Natural Heritage Program

Select an at-risk species below to download a PDF range map. Spatial data for listed species’ ranges, for use with GIS software, is also located below.

• American Burying Beetle
• American Ginseng
• Blacknose Shiner
• Blowout Penstemon
• Colorado Butterfly Plant
• Finescale Dace
• Interior Least Tern
• Lake Sturgeon
• Western Massasauga
• Mountain Plover
• Northern Long-eared Bat
• Northern Redbelly Dace
• Pallid Sturgeon
• Piping Plover
• Salt Creek Tiger Beetle
• Saltwort
• Scaleshell Mussel
• Small White Lady’s-slipper
• Southern Flying Squirrel
• Sturgeon Chub
• Swift Fox
• Thick-Billed Longspur
• Timber Rattlesnake
• Topeka Shiner
• Ute Ladies’-tresses
• Western Prairie Fringed Orchid
• Whooping Crane

Spatial data

Download spatial data for listed species’ ranges, for use with GIS software.

Additional information

For range maps of other at-risk species, please email Chelsea Forehead.

View range maps for natural communities in Terrestrial Ecological Systems and Natural Communities of Nebraska by Steven B. Rolfsmeier and Gerry Steinauer.

Download plant community descriptions
Download plant community range maps

The following resources are available for download:

Download biologically unique landscapes map
Download spatial data for use with GIS software

Field survey forms are available for download as Word documents.

Download element occurrence ranking instructions
Download rare animal survey form
Download ecological community survey form
Download rare plant survey form

Data are available in a variety of formats, including simple Excel spreadsheets and GIS shapefiles, in varying degrees of detail, and for areas ranging in size. Fees are charged to cover staff time in responding to such requests. Fees may be waived for non-profit organizations and educational institutions. We strive to answer all data requests within 2 weeks, although complex data requests and current workloads occasionally cause longer response times. Data requests may be subject to a data license agreement. Contact Chelsea Forehead to make a data request. Providing a GIS shapefile of the area of interest will expedite the request.

The Nebraska Conservation and Environmental Review Tool is an ArcGIS Server based interactive mapping application that anyone can use to map the conservation status and conservation values of lands.

The website offers:

• Map layers including Natural Heritage information, CHAT data, conservation lands, geographic and political boundaries
• Basemap options including aerial photography, streets, topographic maps
• An array of map navigation tools and search functions to support viewing and analysis

All users can:

• Import data to the viewer via shapefiles or published map services
• Make custom maps for printing or sharing

Registered users can also:

• Identify areas for potential conservation projects and receive reports detailing features in the area.
• Submit proposed projects for environmental review and receive results back as a report with results of Nebraska Game and Parks Commission review.

Visit the CERT home page to create an account or to log in.

As part of a west-wide effort led by the Western Governors’ Association and the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission synthesized information related to habitat for at-risk native species and natural plant communities. The result is coarse-scale, landscape-level information that can be used by anyone for land-use planning. The product of this west-wide collaboration is called the Crucial Habitat Assessment Tool (CHAT). The information, provided through an online GIS-mapping tool, is non-regulatory and gives project planners and the public access to credible scientific data on a broad scale for use in project analysis, siting, and planning.

The CHAT (Crucial Habitat Assessment Tool):

• Is intended to support a broad spectrum of users—from planners, to private landowners, to policy makers.
• Aims to bring greater certainty and predictability to planning efforts.
• Is designed to reduce conflicts and surprises during the planning process.
• Helps to ensure wildlife values are better incorporated into land use decision-making.
• Supports cross-state assessments for large-scale conservation projects.

Download comprehensive CHAT document
Visit CHAT website