U.S. Fish And Wildlife Service: How To Recover Endangered Species

[Gisele Lucilla]

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is an agency within the federal government which deals with conservation of wildlife, fish plants, and their habitats throughout the United States. It was established by an Act of Congress on March 4, 1903 to regulate commercial fishing interests. The purpose of the USFW is to preserve threatened and endangered species, as well as to provide relief from natural disasters like fires or floods that can result in destruction of animals or habitat. To achieve this aim, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has established partnerships with state agencies who are responsible for protecting the land resources that fall within their area of responsibility.

The main responsibilities of the agency are to enforce national wildlife regulations, defend endangered species, manage birds that migrate, to conserve as well as manage the fish stock, keep national registries of hunted trophies that are legally obtained in foreign nations and administer the National Wildlife Refuge System, carry out wildlife research and assist state conservation organizations with financial and technical assistance and provide outdoor recreational opportunities on public lands via the Land and Water Conservation Fund as well as work with other agencies to preserve biodiversity across the globe as well as conduct international affairs related to conservation of wildlife and habitat.

It was changed from Fish and Wildlife Service on October 1st, 1985 by President Ronald Reagan. The new name also includes "Service," so it is sometimes referred to as FWS. It is still commonly known in the United States as the Fish and Wildlife Service. The USFWS is famous for its new laws, among them that of Lacey Act of 1900, which outlaws wildlife trafficking in the United States, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 as well as, more notably, in the modern era the USFWS was instrumental in enacting the WPA 1937. To receive supplementary information on US fish and wildlife service please go to this site.

Another task is to implement another responsibility is to implement the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The ESA was signed by President Nixon in 1973. Its purpose is to save threatened and endangered species and the ecosystems upon which they depend. The Service cooperates with other federal agencies, state or local government, as well as private organisations and citizens who want the protection of species. If a listed species is of scientific value the species could become part of the Threatened and Endangered Species Systems of Information, which comprises more than 800,000 records which document the vertebrate species listed or are proposed to be listed under the ESA.

The USFWS is the one responsible for managing the 1,100 National Wildlife Refuges (NWR) throughout the United States. This work is primarily conducted by the 158 Refuge Law Enforcement Officers, who are commissioned as special agent of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Additionally, they manage at most 540 million acres (895,000 square miles) of fish-friendly waters under their jurisdiction. Within these commissions come responsibilities which range from protecting sealife species to making sure that the federally protected land is available for recreational activities, research, and education purposes.

This has been triggered by the development of land that has led to habitat destruction and fragmentation, affecting the patterns of migration for these animals. Another cause is hunting or fishing: 20% in North American bird species are threatened by hunting or trapping 16% are in danger because of commercial exploitation (e.g. log-logging, for example) 30 percent are affected by collisions with buildings, and 12 per cent are killed due to agricultural pests. So if you want to to save endangered species, it is crucial to plant native trees in your garden, pick the trash that litters parks or roads, and keep away from the land that is protected. If you're not sure if the land is protected, go ahead and consult with someone from the US Fish and Wildlife Service.