	Introduction

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), an agency within the Department of the Interior (DOI), is the principal federal agency tasked with the conservation, protection, and restoration of fish and wildlife resources across the United States and insular areas. FWS functions include administering the National Wildlife Refuge System, managing migratory bird species, protecting endangered and threatened species, and restoring fish species and aquatic habitats, as well as enforcing fish, wildlife, and conservation laws and conducting international conservation efforts. FWS also is responsible for the disbursement of fish and wildlife conservation and restoration funds to states, territories, and tribal governments. This report summarizes the history, organizational structure, and selected functions of FWS and provides an overview of the agency's appropriations structure. The report describes the actions Congress has taken to shape the structure and functions of FWS over time and notes selected issues of interest to Congress. In 1871, the first of FWS's predecessor agencies, the Office of the Commission of Fish and Fisheries (an independent agency), was established. The Bureau of Biological Survey remained within USDA through June 1939. In his attached message, President Roosevelt explained the further consolidation:
Reorganization Plan II transferred the Bureau of Fisheries of the Department of Commerce and the Bureau of Biological Survey of the Department of Agriculture to the Department of the Interior and thus concentrated in one department the two bureaus responsible for the conservation and utilization of the wildlife resources of the Nation. The service returned to Washington, DC, in 1947. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

The U.S. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Organizational Structure

FWS is composed of a three-tier structure, including national, regional, and field offices spread across the United States and insular areas. U.S. U.S. These activities include but are not limited to the following:
operation of the National Wildlife Refuge System; restoration of fisheries and fish habitats; protection of threatened and endangered species; management of migratory birds; assistance in international conservation efforts; enforcement of federal wildlife laws; and disbursement of funds to states and territories for wildlife and sport fish restoration and for hunting and fishing safety and education. FWS is responsible for administering, either through primary or secondary jurisdiction, more than 836 million acres as part of the NWRS; of this total, national wildlife refuges make up 146 million acres. NWRSAA has been amended several times, including through the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997. The Fish and Aquatic Conservation Program includes the National Fish Hatchery System, which is composed of 70 national fish hatcheries as well as fish health centers, fish technology centers, and the Aquatic Animal Drug Approval Partnership Program. Other fish hatcheries have been established through appropriations acts. The International Affairs program derives its authorities through multiple statutes and international agreements. Authority for several FWS-administered grant programs is provided in two statutes, the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act of 1937 (commonly known as the Pittman-Robertson Act) and the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act of 1950 (commonly known as the Dingell-Johnson Act). Pittman-Robertson and Dingell-Johnson are supported through revenues generated by excise taxes on hunting- and fishing-associated equipment, respectively. From FY2014 through FY2018, these programs were provided a combined total of more than $1 billion annually, on average, for wildlife and sport fish restoration and hunter education. U.S. Discretionary funding is used to support many of the agency's essential functions, and mandatory funding supports selected activities specified in previously enacted statutes, including a significant portion of FWS's financial assistance activities. From FY2009 through FY2018, FWS discretionary appropriations totaled $1.5 billion annually, on average; over the same period, mandatory appropriations amounted to $1.2 billion annually, on average. Congress also routinely considers FWS policy issues, such as those discussed in the " U.S. From FY2009 through FY2018, FWS discretionary funding has averaged $1.5 billion, allocated across nine appropriations accounts ( Figure 7 ). These programs support grant, financial, and technical assistance programs to states, international partners, tribes, and other stakeholders. FWS mandatory appropriations fund land acquisition for migratory bird habitat conservation, financial assistance to the states and territories for fish and wildlife conservation and related activities, and other purposes.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), an agency within the Department of the Interior (DOI), is the principal federal agency tasked with the conservation, protection, and restoration of fish and wildlife resources across the United States and insular areas. This report summarizes the history, organizational structure, and selected functions of FWS and provides an overview of the agency's appropriations structure. The report describes the actions Congress has taken to shape FWS's structure and functions over time and notes selected issues of interest to Congress.
The current structure of FWS is the result of more than 150 years of agency and departmental reorganizations. FWS began as two agencies: the Office of the Commission of Fish and Fisheries (established as an independent agency in 1871) and the Bureau of the Biological Survey (established in 1885 as an outgrowth of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's [USDA's] Division of Entomology). These two entities evolved into the Bureau of Fisheries (in the Department of Commerce) and the Bureau of Biological Survey in USDA. They were consolidated and established within DOI as the Fish and Wildlife Service in 1939. After that time, the service was further restructured on several occasions through both presidential reorganizations and congressional statutes. The most recent major reorganization took place in 1970, although FWS has continued to evolve pursuant to the passage of additional laws and the addition of new responsibilities. In its current form, FWS contains national, regional, and field offices spread across the United States, including its headquarters in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area, eight regional headquarter offices, and other field and FWS-administered sites.
Pursuant to authorizing statutes, FWS is responsible for a multitude of fish- and wildlife-related activities. These activities include administering the National Wildlife Refuge System; managing migratory bird species; protecting endangered and threatened species; restoring fish species and aquatic habitats; enforcing fish, wildlife, and conservation laws; conducting international conservation efforts; and disbursing financial and technical assistance to states, territories, and Indian tribes for wildlife and sport fish restoration and other activities.
For example, FWS is responsible for the enforcement of several wildlife-related statutes and international agreements, such as the Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. §§1531 et seq.), the Lacey Act (16 U.S.C. §§3371-3378 and 18 U.S.C. §§42-43), and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. §§703-712). The service administers the National Wildlife Refuge System pursuant to the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act (16 U.S.C. §§668dd-668ee), as amended, which includes more than 800 million acres of lands and waters that FWS administers through either primary or secondary jurisdiction, including 566 national wildlife refuges as well as other service lands and waters. FWS also manages more than 70 national fish hatcheries, fish health centers, and fish technology centers and oversees the Aquatic Animal Drug Approval Partnership Program. In addition, FWS coordinates both domestic and international conservation activities, including administering multiple international conservation statutes. FWS also is responsible for disbursing financial assistance pursuant to the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act (known as the Pittman-Robertson Act; 16 U.S.C. §§669 et seq.) and the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act (commonly known as the Dingell-Johnson Act; 16 U.S.C. §§777 et seq.), as well as State and Tribal Wildlife grants. From FY2014 through FY2018, Pittman-Robertson and Dingell-Johnson allocations together provided more than $1 billion annually to states, territories, and DC for wildlife and sport fish restoration and hunter education.
FWS is funded through a mix of discretionary and mandatory appropriations. Discretionary appropriations, which averaged $1.5 billion annually from FY2009 through FY2018, regularly have been allocated across nine accounts and have supported many of the agency's essential functions. FWS mandatory funding, which averaged $1.2 billion annually from FY2009 through FY2018, predominately has been derived through revenues generated from excise taxes on hunting- and fishing-related equipment. Mandatory funding supports land acquisition and financial assistance activities, including a significant portion of FWS's grant-making activities to states and insular areas.