The coverage was developed as lines on USGS topographic paper maps and subsequently edited to fit on either 1995/97 color infrared aerial imagery, 1991 black and white aerial imagery or scanned USGS 1:24,000 topographic maps as an ArcView shape file. Within the Highlands Region, the coverage was developed using the NJDEP 2002 Land use/Land cover: Highlands Study Area (DRAFT) coverage and subsequently edited using 2002 High Resolution Orthophotography, as well as scanned USGS 1:24,000 topographic maps, as references.
Outside of the Highlands Region, the coverage was developed as lines on USGS topographic paper maps and subsequently edited to fit on either 1995/97 color infrared aerial imagery, 1991 black and white aerial imagery or scanned USGS 1:24,000 topographic maps as an ArcView shape file.
Natural Heritage Priority Sites depict critical habitat for occurrences of rare species and ecological communities throughout the state. These boundaries are delineated to include the full extent of habitat occupied by documented element occurrences and often encompass additional buffer lands that are needed to protect this critical habitat. Sites may be developed for concentrations of rare species and community occurrences, or they may be delineated to incorporate a single occurrence of a rare species or ecological community. Each Priority Site is ranked according to its significance for biological diversity on a global level. Within the Highlands Region the global biodiversity significance rank has been combined with a state biodiversity significance rank which provides information about the significance of the site on a state level. These ranks are based on the quality of the individual element occurrence(s) at the site, as well as the rarity of the species or community on a global and statewide level.