GIS DATALAYERS 

BioMap Datalayers
How to download

• Estimated Habitat layer (polygon)

This layer depicts estimated habitats of state-protected rare wildlife occurring in wetlands areas. The coverage is updated periodically and shows estimated habitat for all documented occurrences of rare wetlands wildlife within the last 25 years. Please note that this layer shows habitat designated for wildlife only and not for rare plants. Local conservation commissions have copies of these maps, which are also published by NHESP in an atlas approximately every two years.
The layer is designed for use with the Wetlands Protection Act Regulations (310 CMR 10.00). Projects which are subject to the Wetlands Protection Act and which fall within Estimated Habitats of Rare Wildlife require the filing of a Notice of Intent form with NHESP.
The legend which MUST accompany this data layer on ALL maps is: "NHESP 2003 Estimated Habitats of Rare Wildlife: Use with Wetlands Protection Act".

• Priority Habitat layer (polygon)

This data layer represents areas of known state-protected rare plant and animal species occurrences in Massachusetts. This coverage is updated periodically and shows designated habitat for rare species locations documented within the last 25 years. This layer is designed for use with the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act Regulations (321 CMR 10.00) and the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act Regulations (301 CMR 11.00).
The legend which MUST accompany this data layer on ALL maps is: "NHESP 2003 Priority Habitats of State-Listed Rare Species: NOT equivalent to 'Significant Habitat' as designated under the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act".

• Certified Vernal Pool layer (point)

This data layer contains points for all vernal pools certified by NHESP according to the Guidelines for Certification of Vernal Pool Habitat (5/88, MA Division of Fisheries and Wildlife).
The legend which MUST accompany this data layer on ALL maps is: "NHESP 2003 Massachusetts Certified Vernal Pools".

• Potential Vernal Pool layer (point)

This datalayer identifies the locations of more than 29,000 potential, unverified, vernal pool habitats. Potential vernal pools identified in this aerial photo survey are not to be confused with Certified Vernal Pools. Data pursuant to the official “Guidelines for the Certification of Vernal Pool Habitat” must be collected in the field and presented to the Massachusetts Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program to obtain official certification for a vernal pool. Potential vernal pools identified in this survey do not receive protection under the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act Regulations (310 CMR 10.00), or under any other state or federal wetlands protection laws. The legend that MUST accompany this datalayer on all maps is:
“NHESP Potential Vernal Pools: NOT equivalent to Certified Vernal Pools” .

BioMap Datalayers

BioMap Core Habitat (polygon)

Core Habitat is one of two datalayers resulting from the BioMap biodiversity mapping project.The Core Habitat layer depicts the most viable habitat for rare species and natural communities in Massachusetts. Using a variety of data sources, primarily field data, ancillary literature, and color-infrared aerial photographs, Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program scientists delineated Core Habitat polygons.
Polygons were digitized for individual species, groups of species and natural communities. Core Habitat for plant species consist primarily of buffered point locations with developed areas clipped out. Core Habitat polygons were checked to flag areas where recent development might impact the polygon boundaries. These areas were excised from Core Habitat where appropriate. The final linework for individual species and natural community polygons was merged into a single coverage. As outlined above, a Core Habitat polygon may consist of many individual species or natural community polygons- this individual species information is not identified in the Core Habitat layer.
The legend that MUST accompany this datalayer on ALL maps is:
"NHESP BioMap Core Habitat, 2001".
Please note that Core Habitat polygons were designed for use at a regional or town scale. For accurate portrayal, the data should be displayed at scales of less than 1:25,000 (e.g., 1:30,000).
This datalayer is intended for conservation planning purposes only. It should not be used for regulatory purposes. The NHESP layers designed for regulatory use are produced in the Natural Heritage Atlas.
For more information about the BioMap project visit our BioMap web page.

• BioMap Supporting Natural Landscape (polygon)

Supporting Natural Landscape is one of two datalayers resulting from the BioMap biodiversity mapping project (also see the NHESP BioMap Core Habitat datalayer description). The Supporting Natural Landscape was created through a GIS grid cell analysis that buffers and connects Core Habitat polygons, and identifies large, naturally vegetated areas that are relatively free from the impact of roads and other development. The quality of undeveloped land considered in the landscape analysis was evaluated based on four major components:
natural vegetation patch characteristics; size of relatively roadless areas; subwatershed integrity; and contribution to buffering BioMap Core Habitat polygons for plants and exemplary communities.

The selection of Supporting Natural Landscape was determined by selecting a total of 40% to 50% per ecoregion by the combination of BioMap Core Habitat with Supporting Natural Landscape. The most highly ranked grid cells in each ecoregion were selected for inclusion, and thus the highest quality remaining habitat is represented in each ecoregion. Polygons that were not contiguous with BioMap Core Habitat and polygons that were less than 2,500 acres were deleted from the final map because the main intention was to buffer and connect Core Habitat polygons and to identify the largest remaining patches of undeveloped land. As a final step, the Supporting Natural Landscape polygons were compared with 1:5,000 digital orthophotos (1992-1999) and recent areas of development were deleted.
The legend that MUST accompany this datalayer on ALL maps is:
"NHESP BioMap Supporting Natural Landscape, 2001".
Please note that Supporting Natural Landscape polygons were designed for use at a regional or town scale. For accurate portrayal, the data should be displayed at scales of less than 1:25,000 (e.g. 1:30,000).
This datalayer is intended for conservation planning purposes only- it has no regulatory purpose. The NHESP layers designed for regulatory use are produced in the Natural Heritage Atlas.

For more information about the BioMap project, visit our BioMap web page.

Refer to the MassGIS data layer descriptions page for a detailed description of these data layers: http://www.state.ma.us/mgis/laylist.htm

Download Data:

To download any of the above datalayers, please navigate to the MassGIS NHESP download page: http://www.state.ma.us/mgis/laylist.htm.