Heritage program joins UM

Administrators at UM took over management of the Montana Natural Heritage Program on July 1. The program had been administered by The Nature Conservancy.

Based at the Montana State Library in Helena, the Natural Heritage Program is the state’s source for information on the status and distribution of native animals and plants — especially species of concern and high-quality habitats such as wetlands.

The program’s 18-member staff collects, validates and distributes information while helping natural resource managers and others use this knowledge effectively. The Montana Legislature established the Natural Heritage Program in 1983 as part of the State Library, and the library has contracted with The Nature Conservancy and now UM to manage the program.

“After 20 years of growing a strong Natural Heritage Program, The Nature Conservancy is pleased to turn it over to a state institution,” MTNHP Director Susan Crispin said. “In a way, it’s a gift from the conservancy to the people of Montana.”

The Nature Conservancy in Montana has worked with landowners and other partners to conserve a half-million acres of wildlife habitat and ranchland in the state since 1979, but Crispin said the organization’s primary focus on land conservation made it hard to support the Natural Heritage Program.

“As part of this transition we wanted the program to become affiliated with a stable, established state institution that has a strong commitment to science and research, so UM was a logical choice and is a great fit for us,” she said.

The Natural Heritage Program now is managed by UM’s Office of the Vice President for Research and Development.