Pacific Southwest

Pacific Southwest
About Us

Overview of the Region

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Region 8 is headquartered in Sacramento, California, and has federal fish and wildlife management responsibilities in California, Nevada, and the Klamath Basin in southern Oregon. The Region includes one of the most ecologically diverse areas in the United States, ranging from the arid sand dunes in the Mojave Desert to the snow-capped crags in the high Sierras; from rich farmland in the Central Valley to rain-soaked redwood forests along the Pacific coast. This highly diverse geography provides habitats for a vast array of wildlife. More than 42 million people live within the Region, and expanding population centers such as San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Reno, San Diego, and Las Vegas are increasing demands on natural resources, presenting unique challenges to the Region’s conservation mission.

The Service is responsible for managing the National Wildlife Refuge System, operating fish hatcheries and fishery resource offices, enforcing federal wildlife laws, managing migratory bird populations, conserving and restoring habitats, and overseeing a federal aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars to state, fish and wildlife agencies.

Regional and Field Offices

Our Pacific Southwest Regional Office is in Sacramento, California. Our region consists of 11 fish and wildlife offices; ArcataCarlsbadKlamath FallsLodiSan Francisco Bay-DeltaRed BluffRenoSouthern NevadaSacramentoVentura and Yreka, 130 Federally-recognized Native American Tribes, 45 national wildlife refuges, 5 wildlife management areas, four national fish hatcheries; Coleman, Klamath Falls, Lahontan and Livingston Stone, and the California-Nevada Fish Health Center.

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In This Region
California
Nevada
Oregon

Leadership

Regional Highlights

California Condor soaring over mountains
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service forged partnerships with wind energy companies to shape a comprehensive plan for ensuring long-term conservation of condors is compatible with wind energy in the Tehachapi Wind Resource Area.
Stringy green vegetation being held in a person's hand
The U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced the selection of four projects, totaling $785,000, that will address the early detection and rapid response for aquatic invasive species.
A monarch butterfly pollinates a yellow marigold flower.
Amber Aguilera, Listing and Classification Division Supervisor in the Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office, is a seasoned biologist and gardening enthusiast. Amber avoids using chemicals on her garden and opts instead for nature-based pest and weed control solutions. She shared her top 5 tips for...
An illustration of a group of yellow ducklings with fuzzy black crowns group together.
Sacramento, Calif. — A colored pencil painting of Mallard ducklings is California’s entry in the 2024 Federal Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program art contest. Olga Sergienko, age 16, of Sacramento, California, won Best of Show with her work titled, "Sunshine Ducklings”. Sergienko’s...
A person stands in front of a lake and holds a large goldfish up to the camera.
Natural springs are breathtakingly beautiful and fragile ecosystems that exist in harmony with their surroundings, and support diverse flora and fauna. However, the introduction of non-native species, such as pet fish, can have grave repercussions on these delicate habitats.
Two men in uniform smiling in an outdoor setting
Cuando Jesús Jiménez llegó por primera vez a los Estados Unidos, nunca hubiera imaginado el efecto que su carrera con el Servicio para Peces y Vida Silvestre de los Estados Unidos [U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Servicio)] tomaría sobre su futura familia. Casi 45 años después, tres de sus cuatro...
a landscape of a meadow covered in yellow flowers with hills in the background
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced nearly $64 million in funding from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for ecosystem restoration activities that address high-priority Klamath Basin water-related challenges in southern Oregon and northern...
A woman stands in chest-deep water while holding two large black mussels above the water
Abigail Sanford is a fish and wildlife biologist at the Ventura Fish and Wildlife Office. Read on to learn about her journey to the Service, and her advice to prospective biologists and conservationists! She is interviewed by bilingual public affairs specialist, Vanessa Morales.