Initiatives in Pennsylvania and on a national level promote the study of bird populations and the protection of their habitat.
A build-out analysis projects the development that could occur in an area under current law. It enables a community to test the reality of its development regulations against its vision for its future.
Cost of Community Services studies examine both the tax revenues generated by different land uses and the costs to local government of providing services to those same uses. They help people understand the fiscal outcomes of keeping land in agriculture or as open space versus developing land for other purposes.
A development threat analysis identifies undeveloped lands that are most likely to be developed within a specific time frame. Information is presented in map form.
Floristic Quality Assessment (FQA) is a standardized assessment method that calculates a numerical index reflecting the quality of native plant communities for a given area. It indicates the impacts of invasive species and can also be used to monitor the effectiveness of land-management and restoration practices.
The Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program provides current, reliable, objective, accessible information on Pennsylvania’s ecological resources to help inform land-use planning, conservation, and development decisions.
Prioritization tools help land trusts and municipalities make better decisions about where to focus conservation efforts and how to allocate limited resources.