Conservation genetic techniques and principles are of increasing importance to today's management and conservation activities. Information gained from using genetic tools can be used to define populations, provide guidelines to manage populations, and understand population connectivity at both fine scale and landscape levels. Genetic information is useful for the application of strategic habitat conservation, for LCC's to identify populations for establishing population objectives, and for management of threatened, endangered, or other species of conservation concern. Discussed will be the conservation genetic capacity within the FWS, examples of how that capacity is being used, and the conservation genetics community of practice.
