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.

Academic Institutions

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

Conservation, Science, and Land Management Organizations

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.

Economic, Tourism, Retail, and Industry

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

Icon /Federal Agencies
Federal Agencies

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

Friends Groups

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. 

View Partnership Categories

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.

View Full Partner List

Latest Stories About Our Partners

A person wearing outdoor field gear sits beside a grassy streambank, holding an Apache trout over a yellow measuring board. The stream and dense vegetation fill the background.
Habitat Restoration
From Endangered to Recovered: The Resilient Return of the Apache Trout
The Apache trout, once on the brink of extinction, can only be found in the cold, high-elevation waters of Arizona—a state few associate with a cold-water trout species. But Apache trout are resilient—persisting through decades of threats long enough so that the power of partnerships could bring...
Colorful mural of a deer, boy and heron on a brick building that reads "Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge"
Get Involved
Friends of Deer Flat Open Muralist Call 2026
Seeking artists to create visitor center murals!
Butterfly Peacock Bass
Supporting Tribal Fisheries Conservation
The Peninsular Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office and the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida are advancing fisheries conservation through surveys, restoration, and invasive species removal. Together, these efforts are helping protect and restore the Tribe’s aquatic resources.
2 men sitting in boat using binoculars, using headphones
Our Partners
Top 5 Reasons We Love to Celebrate Military Appreciation Month
Military Appreciation Month is about recognizing service. It also gives us a chance to highlight something many people do not realize. Conservation and national defense are deeply connected.
WaterCorps Service Member holding an adult chum salmon. Fish hatchery and skyline in the background.
Our People
Story of Service: Sophia Cooper
Sophia Cooper shares her experiences as an AmeriCorps Service Member through the Bureau of Indian Affair's WaterCorps program. From snorkel surveys to spawning coho salmon, Sophia's action packed experience was a significant career primer.
Fisher wearing tracking collar is released into Idaho forest
Wildlife Management
Rebuilding Idaho's Fisher Population in the Coeur d'Alene Mountains
Idaho Fish and Game, in an act of both conservation and ecological insurance, is relocating fisher into the forests of the Coeur d’Alene Mountains. Here, among the mountain forests and dense underbrush biologists hope to boost the state’s fisher population.

Partnership Services

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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.

View Partner Services