Central to the mission of the Fish and Wildlife Service, along with state natural resource agencies, our private lands partners, and other stakeholders, are providing and protecting a healthy environment for fish and wildlife and people. Fish and wildlife in America represent tremendous environmental, recreational, cultural and social, historical, and economic assets for the American people. In today's increasingly complex society, the Service is finding that it is important to identify and express the contributions that fish and wildlife make to the economic well-being of the nation. The Service initiated a multi-phase study to determine the impact of refuges on their local economies. The economic benefits of fish and wildlife conservation are but one way to measure the importance of fish and wildlife to people.
Some people gain value simply from knowing that wild places and unique species still exist.
Although such existence values are hard to measure, these values are confirmed by millions of visitors to the conservation systems under the jurisdiction of the Service. The fish and wildlife resources know no boundaries nor land ownership patterns. In the past, there were many efforts to protect and restore fish and wildlife and their habitats, but these were generally done through autonomous actions of individual entities. Often these well-meaning actions worked in opposition to efforts by others due to a lack of communication. The Service has made significant shifts in its priorities and approaches.