Fish and Wildlife

Our Nation’s forests and grasslands provide some of the most important habitats for wildlife and fish. They provide countless benefits—ecological, recreational, economic, and cultural—to both nature and society. Existing and emerging threats, such as habitat loss, climate change, and invasive species, affect the ability of our Nation's forests and grasslands to support healthy wildlife and fish populations for future generations.

Plants are also crucial to the maintenance of healthy ecosystems. Native plants provide natural beauty and help fend off invasive plants. Native plants also support wildlife, often serving as a source of food and shelter. Invasive plant species have the potential to permanently change a native plant community by taking over and outcompeting native plants.

Helping fish and wildlife

Wildlife' includes the National Wildlife program, the National Wildlife Ecology program, and Wildlife Research & Development. The national Wildlife Program assists field biologists in attaining the Chief's wildlife priorities and manage wildlife habitat resources from a healthy ecosystem perspective.

Forest Service scientists study fish, wildlife and their habitats in order to inform land management and address existing and emerging threats, such as climate change and habitat fragmentation. Their work focuses on restoration and conservation of wildlife habitats and connectivity across large landscapes; effective management of terrestrial wildlife and their habitats under future climate scenarios; development of innovative protocols for inventory and monitoring of wildlife populations and habitats; and strategies to meet growing demands for water, energy, and other forest‐ and grassland-based commodities while ensuring the sustainability and diversity of wildlife and fish.

Between 2008 and 2015, the U.S. Forest Service and partners removed or upgraded over 1,000 culverts and road-stream crossings for Aquatic Organism Passage (AOP) across the country courtesy of the Legacy Roads & Trails Program.  One of the best investments our agency can make to help aquatic ecosystems respond to the stresses of a changing climate is to restore the ability of fish to move freely, including beneath our expansive road system.  Fish need to be able to access many different parts of a stream network to find cold water during the summer, to spawn, and to feed so they can grow larger.  Come explore this story map to see some examples from around the country of some of the outstanding partnership projects that helped the US Forest Service achieve this milestone for fish, aquatic health, flood resiliency and protection of local transportation infrastructure.

Featured bird

Sage Grouse: The elaborate plumage and courtship dances of the male Greater Sage-Grouse were once a common sight in the sagebrush landscapes of the American West. However, a variety of factors, including rural development and invasive species, have contributed to the loss and deterioration of sagebrush habitat. As a result, Greater Sage-Grouse populations have decreased dramatically. The Forest Service is working with the Bureau of Land Management and other agencies to maintain and restore key habitats for the Greater Sage-Grouse and other sagebrush-associated species. Learn more about Sage-Grouse conservation.

Featured plant

Leafy Prairie-Clover: This plant is located in only three areas: central Tennessee, north-central Alabama, and north-eastern Illinois. Leafy Prairie-Clover populations are being lost due to poor management skills as well as competition from invasive species, rock quarrying, and over-collecting. But thanks to a partnership between the Forest Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Leafy Prairie-Clover is making a comeback.