Asheville Ecological Services Field Office
Asheville, NC 28801-1082
From the top of North Carolina's Mount Mitchell, the highest peak in the eastern United States, one can see where streams flow east to the Atlantic Ocean and west to the Mississippi River. Across that landscape are caves and abandoned mines used by bats, wetlands that are home to carnivorous plants and North America's smallest turtle, and rivers rich in a diversity of fishes, mussels, and other aquatic life. We are stewards of those plants and animals, working with partners to conserve the most imperiled of those plants and animals and helping other federal agencies conserve our natural heritage.
Services
We offer a handful of services to support plant, fish, and wildlife conservation - especially federal threatened or endangered species. Different services are tailored to different groups and situations, so if you want to proactively support imperiled species conservation on your property or if you wonder how federally-protected plants and animals may factor into your situation, explore the services we offer.
Frequently asked questions...
We want to help you get the information you seek as quickly as possible. Our office has limited purview focused on imperiled species conservation and has no jurisdiction, training, or resources for topics like boat registration, hunting licenses, or injured wildlife. See the links below for common questions.
Black bears, deer, turkey, or other common wildlife? Reach out to the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, at www.ncwildlife.gov or 866-318-2401, or follow this link
Wildlife conflicts or rehabilitation? These issues are typically handled by private companies or non-profits. Follow this link for more resources
Concerned about a construction project in your community and its impact on an endangered species? Follow this link for more information
Reviewing projects for impacts to threatened or endangered species
Federally funded, authorized, or implemented projects must be reviewed for impacts to threatened or endangered species. If a federal agency feels their project may affect a threatened or endangered species, consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service begins to ensure those impacts are properly assessed, are minimized when possible, and don't jeopardize the recovery of a species. Below are resources to help you navigate this consultation process.
About
The Asheville Field Office was established in the late 1970s and once served the Carolinas, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Today, the office focuses on conservation in the Southern Appalachians and the upper Piedmont of North Carolina. Our biologists have developed special expertise in key habitats of southern Appalachia and the upper Piedmont including:
- High-elevation habitats like spruce-fir forests, grassy balds, and high cliffs.
- Southern Appalachian mountain bogs.
- Caves, mines, and other bat habitat.
- Grassland and other open habitats important for pollinators and rare plants.
- Streams and rivers.
We also support the management and development of Mountain Bogs National Wildlife Refuge – a refuge focused on conserving southern Appalachian Mountain bogs and the rare plants and animals that depend on them.
The conservation of our nation’s most imperiled species is at the heart of our office’s work. Working with partners, we deploy a three-pronged approached to imperiled species conservation: habitat management, population management, and education.
