View source for Clark R. Bavin National Fish and Wildlife Forensic Laboratory

{{Organization
|OrganizationName=Clark R. Bavin National Fish and Wildlife Forensic Laboratory
|OrganizationType=Research and Development Agencies (Sub-organization)
|Mission=To provide forensic science services for the enforcement of wildlife laws, helping to identify species, determine the cause of death, and link evidence to suspects in wildlife crimes. The laboratory supports federal, state, and international wildlife law enforcement efforts to combat poaching, trafficking, and illegal trade of wildlife.
|ParentOrganization=U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
|Employees=30
|OrganizationExecutive=Lab Director
|Services=Species identification; Pathology; Criminalistics; DNA analysis; Trace evidence analysis
|HeadquartersLocation=42.19426, -122.69049
|HeadquartersAddress=1490 East Main Street Ashland, OR 97520-1310
|Website=https://www.fws.gov/lab/
}}
{{Short description|US Fish and Wildlife laboratory in Ashland, Oregon, USA}}
The '''National Fish and Wildlife Forensics Laboratory''' is located in [[Ashland, Oregon|Ashland]], [[Oregon]], [[United States]]. Founded in 1988 and run by the [[United States Fish and Wildlife Service]], the [[forensic science|forensics]] laboratory is the only such laboratory in the world devoted to [[wildlife]] [[law enforcement agency|law enforcement]]. By treaty, the forensics laboratory is also the official crime lab for [[CITES]] (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) and the Wildlife Group of [[Interpol]]. The laboratory maintains an online feather database, called the Feather Atlas, which is available on their website.  Ken Goddard serves as the current Lab Director.

==Mission==
The primary mission of the laboratory is to identify the species or subspecies of pieces, parts or products of an animal to determine cause-of-death of an animal, to help wildlife officers determine if a violation of law has occurred and to identify and compare physical evidence in an attempt to link suspect, victim and crime scene.

==History==
The laboratory was established as a result of the need for a wildlife crime laboratory for the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.  The need for this laboratory was brought to the attention of the Fish and Wildlife Service by Terry Grosz and Ken Goddard. In 1986, the location of the laboratory was selected to be Ashland, Oregon partially due to the efforts of Dr. Wehinger, a chiropractor from [[Eagle Point, Oregon]].  By September, 1987, construction had begun on the laboratory, and finished a year later.  The laboratory was dedicated as the National Fish and Wildlife Forensics Laboratory in 1989, only to be re-dedicated as the Clark R. Bavin National Fish and Wildlife Forensic Laboratory two years later to honor former [[United States Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement|Fish and Wildlife Service Law Enforcement]] Chief Clark Bavin.   Later, in 2006, a 17,000 square foot addition was constructed to house their new wildlife pathology and genetics labs, along with an isolated room for their [[dermestidae|dermestid beetles]].  In 2007, the laboratory complied with a [[United States Department of Homeland Security|Homeland Security]] mandate to protect the building by using landscaping and gardens instead of conventional methods, such as fences and buffers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.fws.gov/lab/history.php|title = About the US FWS Forensics Laboratory: Our Lab's History}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.fws.gov/lab/timeline.php|title = About the US FWS Forensics Laboratory: Our Lab's Timeline}}</ref>
[[File:USFWS laser-scanner Forensics Lab.jpg|thumb|USFWS Laser Surface Scanner at the National Fish and Wildlife Forensic Laboratory]]

==Equipment==
The laboratory utilizes various equipment, including:

[[File:Bugroom.jpg|thumb|Air-tight room at the Fish and Wildlife Service's National Fish and Wildlife Forensic Laboratory containing dermestid beetles used for skeletonization]]

*Dermestid Beetle Colonies
*Laser Surface Scanner
*[[Ballistics]] Tank
*[[Mass Spectrometers]]
*Liquid [[Chromatograph]]
*Infrared [[Spectrometer]]
*X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometer
*Various [[Microscopes]]

==Organization==
The forensics laboratory is divided into six major units:<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.fws.gov/lab/organization.php|title=About the US FWS Forensics Laboratory: Our Lab's History}}</ref> 
[[File:USFWS Forensics Laboratory Evidence Processing.jpg|thumb|Evidence Processing, part of Administration]]
*Administration
**Budget/Purchasing and Personnel
**Clerical Support
**Evidence Processing
**Quality Assurance
**[[Facilities Management]]
*[[Chemistry]]
*[[Genetics]]
*[[Morphology (biology)|Morphology]]
**[[Herpetology]]
**[[Ornithology]]
**[[Mammalogy]]
*[[Pathology]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{official website|1=https://www.fws.gov/law-enforcement/clark-r-bavin-national-fish-and-wildlife-forensics-laboratory}}

[[Category:Buildings and structures in Ashland, Oregon]]
[[Category:United States Fish and Wildlife Service]]
[[Category:Laboratories in Oregon]]
[[Category:1988 establishments in Oregon]]
[[Category:Law enforcement in Oregon]]