Private Lands Habitat Improvement Opportunity

Private Lands Habitat Improvement Opportunity is sponsored by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in partnership through the Oklahoma Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program. This program offers technical and financial assistance to landowners, Tribes, schools and nonprofits interested in improving wildlife habitat on their land in Oklahoma.

Partners for Fish and Wildlife | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Partners for Fish and Wildlife Partners for Fish and Wildlife The Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program provides free technical and financial assistance to landowners, managers, tribes, corporations, schools and nonprofits interested in improving wildlife habitat on their land.

Since 1987, we have helped more than 25,000 landowners to complete more than 40,000 projects, restoring more than six million acres of forest, prairie, wetland and stream habitat for wildlife.

Partners for Fish and Wildlife: Fen Wetland Restoration at Jim Stone's Ranch in Ovando, Montana The Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employs 220 biologists, located in all 50 states and territories, who consult with landowners to help them conserve and improve wildlife habitat. Landowner conservation is important because nearly 70 percent of land in the United States is privately owned.

Public and private landowners are critical partners in ensuring the health and sustainability of America's fish, wildlife and plant species. Projects are voluntary and customized to meet landowners’ needs. Participating landowners continue to own and manage their land while they improve conditions for wildlife.

Our staff provide free technical and financial assistance to plan, design, supervise and monitor customized habitat restoration projects. These projects range in size from a wetland of a few acres to a grassland restoration covering several hundred thousand acres. Many Partners for Fish and Wildlife projects take place on working landscapes such as forests, farms and ranches.

We focus our efforts on areas of conservation concern, such upland forests, wetlands, native prairies, marshes, rivers and streams. We design projects to benefit federal trust species including migratory birds, endangered, threatened and at-risk species.

Partners for Fish and Wildlife: Migratory Snow Geese Overwintering on Private Lands Adjacent to Prime Hook NWR in Delaware All private landowners interested in restoring wildlife habitat on their land are eligible to participate. Current partners include farmers, ranchers, forest landowners, recreational landowners, corporations, local governments and universities.

Priority goes to projects judged likely to provide habitat for rare, threatened and endangered species. Projects have a minimum duration of 10 years. In addition to private landowners, we partner with other federal agencies, state agencies and non-governmental organizations to complete projects on private lands.

Participating landowners do not forfeit any property rights and are not required to allow public access. A phone call or email is all it takes to get started. Contact your state coordinator to schedule an initial site visit and learn how Partners for Fish and Wildlife can help you.

Legislation and Economic Impact The Partners for Fish and Wildlife Act provides for the restoration, enhancement, and management of fish and wildlife habitats on private land through the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, a program that works with private landowners to conduct cost-effective habitat projects for the benefit of fish and wildlife resources in the United States.

Title LIII of the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025 (P. L. 118-159) pertaining to Wildlife Innovation and Longevity Driver reauthorization Act, which reauthorizes the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program.

A recent analysis of fiscal year (FY) 2023 data showed that every $1. 0 million in Partners for Fish and Wildlife (PFW) Program spending supported 15. 0 jobs and $2.

5 million in economic output nationwide. These contributions are similar to those reported for FY 2022 spending. Economic contributions of PFW Program spending combined with that of leveraged funds is likely to be substantially higher than the results reported here.

The annual PFW Program leverage ratio is typically at least 1:4. Latest Stories and Topics Renewed Hope for Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtles At Padre Island National Seashore, the Coastal Program is helping recover the world's most endangered sea turtle. Working alongside the National Park Service and other federal and state partners, program staff protect and release Kemp's ridley hatchlings while supporting one of the nation's longest...

Partnerships, Perennials, and Preventing the Need to List the Apalachicola Wild Indigo Once considered at risk of ESA listing, the Apalachicola wild indigo is on a stronger path thanks to coordinated surveys, habitat work led by Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, and the commitment of partners like Alabama Power who helped uncover and protect the species’ largest known...

Addressing Partner Needs and Supporting Native Plant Conservation in Interior Alaska During the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s 2026 Alaska Habitat Restoration Program meeting, staff teamed up with the Fairbanks Soil and Water Conservation District to build essential infrastructure for their native plant nursery. From repurposed, winter-ready storage frames to custom seed-drying...

Building Private Lands Conservation Skills The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Partners for Fish and Wildlife (PFW) Habitat Restoration Course was held in Fort Collins, Colorado, from June 8–12, 2026. Twenty-three Fish and Wildlife Service employees gathered to strengthen their skills for effective implementation of activities under the...

A Leap Towards Recovery: Nearly 500 Dusky Gopher Frogs Released on Restored Private Lands in Mississippi In June 2026, conservation partners gathered in Hancock County, Mississippi, to mark a recovery milestone for one of our nation’s rarest amphibians, the federally endangered dusky gopher frog. Nearly 500 dusky gopher frogs were released into ponds on Woodland Cottage, the private property of Mr....

Stewards of the Land: Creating a Pollinator's Paradise in Southern Oklahoma Conserving ecosystems within the Central Grasslands is no small task, but one Oklahoma landowner is proving just how much difference a single steward can make. After watching butterfly numbers fall year after year, Patrick Bell teamed up with the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program and other...

Our locally based field biologists provide personalized attention and work one-on-one with private landowners to: Plan, implement, and monitor projects Provide permitting guidance, as needed.

Project work may include livestock exclusion fencing/alternate water supply construction, streambank stabilization, restoration of in-stream aquatic habitats, longleaf or shortleaf pine planting, prescribed burning, native grass and forb planting, wetland restoration/enhancement or riparian riparian Definition of riparian habitat or riparian areas. Learn more about riparian reforestation.

Fish Passage Technical and Planning Assistance The National Fish Passage Program provides financial and technical assistance for projects that improve the ability of fish or other aquatic species to migrate by reconnecting habitat that has been fragmented by a barrier such as a dam or culvert. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists... A curated collection of Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program outreach products and reports.

Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program Annual Reports Reports that provide project highlights and statistics for the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program annual accomplishments Guide to Farm Bill conservation programs with Coastal Program and Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program project examples.