Accessing NHI Data

When the Wisconsin Natural Heritage Inventory (NHI) program was established, the legislature specifically exempted the NHI database from the state's open-records law. This was done for several reasons. First, there is a potential threat to rare species when their locations are publicly known. Illegal collection, in addition to actions of well-intended people who simply are interested in viewing rare species, have impacted several populations of showy and highly sought after species. Second, the potential exists for outright destruction of rare species by those who view them as barriers to resource utilization. For these reasons, NHI Data is not appropriate for general public distribution The Department has the authority to decide how and what information in the NHI database is distributed outside the agency and has delegated this responsibility to the NHI program.

Although there are potential problems with distributing sensitive NHI data outside the Department, the NHI program believes sharing data with responsible users is one of the most effective means of protecting endangered resources. The NHI program invests considerable effort into collecting data and managing the NHI database so that the information will be used to protect our state's biodiversity, not sit on a shelf. As a result, the NHI program shares data with some individuals and organizations outside the Department in two ways: by generalizing data and through license agreements.

Generalized data

The NHI Program releases generalized NHI data to the public through the following three tools.

• The NHI County Data provides a list of the endangered resources that are known to occur within each Township and Range within a county.
• The NHI County Maps provide section-level locational information without releasing element(species)-specific data.
• The Wisconsin DNR Comprehensive Planning Web Mapping Site is an interactive mapping tool on the Aquatic and Terrestiral Resources Inventory (exit DNR) site that enables the user to create maps. The NHI County maps data is included in this application and can be applied with other layers for GIS user access.

Data Sharing License Agreements

The NHI program shares detailed, location-specific data when doing so will serve a conservation purpose and the requester is willing to enter into a data license agreement. the NHI program follows specific guidelines when distributing information on endangered resources under license agreement in accordance with Wis Stats. 23.27 and NR 29.04. Fees range from $500 - $1,000 for a one-year license. Training and support fees may not be included. The BER maintains the responsibility for providing endangered resource data sets to external customers. NHI data under a license agreement are provided in two ways:

• NHI Data Portal – An innovative new tool, this online application provides full access to NHI data for the entire state or a limited geographic area. The application is structured with support information and fact sheets on the many species and natural communities within the data set. See NHI Tutorials for more information.
• Customized Data Set – NHI data can be provided in Microsoft Word document, GIS shapefile, or hard copy report.