The Oregon Natural Heritage Program is part of The Natural Heritage Network.
To acquire, maintain and distribute information on the organisms and ecosystems that constitute Oregon's natural heritage, and to ensure, through a public planning process and through voluntary public and private efforts, that the full range of Oregon's natural heritage resources is represented within a statewide system of recognized natural areas.
What's New
The Oregon Natural Heritage Program has recently become a cooperator with the National Gap Analysis Program (Gap Analysis Home Page), and is working with the BRD of the U.S.G.S. to complete the Gap Analysis for Oregon and produce the final state Gap report. As part of this cooperation, the Heritage Program is developing, disseminating and helping to interpret Gap Analysis and other important biodiversity data.
The Oregon Natural Heritage Program is also in the process of updating the Natural Heritage Plan, and the booklet, Rare, Threatened, and Endangered Plants and Animals of Oregon. Proposed changes for the 1998 version are posted (Proposed Changes to 1998 Plant Lists and Proposed Changes to 1998 Animal and Invertebrate Lists). We would appreciate comments from the public regarding any proposed changes.
The Oregon Natural Heritage Act, passed by the Oregon Legislature in 1979, superseded the 1973 Oregon Natural Area Preserves Act and created the opportunity for a partnership between the State of Oregon and The Nature Conservancy to operate the Natural Heritage Program. The act calls for:
1) a natural heritage data management system for Oregon;
2) a Natural Heritage Advisory Council, appointed by the Governor;
3) an Oregon Natural Heritage Plan;
4) an Oregon Register of Natural Heritage Areas;
5) a system of dedicated and protected Natural Heritage Conservation Areas.
The Oregon Natural Heritage Program is housed at the Oregon Field Office of The Nature Conservancy, in Portland. It is affiliated with the Oregon Division of State Lands, which provides administrative support. The Division is located in Salem, and manages 2.3 million acres of land owned by the State of Oregon. The Division acts as the administrative arm of the State Land Board, which is comprised of the Governor, Secretary of State and Treasurer. The Heritage Program is managed by The Nature Conservancy for the State under a Cooperative Agreement with the seven state natural resource agencies.
The Council, under the oversight of the State Land Board, is charged with planning for the conservation of Oregon's natural heritage resources and gaining the voluntary cooperation of public and private land managers in establishing a statewide system of protected natural areas. The Council's nine members, of whom at least four must have expertise in the natural sciences, are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. Ex-officio members are appointed by the state's natural resource agencies. Members are uncompensated.
The five-year plan, updated in 1993, includes an inventory of Oregon's native ecosystem types, locations where they might be protected, protected status and priority for protection. It lists special animal and plant species by priority based on their status in Oregon and throughout their range. The plan includes guidelines and procedures for registering and dedicating natural areas, as well as a list of registered and established natural areas. For copies of the Oregon Natural Heritage Plan contact:
Division of State Lands
775 Summer St. NE
Salem, OR 97310
Phone: (503) 378-3805
Fax: (503) 378-4844
The Register lists Oregon's most important sites hosting significant natural heritage resources, primarily on state lands, and also includes voluntarily listed sites on private or municipal lands. The Council recommends candidates for registration to the State Land Board for approval. There are 72 natural areas currently registered.
Dedicated natural areas are designed to serve educators, researchers, resource managers and the general public with access to Oregon's natural heritage resources far into the future. Areas to be dedicated must first be registered and must in addition include management plans for long-term protection. The Heritage Program is assisting state agencies in identifying candidate sites for dedication. Three sites are currently dedicated, and 10 more are currently in process.
Oregon's most comprehensive database of rare, threatened and endangered species includes site-specific information on the occurrences, biology and status of over 1,000 species throughout Oregon. It includes the state's only database of natural vegetation, with descriptions and information on the occurrences and protected locations of all known ecosystem types. The Natural Heritage Data System provides information to guide implementation of the Natural Heritage Plan, including the selection of natural areas for registration and dedication. It is also contracted to provide natural heritage and sensitive species information to state and federal agencies, and is accessed daily by public land managers, private developers, researchers and educators.
Electronic systems contain:
Making a Data Request
To request data, write or fax to the address or number below, stating your data needs. Include the following information:
Time Frame for Response
Data requests are processed in the order in which they are received. The response time is approximately 10 working days, although large or complex data requests may take longer. Depending on the size of the response, we may or may not be able to fax results. If you would like to have your response returned by Federal Express, please include an account number with your request.
Fees
Fees are charged to cover the cost of providing data services. The minimum charge is $30.00. Charges are based at the rate of $50.00 per hour of staff time required, plus a $0.50 per record printout fee, and a $20.00 computer access fee. A fee estimate can be given prior to initiating a search. Send data requests to:
Oregon Natural Heritage Program
821 SE 14th Ave.
Portland, OR 97214-2531
(503) 731-3070 ext. 335 or 338
Fax No.: (503) 230-9639
Position | Name | ext | email address |
Director/Ecologist | James Kagan | 332 | jkagan@tnc.org |
Zoologist/Klamath Basin Coord. | Mark Stern | 333 | mstern@tnc.org |
Botany Data Mgr./Office Mgr. | Susan Vrilakas | 338 | svrilakas@tnc.org |
Zoology/GIS Data Manager | Eleanor Gaines | 350 | egaines@tnc.org |
Data Services Assistant | Connie Levesque | 335 | clevesque@tnc.org |
Wetlands Ecologist | John Christy | 342 | jchristy@tnc.org |
GIS Program Manager | John Hak | 327 | jhak@tnc.org |
Fisheries Biologist | Vacant | ||
Riparian Ecologist | Marie J. James Kerr | 352 | mkerr@tnc.org |
"Rare, Threatened and Endangered Plants and Animals of Oregon". December 1995, 84 pg. Published every three years. Cost: $8.00 ($6.00 + $2.00 postage and handling) prepaid. Additional copies are $6.50.
"Natural (Presettlement) Vegetation Classification". 1996, 40 pg. James Kagan, ORNHP. Contains names, ranks and references for Oregons terrestrial and wetland plant communities. Cost: $4.00 prepaid.
"Classification and Catalog of Native Wetland Plant Communities in Oregon" 1993, 68 pg. John Christy, ORNHP. Cost: $6.80
Author: James Kagan, ORNHP
Last Update: December 1, 1997
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