New Natural Heritage Information Portal

The Montana Natural Heritage Program is excited to announce a new web application to provide access to information on Montana’s plants, animals, and ecological information. Information on birds is now available. Then information on other animals, plants, and ecological information will be displayed as time and funding allow. The first application shows bird species distribution by quarter degree of latitude and longitude in a manner consistent with P.D. Skaars Montana Bird Distribution (Lenard et al. 2003). The new map-based web application allows birders to view species sightings across the state and enter their own precise observations in an easy-to-use web application.

Access the Natural Heritage Information Portal

The web site displays sighting information for bird species at a statewide level with users being able to view the precise locations for only those sightings which they enter. This level of display provides a good overview of the observations and occurrence locations while protecting the sensitive nature of many of the species.

This new web application will expand to become the principle information dissemination tool for all of the animal, plant, and ecological information managed by the Natural Heritage Program. New information and features we plan to add over the next year include:

· Amphibian observations and photos from the Montana Amphibian Inventory Project

· Statewide aquatic data linked to an ecological classification of streams and rivers

· Animal point observations from the MTNHP/FWP POD database

· Montana Plant and Animal Species of Concern occurrence location and descriptive information.

The Natural Heritage Program is Montana's source for information on Montana's native species and habitats, emphasizing those of conservation concern. We collect, validate, and distribute this information, and assist natural resource managers and others in applying it effectively. Established by the Montana State Legislature in 1983, the program is located in the Montana State Library, where it is part of the Natural Resource Information System. Read about our current activities and projects.

The Montana Natural Heritage Program is also part of the Natural Heritage Network, and our data are linked to similar programs in all 50 states, most Canadian provinces, and many Latin American countries. You can access species and ecological data assembled from across this network on NatureServe Explorer.

May 3, 2006

What's New