U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is part of the federal government of the United States. It is a bureau within the Department of the Interior.

The objectives of the USFWS are:

1. Assist in the development and application of an environmental stewardship ethic for our society, based on ecological principles, scientific knowledge of fish and wildlife, and a sense of moral responsibility.
   
2. Guide the conservation, development, and management of the Nation's fish and wildlife resources.
   
3. Administer a national program to provide the public opportunities to understand, appreciate, and wisely use fish and wildlife resources.
   

Some of the functions of the USFWS are:

• Enforce federal wildlife laws,
  
• Protect endangered species,
  
• Manage migratory birds,
  
• Restore nationally significant fisheries,
  
• Conserve and restore wildlife habitat such as wetlands,
  
• Help foreign governments with their international conservation efforts, and
  
• Distribute hundreds of millions of dollars, through our Wildlife Sport Fish and Restoration program, in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to State fish and wildlife agencies.