The south dakota natural heritage program is part of natureserve, an international network of biologicalinventories known as natural heritage programs or conservation data centers

The Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Region 6 awarded $118,840 to the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Wildlife Division on January 1, 2026, under the State Wildlife Grants formula program (CFDA 15.634) to maintain and expand the South Dakota Natural Heritage Database (SD NHDB), a location-specific biological inventory tracking rare, unique, and vulnerable plants, animals, and biological communities across the state.

The SD NHDB serves as South Dakota's participation in NatureServe, an international network of natural heritage programs spanning all 50 states and beyond. The Wildlife Division uses the database to support the implementation of South Dakota's Wildlife Action Plan and to inform research, environmental review, and conservation planning. The database currently tracks 95 animal species and 30 plant species identified as species of greatest conservation need in the 2025 Wildlife Action Plan. The Wildlife Division accepts public sightings submitted via website forms, reviews submissions for validity, and enters verified data into the SD NHDB using BIOTICS, NatureServe's standardized data management system, to ensure consistent ecological and spatial data entry.

The award runs through December 31, 2027, with all work performed in South Dakota. The State Wildlife Grants formula program provides funds for development and implementation of conservation programs benefiting sensitive and imperiled wildlife, particularly species not hunted or fished.

This network spans all 50 U.S.states, canada, latin america, and the caribbean. As a participating member, the south dakota game, fish andparks (sdgfp) maintains the south dakota natural heritage database (SD nhdb), a vital resource that storeslocation-specific data on rare, unique, and vulnerable plants, animals, and biological communities. Thisinformation plays a critical role in research, environmental review, and conservation planning in support ofimplementing south dakotas wildlife action plan (sdwap).the SD nhdb has been instrumental in the conservation of many species in the state. Of the 245 animal speciesidentified as species of greatest conservation need in the 2025 sdwap, 95 animal species and 30 plant species are currently tracked in the database (appendix a sdgfp 2025). To contribute data, anyone can submit a siting form via the sdgfp website for any monitored species. Sdgfp staff review these submissions, and if valid, the data is entered into the SD nhdb using biotics, natureserves standardized data management system. Biotics ensures consistent and accurate ecological and spatial data entry, enhancing the databases reliability and long-term usability.