Privacy and Other Web Policies

PRIVACY STATEMENT

In accordance with the Department of the Interior Privacy Policy, The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is committed to maintaining a web site that protects the individual’s right to privacy. We do not require personal information from our visitors, nor do we collect any personally identifying information (name, email address, Social Security number, or other unique identifier) unless you knowingly provide it. Likewise, we do not give, sell, or transfer any personal information to a third party except as might be required by law .

Data Collection for Statistics
To aid in web site management, certain information is collected for statistical purposes. The Service uses specialized software to create summary statistics, which are used for such purposes as assessing what information is of most and least interest to our customers, determining technical design specifications, and identifying system performance or problem areas.

We collect only the following information about your visit:

  • the name of the domain from which you access the Internet (for example, "princeton.edu" if you are connecting from Princeton University’s domain, or "aol.com" if you are connecting from an America Online account);
  • the web site from which you linked directly to our web site, if you have used another web site to reach our site;
  • the operating system and web browser you use to view pages; and
  • the date and time you access our web site.

We use the information we collect to measure the number of visitors to the different sections of our web site, allowing us to make our web site more useful and accessible to visitors. We do not store any personal identifiers.

Information Collected from E-mails and Forms
You may decide to send us personally identifying information through e-mail messages or through on-line forms. Electronic communication allows us to collect information that will improve our web site for you, and we encourage it. We use personally-identifying information from consumers in various ways to further our customer's protection and to provide better service. This may be to correct broken links that you have identified or provide additional information that you have requested.

Visit the Department of the Interior's Privacy Policy page to learn what can happen to the information you provide us when you send us e-mail or fill out a questionnaire or guestbook. Any information that we collect via a questionnaire or a guestbook may be subject to disclosure, but will be handled in accordance with the requirements of the Privacy Act and the Freedom of Information Act to ensure the greatest protection of personal privacy in the face of any required disclosure.

Security Checks
For web site security purposes and to ensure that this service remains available to all users, we employ software programs to monitor network traffic, identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise cause damage. Unauthorized attempts to upload or change information on this web site are strictly prohibited and may be punishable under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986 and the National Information Infrastructure Protection Act.

Cookies
When you visit some Web sites, their web servers generate pieces of information known as cookies. Some cookies collect personal information to recognize your computer in the future. This is not the case at www.fws.gov, where we only use non-persistent cookies or "per-session cookies." These cookies do not collect personal information on users and they are erased as soon as you leave our Web site.

Per-session cookies serve technical purposes like providing seamless navigation through www.fws.gov. These cookies do not permanently record data and they are not stored on your computer's hard drive. www.fws.gov cookies are stored in memory and are only available during an active browser session. Again, once you close your browser, the cookie disappears.

For Kids!
Please don't send us e-mail, Especially if you are under 13 years old. Instead, have an adult send the message. Have your parents, teachers and school librarian contact us if you need further assistance.

For more information: See the Federal Trade Commission's Children's Privacy statement.

STANDARD DISCLAIMER

The Department of the Interior Disclaimer Statement applies to the Service.

We will link to external sites that help us perform our mission - "working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people."

  • Links to external servers do not imply any official U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service endorsement of the opinions or ideas expressed therein, or guarantee the validity of the information provided. Links to commercial sites are in no way an endorsement of any vendor's products or services.
  • Links will be provided to external servers that are managed in a professional manner (i.e., it is fully operational, is available most of the time, does not serve inaccurate information or obscene graphics, etc.).
  • This server will not link to external servers if such a link would appear to provide an official endorsement of fundraising efforts or lobbying for a political agenda.

COPYRIGHT STATEMENT

Please note:

  1. You are welcome to make a link to any of the Web pages the Service has published on the Internet. There is no need to request permission.
  2. Not all the information on our site is in the public domain. Some images/graphics are licensed for use under the copyright law, and the use of the Service logo is restricted to official publications (see below).

We will identify material we use from sources outside the Service, and request others do the same when using information published by the Service. Credit can be provided by including on the page (or via a link to a credits page) a citation such as:

Credit: U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Photo by Robert Shallenberger/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or USFWS photo (if the photographer is known)
USFWS/Elkins, WV (if originating office but not the photographer is known

RESTRICTIONS ON USING THE SERVICE LOGO

U S Fish and Wildlife Service logoThe Service logo is our official "trademark." Its use is reserved for official publications or other products of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Use of the Service logo without prior written approval is prohibited. Restrictions on use of the Service logo were published in the Federal Register on February 13, 1984 (Vol. 49, No. 30, page 5387), and 18 USC 701 provides for enforcement.

Please use alternative images if you need a graphic.

There are procedures for obtaining approval for the use of the official Service logo on a joint publication with the Service, including electronic publications such as Web sites. Contact Mark Newcastle in the External Affairs office at (703) 358-2196 for assistance.

The restrictions described above apply also to the use of the images of the Federal Duck Stamps and the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration and Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration symbols [PDF], and the "blue goose" image used to identify wildlife refuges.

Comments? Questions? Please check our answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's) before you contact us .

Last updated: February 8, 2012
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