NatureServe and Natural Heritage Programs

Created by Whitney Weber, Modified on Tue, 9 Jun at 3:48 PM by Whitney Weber

A decision guide for BLM SSS Work

NatureServe and the NatureServe Network of Natural Heritage Programs (NHPs) are connected and complementary. The 60 state and provincial heritage programs in the NatureServe Network are the original source of biodiversity data, and NatureServe is a hub organization that aggregates and standardizes that data.

BLM staff have access to both sources: state heritage program data through direct requests and precise, mapped at-risk species occurrence data and habitat models for the Western Region through BLM’s data license with NatureServe. Use the guidance below to determine which source best fits your needs.

State Natural Heritage Programs (NHPs)	NatureServe
What it is:
A state-level agency or program dedicated to identifying, tracking, and protecting rare species and high-quality natural communities.	A nonprofit organization that operates as the central hub for the NatureServe Network, a collaborative of 60+ natural heritage programs and conservation data centers across the U.S. and Canada. NatureServe standardizes and analyzes data from all NHPs and incorporates it into products and services through easy-to-use tools and visualizations.
What it provides:
Local species and ecosystem expertise Field inventories and maps Site-based planning and conservation actions Local/statewide analyses and assessments, such as State Wildlife Action Plans	Range-wide species and ecosystem information Standards to support consistent data collection and management Development and user support for software systems that facilitate the quality and flow of data Multi-jurisdictional analyses and data products for users who work beyond the boundaries of a single state or province For BLM staff, the agency has a data license with NatureServe that provides access to precise at-risk species locations (Element Occurrences, or EOs) and species habitat models for the BLM Western Region
Geographic scope:
Within the state; each program covers its own boundaries. If your project or field office crosses state lines, data must be requested from each program separately.	Continental (U.S. and Canada). Data is aggregated and standardized across all Network programs.
Data currency:
Most current – may have unpublished surveys and sensitive locations.	Standardized and verified; NatureServe update cycles are typically annual.
Maintained by:
State botanists, zoologists, and ecologists with local expertise.	NatureServe via its standardized taxonomy and global ranking system.
Typical uses:
Single-state or state-listed species queries Recent or unpublished occurrence data State regulatory processes	Multi-state or regional scoping Federally tracked at-risk species EOs Species habitat models
How to access the data:
For a directory of NHP contact information and data access websites, see the Network Member Websites and Data Access map at State Data Offerings \| NatureServe BLM Hub.	See full instructions at Access NatureServe Licensed Data : NatureServe's BLM Support. BLM staff must first complete NatureServe’s Data Use Training and register for NatureServe Explorer Pro. Once you’ve completed these steps, log into NatureServe Explorer Pro with your BLM credentials to view precise species data and habitat models in a web map interface. To view or download the data or habitat models for your own ArcGIS workflows via a geodata portal: NatureServe Biodiversity Location Data for BLM Western Region NatureServe species habitat models for BLM (use tags to filter by state)