North Carolina Natural Heritage Program

by Mickey Jo Sorrell, 2014.

North Carolina’s Natural Heritage Program (NCNHP) was established in 1976, and is a unit of the Office of Land and Water Stewardship, within the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Its mission is to provide the scientific knowledge and motivation for appropriate stewardship of the significant natural areas in North Carolina.

The N.C. Natural Heritage Program is a member of an international network that reaches from Canada through the United States and into Latin America, and shares common methods and agreements to make a record of rare species and natural areas that have not been drastically disturbed by human activities. These programs are allied through NatureServe, a private, nonprofit organization based in Arlington, Va.

Working with a network of expert biologists, NCNHP staff collects information and makes it available to a variety of users. NCNHP partners with many state and federal government agencies, private groups, individuals and businesses to identify the most noteworthy natural areas of land or water and to share information about these places so that future generations can enjoy North Carolina's unique natural heritage. 

The NCNHP information database is easily reached online and can be used to produce reports about rare species, high quality natural communities, and areas managed for conservation. Written reports, including rare plant and animal lists, are also available from the NCNHP website.