Submit or Request Data

Requesting PNHP Data Services

PNHP provides publicly available ecological data through web resources like Conservation Explorer, the PNHP Species and Natural Features lists, Natural Heritage Inventories, Plant Fact Sheets, and the Climate Change Vulnerability Index. PNHP can also provide additional information, in the form of tabular data or GIS files, to individuals or organizations that need it in support of a specific project.

Types of data which can be shared upon request may include names or locations of sensitive species of concern or shapefiles describing known locations of elements of biodiversity. Information is released only for specific uses, including some environmental review projects, conservation planning, or research. Requests are reviewed by the PNHP partner agencies on a case-by-case basis, and many types of data require permissions from all agency partners prior to release. If an adequate need to know the requested information is demonstrated, users will be asked to sign an information sharing agreement which sets limits on how the released content can be used, as well as limits on further distribution or release. In some cases, there will be a fee associated with data release, to cover time spent on fulfilling the request.

Before you request data, see if the information you seek is available on the PNHP website or the Conservation Explorer. Many data questions may be answered by viewing the resources readily available here. For example, through Conservation Explorer you can find a list of species of concern for your county or determine if Natural Heritage Areas overlap with a property of interest. For precise locations of populations of species for a research or other project, a data request is required.

Please contact pnhpdatainbox@paconserve.org with questions pertaining to types of data which can be collected or released.
To request data services from PNHP, users should complete a data request form and return it to pnhpdatainbox@paconserve.org, or mail the completed form to one of the addresses listed at the bottom of this page.
Once data requests have been received by PNHP information managers, they will circulate the request to the PNHP partner agencies for review.
The information managers will contact requestors with any questions needed for the review, to notify them when the review has been completed, and to send an information sharing agreement for requestors to sign prior to receiving the data.
Data Request PDF Form

Submitting Data to PNHP

Use this data submission form to report the observation of a rare animal or plant to the Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program (PNHP) and we will consider incorporating it into our database of species of conservation concern. We appreciate information on species tracked by PNHP. All observations will be vetted for accuracy. Please provide as much information as possible when submitting data. To submit completed observation forms, or for more information, please contact PNHP data managers, at pnhpdatainbox@paconserve.org, or by mail.

This form is not meant to be used for PNDI environmental review-related surveys. If you are submitting data as part of an application for PNDI permits, please follow the PNHP Survey Protocols instructions.
If you are a consultant working directly with a Pennsylvania government agency, please follow their respective protocols for submitting data.
To confirm identification of observations, photos and/or voucher specimens are needed. Only collect voucher specimens with the appropriate landowner permission and permits, and after ensuring that collection will not harm the population. For more information on collection permits for Pennsylvania rare species, see Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission or DCNR Survey Protocols.
Data Submission PDF Form link

Mailing Addresses for Data Request or Submission Forms

Western Pennsylvania

Information Manager
Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program
Western Pennsylvania Conservancy
800 Waterfront Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Fax (412) 231-1414

Eastern Pennsylvania

Information Manager
Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program
Western Pennsylvania Conservancy
PO Box 8552
Harrisburg, PA 17105-8552
Fax (717) 787-9067