Tools for Protection and Planning

The most critical component of conserving the state's rare and common biodiversity is habitat protection.

Acquiring important habitat is the primary function of our Land Protection Program, which uses fees from fishing, hunting, and trapping licenses and donations into the Wildlands Fund to pay for the acquisitions, as well as Open Space Bond funds made available by the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs and administered by the Department of Fish and Game.  

We play a lead role in compiling and assessing information for that program, to inform and advise the DFW Lands Committee where best to buy land for open space protection.  

List of tools

We work hard to provide tools and information to the conservation community to aid in land acquisition to further the efforts to protect biodiversity.  Some of the tools available are listed below.

Additional Resources

BioMap: The Future of Conservation in Massachusetts

List of Endangered, Threatened, and Special Concern species

Rare species by town

Natural Communities

Vernal Pools

Division of Ecological Restoration

Request rare species information

MassWildlife Lands Viewer

Natural Heritage GIS Resources

Planning contact

We advise conservation groups on important sites to protect and provide input to towns on their open space plans.

For information on planning for rare species protection, or information relating to a town's Open Space Plan, contact NHESP at 508-389-6300 or [e-mail].