Partners are valuable allies to the the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and play a vital role in meeting the Service's conservation goals. We team up with private conservation organizations, state and federal agencies and tribes. Together, with the landowner, this collective shares funding, materials, equipment, labor and expertise to meet restoration goals and our conservation mission.

Partnership Categories

Great things happen when partners are matched with the right opportunities. That's why we work with many types of partners at FWS from local businesses and conservation groups to veterans and large industry partners. Here are just a few of the Partner Categories working with FWS today.

We frequently partner with academia to further the conservation of and research into the stewardship of many species.

We often partner with non-governmental conservation organizations on conservation projects, whether it's to conserve identified species such as the monarch butterfly or to advise on land acquisition for conservation so that it has the greatest benefit for species.

We partner with these groups to help them conduct their commercial activities in a way that best promotes conservation.

We work with other federal agencies to help them meet their legal responsibilities as well as their mission.

Friends groups are organizations of community members committed to helping national wildlife refuges and national fish hatcheries meet conservation goals that would otherwise be out of reach. 

Our Partners

Here are just a few of our national partners.  You can view the full list of FWS partners, along with the regions and areas of focus our work together entails.

Illustration of bat with text reading "Bat Conservation International."
National Wild Turkey Federation Logo
Defenders of Wildlife Logo
Sierra Club Logo
National Science Foundation Logo
Oak Ridge National Laboratory Logo
National Audubon Society Logo
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Logo
Logo for the National Fish Habitat Partnership

Latest Stories About Our Partners

Four firefighters observe a prescribed burn in a wetland
Land Management
Staff will be conducting prescribed fire activities between the months of December and January depending on weather conditions.
Biologist stands on the front of a boat with net to catch fish.
Wildlife Management
Biologists from the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) stand ready on the bow, nets in hand, scanning for movement. They’re conducting long-term surveys for Channa argus, better known as the Northern Snakehead, a non-indigenous fish found in many Chesapeake Bay tributaries. Snakeheads...
Habitat Restoration
In California’s Central Valley, along the Merced River, the low rumble of bulldozers signals renewal. Crews are returning clean, sorted gravel to the riverbed, rebuilding spawning habitat that salmon and steelhead have relied on for thousands of years.
Law Enforcement Officer Mike McMenamin poses with a veteran and the bass he caught at the Veterans' Fishing Derby at Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge
Recreation
National Hunting and Fishing Day (NHFD) recognizes sportsmen and women for their contributions to our nation’s natural resources and sporting heritage. While NHFD is officially celebrated by the public on the fourth Saturday every September, the staff, partners, and volunteers of the Lenape...
Elderly people fishing at stream
Recreation
Those aged 62 and over were invited to spend a day of trout fishing at Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery with lunch and door prizes provided.
A bull moose standing
Wildlife Wonders
From scattered sightings to a thriving population, discover how the Shiras moose became a symbol of resilience in eastern Washington.

Partnership Services

Through our partnerships we are able to expand our capabilities through the inclusion of services in areas such as:

  • Grant opportunities
  • Sponsorship of grants
  • Cooperative Agreements

To find out more about how our partner provides services view our partner services below.