]

Overview

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is a United States federal scientific agency within the US Department of the Interior (DOI). USFWS carries out a variety of duties that monitor, manage, and protect the nation's fish, wildlife, and natural habitats. In the California Central Coast Region, USFWS plays a large role in environmental management and regulation in conjunction with many cooperating institutions such as California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), California Invasive Plant Council, UC Santa Cruz, CalPoly SLO, and CSUMB.[1]

Mission

USFWS's service mission is "working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people."[2] Their goal is to conserve natural ecosystems and resources for future generations through objective science-based management. USFWS has six major priorities: the National Wildlife Refuge System, landscape conservation, migratory birds, threatened and endangered species, the National Fish Habitat Action Plan, and connecting people with nature.[2]

Legal Status / Authority

USFWS was established by Congress via the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956. The act consolidated the Bureau of Fisheries and the Bureau of Biological Survey within the US Department of the Interior (DOI).[3]

USFWS holds many responsibilities related to the protection and conservation of inland fish, wildlife, and plants. Many of its functions involve acquiring, protecting, and managing ecosystems deemed necessary to sustain important fish and wildlife. USFWS operates a network of 567 National Wildlife Refuges nationwide. USFWS has primary responsibility for the implementation of the Endangered Species Act, and also promotes conservation of threatened species through their Migratory Bird program and Fish and Aquatic Conservation program.[4] USFWS protects species and their habitats with their Office of Law Enforcement, which helps prevent illegal wildlife trade and trafficking, habitat destruction, and environmental contamination. Special agents and wildlife inspectors enforce state, federal, and international wildlife regulations in cooperation with state and tribal organizations.[5]

Governance

USFWS governs the nation's ecosystems within the 12 DOI Interior Regions. These regions are based on watersheds in order to facilitate ecosystem management efficiency, and cover approximately 530 million acres of surface land.[6]

  • Region 1: North Atlantic-Appalachian
  • Region 2: South Atlantic-Gulf
  • Region 3: Great Lakes
  • Region 4: Mississippi Basin
  • Region 5: Missouri Basin ​
  • Region 6: Arkansas-Rio Grande-Texas-Gulf
  • Region 7: Upper Colorado Basin
  • Region 8: Lower Colorado Basin
  • Region 9: Columbia-Pacific Northwest
  • Region 10: California-Great Basin
  • Region 11: Alaska
  • Region 12: Pacific Islands

The national headquarters are located in Washington, D.C. and USFWS has many local offices in every US state and territory.[7] These state offices carry out National Wildlife Refuge System operations, host researchers, and house Office of Law Enforcement personnel.[8]

Although USFWS has a large amount of autonomy and many of its decisions are based on the scientific research and collaboration with other local managers, the presidentially-appointed US Secretary of the Interior has the ultimate authority over agency actions. As a statutory member of the presidential cabinet, the secretary reports directly to the president.

Organizational Structure

The USFWS agency executive is the director. The director is nominated by the President of the United States and then must be approved by the US Senate. The director and USFWS headquarters is primarily responsible for budget allocation and policy creation. Eight regional directors report to the agency director and oversee implementation of policies and field office program management.[9]

Major sub-units of the USFWS include:

Central Coast Context

Related links

References

  1. Reference text http://www.cesu.psu.edu/unit_portals/CALI_portal.htm
  2. 2.0 2.1 USFWS Fundamentals
  3. Reference text https://www.fws.gov/help/about_us.html
  4. Reference text https://www.fws.gov/policy/022fw1.html
  5. Reference text https://www.fws.gov/le/about-le.html
  6. Reference text https://www.doi.gov/employees/reorg/unified-regional-boundaries
  7. Reference text https://www.fws.gov/offices/statelinks.html
  8. Reference text https://www.fws.gov/offices/Directory/ListOffices.cfm?statecode=6
  9. Reference text https://www.fws.gov/help/about_us.html

Disclaimer

This page may contain student work completed as part of assigned coursework. It may not be accurate. It does not necessary reflect the opinion or policy of CSUMB, its staff, or students.