New Hampshire Department of Forest and Lands

Big Island Pond, Nottingham

NHB Data Requests

Important News

Thank you for using the NH Natural Heritage Bureau’s DataCheck Tool.

The Natural Heritage Bureau's administrative rules have recently changed. These rules govern agency policies and procedures, and are approved by a committee of state legislators. Per Ncr 310.03, which was approved by the Joint Legislative Committee oecploren Administrative Rules on 1/24/2020, Environmental Review Screening of long, linear projects will be charged at $60/hour.

The following fees apply to Natural Heritage Environmental Review applications:

DataCheck and Environmental Review Screening Fees
DataCheck Request, Web Tool Screening (Records Found) $25
DataCheck Request, Web Tool Screening (No Records Found) No Charge
DataCheck Request, No Web Tool Screening (Map Mailed or Emailed) $25
Hardcopy Request $25
Environmental Review Screening of Large Projects (Linear Projects Longer Than One Mile in Length, or Project Segments of Any Length Separated by One Mile or More) $60/hour

Changes to the DataCheck Tool website will be made through early 2020, making it easier and faster to use. If you experience difficulties with the current Datacheck Tool website, please try again later.

NH Natural Heritage (NHB) maintains a database of known locations of rare species and exemplary natural communities.

There are two ways to request a check of the NHB database.

1. Information About Rare Species for a Permit or Grant Requirement

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Federal, state, and local agencies may require a check of the Natural Heritage database to determine whether a proposed project could impact rare species or critical habitat. In some circumstances, a $25 fee will be assessed to cover staff time.

To request a check of the Natural Heritage database, permit applicants can use the DataCheck Tool. This is an interactive webpage that can be used to provide NHB with basic information about a project, including a map.

If there are no NHB records anywhere in the vicinity, a letter to that effect will be e-mailed at once, automatically, and there is no fee. If NHB records are in the vicinity, a review by NHB is needed. This review can be requested using the DataCheck Tool. If the $25 fee is required it must be paid by check or money order.

First Time Users: Please print instructions for mapping your project using the Tool.

Prefer to submit Data Check requests by hand?

If permit applicants do not wish to use the DataCheck tool, they may submit a request form to NHB by e-mail or mail.

NHB hard copy permit request (pdf version) (MS Word version)

2. Landowner Requests (including forest management plans)

NH Natural Heritage can check its database to see if we have any rare plant, rare animal, or exemplary natural community records on your property. Please fill out the landowner request form to request such a check. There is no fee for this service. However, the results cannot be used for permit requirements (the scope of the database check is different). See above to request information for a permit requirement.

Landowner request form (pdf version) (MS Word version)

Please note that very little of New Hampshire has been inventoried for biodiversity, so even if something is on your property, it has probably not been recorded. A field survey would provide better information on what species and communities are indeed present. NH Heritage is sometimes able to do property-specific inventories for towns or individuals, but only after we have worked out a formal contract to cover our expenses.

NH Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and the NH Division of Forests and Lands | 172 Pembroke Road, Concord, NH 03301