Natural Heritage Priority Sites in New Jersey

Using the Natural Heritage Database, the Office of Natural Lands Management (ONLM) has identified 343 Natural Heritage Priority Sites, representing some of the best remaining habitat for rare species and rare ecological communities in the state. Although the primary focus of these sites is rare plant species and ecological communities, the DEP Endangered and Nongame Species Program also provided key information and assisted with the delineation of a number of the sites that encompass significant habitats for rare animals. These areas should be considered to be top priorities for the preservation of biological diversity in New Jersey. If these sites become degraded or destroyed, we may lose some of the unique components of our natural heritage. Natural Heritage Priority Site maps are used by individuals and agencies concerned with the protection and management of land. The maps have been used by municipalities preparing natural resource inventories, public and private conservation organizations preparing open space acquisition goals, land developers and consultants identifying environmentally sensitive lands, and public and private landowners developing land management plans. Natural Heritage Priority Sites contain some of the best and most viable occurrences of rare plant species and ecological communities, but they do not cover all the known habitat for these elements or most rare animal species in New Jersey. If information is needed on whether or not endangered or threatened species have been documented from a particular area, a Natural Heritage Database search can be requested by contacting the Office of Natural Lands Management at: Office of Natural Lands Management, Division of Parks and Forestry, NJ Department of Environmental Protection, P.O. Box 404, Trenton, NJ 08625-0404 Phone: [phone] Fax: [phone]