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Official Website of MassWildlife - An Agency of the Department of Fish and Game
Natural Heritage and Endangered Species

Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program

Natural Heritage LogoThe Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program (NHESP), part of the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, is one of the programs forming the Natural Heritage network.  NHESP is responsible for the conservation and protection of hundreds of species that are not hunted, fished, trapped, or commercially harvested in the state. The Program's highest priority is protecting the 178 species of vertebrate and invertebrate animals and 264 species of native plants that are officially listed as Endangered, Threatened or of Special Concern in Massachusetts.

Frosted Elfin, Special Concern; Photo by Mike Nelson, NHESP © 2002

The overall goal of the Program is the protection of the state's wide range of native biological diversity. Progress towards this goal is accomplished through the following:

  • Biological Field Surveys
  • Research and Inventory
  • Data Management
  • Environmental Impact Review
  • Rare Species Recovery
  • Ecological Restoration of Key Habitats
  • Land Protection

For more details about the Natural Heritage Program and for more about our mission, see the following pages:

Help Save Massachusetts' Endangered Plant and Animals, Contribute to the Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Fund!