November 2023

Fish and wildlife management involves the sustainable conservation, protection, and enhancement of fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats to benefit the public and the environment. In the US, we operate using the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation - a model based on the Public Trust Doctrine in which fish and wildlife belong to the people and are held in trust to be managed by government through sound-science and active management. The North American Model is considered the most successful and sustainable wildlife management approach in the world. As we face unprecedented environmental and socio-economic challenges, we must continue to adapt our conservation culture in a way that focuses on collaboration and innovation at a scale where all species can be efficiently managed and conserved.

Given the challenges that warming waters pose to walleye populations, USGS researchers created a data-rich “RAD Walleye Tool” that can help managers determine which lakes are the best candidates for different conservation strategies now and in the future.