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Natural Heritage Forms and Guidelines

Quick links to forms and guidelines.
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Regulatory Review Forms

State-listed Species Information Request Form, Open PDF file, 304.13 KB (English, PDF 304.13 KB)
Forestry Information Request Form, Open PDF file, 56.27 KB (English, PDF 56.27 KB)
MESA Project Review Checklist, Open PDF file, 1.7 MB (English, PDF 1.7 MB)
Application & Guidelines for MESA Conservation & Management Permit, Open PDF file, 1.42 MB (English, PDF 1.42 MB)
Commercial Scientific Collection Permit Application, Open PDF file, 1.05 MB (English, PDF 1.05 MB)
Learn more about Regulatory Review

Rare Species & Vernal Pool Observation Forms

NHESP Plant Observation Form, Open PDF file, 340.5 KB (English, PDF 340.5 KB)
NHESP Animal Observation Form, Open PDF file, 301.01 KB (English, PDF 301.01 KB)
Guidelines for the Certification of Vernal Pool Habitat, Open PDF file, 849.95 KB (English, PDF 849.95 KB)
Report rare species & vernal pool observations online

Natural Communities

Natural Community Field Forms, including summary and plot data forms, Open PDF file, 88.49 KB (English, PDF 88.49 KB)
Natural Community Field Forms, including summary and plot data forms, Open PDF file, 88.49 KB (English, PDF 88.49 KB)
Natural Communities

Collection Permit Applications

Commercial Scientific Collection Permit Application, Open PDF file, 1.05 MB (English, PDF 1.05 MB)

Scientific Collection Permit for Education or Research, Open PDF file, 1.96 MB (English, PDF 1.96 MB)

Massachusetts Non-Commercial Scientific Collection Permit (Research/Education) Guidelines for Proposals, Open PDF file, 356.71 KB (English, PDF 356.71 KB)

Guidelines for Collecting Rare Plants, Open PDF file, 160.68 KB (English, PDF 160.68 KB)
Standard Conditions for Amphibian and Reptile Scientific Collection Permits, Open PDF file, 317.02 KB (English, PDF 317.02 KB)
Research/Education Collection Permit End-of-Year Report form, Open PDF file, 275.34 KB (English, PDF 275.34 KB)

Non-commercial Annual Reporting spreadsheet, Open XLSX file, 20.56 KB (English, XLSX 20.56 KB)

Species Guidelines

Guidelines for Creating Turtle Nesting Habitat, Open PDF file, 196.74 KB (English, PDF 196.74 KB)
Mowing Guidelines in Rare Turtle Habitat, Open PDF file, 228.63 KB (English, PDF 228.63 KB)
State-Listed Species Habitat Assessment Guidelines: Wildlife, Open PDF file, 269.48 KB (English, PDF 269.48 KB)
State-Listed Species Habitat Assessment and Survey Guidelines: Plants, Open PDF file, 277.47 KB (English, PDF 277.47 KB)
Guidelines for Managing Recreational Use of Beaches to Protect Piping Plovers, Terns, and Their Habitats in Massachusetts, Open PDF file, 305.66 KB (English, PDF 305.66 KB)
Guidelines for Ethical Field Research on Rare Plant Species, Open PDF file, 108.88 KB (English, PDF 108.88 KB)
Guidelines for Collecting Rare Plants, Open PDF file, 160.68 KB (English, PDF 160.68 KB)

The Vascular Plants of Massachusetts

The Vascular Plants of Massachusetts: A County Checklist, Open PDF file, 5.8 MB (English, PDF 5.8 MB)

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