© Bruce McNitt/Panoramic Images (Virginia)
Virginia DCR - Natural Heritage Program
In 1986 the Commonwealth of Virginia entered into a cooperative agreement with The Nature Conservancy to establish the Virginia Natural Heritage Program. This was the state’s first step toward developing a comprehensive approach for conserving Virginia’s rare plant and animal populations, and natural communities – what are referred to as natural heritage resources.
In July of 1988, the Virginia Natural Heritage Program came under the direction of the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). The Natural Heritage Program's (DCR-DNH) mission is conserving Virginia's biodiversity through inventory, protection, and stewardship.
Finally, in 1989, The Virginia Natural Area Preserves Act, 10.1-209 through 217 of the Code of Virginia, was passed and codified DCR's powers and duties related to statewide biological inventory: maintaining a statewide database for conservation planning and project review, land protection for the conservation of biodiversity, and the protection and ecological management of natural heritage resources (the habitats of rare, threatened, and endangered species, significant natural communities, geologic sites, and other natural features). DCR-DNH represents the first comprehensive attempt to identify the most significant natural areas in the Commonwealth through an intensive statewide inventory of plants, animals, natural communities, and other features that are exemplary, rare, or endangered on a global or statewide basis.
DCR-DNH consists of five major sections:
Program Sections
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Natural Heritage Program - Inventory Section
The inventory process begins by determining which species are rare and which natural communities are significant. Those that are considered the most imperiled typically receive the highest priority for inventory.
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Natural Heritage Program - Information Management Section
The information management section is responsible for incorporating inventory data into a database system that maintains comprehensive data on the location and condition of Virginia¿s plants, animals, natural communities and geological features.
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Natural Heritage Program - Environmental Review Section
Information is of no use if it is not shared. The Environmental Review section reviews over 3000 requests for information annually.
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Natural Heritage Program - Natural Area Protection Section
Natural area protection staff select and implement strategies to protect the conservation sites identified through the inventory process.
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Natural Heritage Program - Stewardship Section
Conservation of natural areas does not end with land protection. Natural area stewardship is the long-term management of land and water to sustain natural heritage resources.
Other Programs
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