City of Newton, MA
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This data layer is from MassGIS, full documentation can be found here.
The Priority Habitats of Rare Species datalayer contains polygons representing the geographic extent of Habitat of state-listed rare species in Massachusetts based on observations documented within the last 25 years in the database of the Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program (NHESP). Priority Habitat polygons are the filing trigger for project proponents, municipalities, and all others for determining whether or not a proposed project or activity must be reviewed by the NHESP for compliance with the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act (MESA) and its implementing regulations. Areas delineated as Priority Habitats can include wetlands, uplands, and marine habitats—in fact, over half of the total acreage of Priority Habitat is mapped for marine habitats of state-listed rare species.
The Priority Habitats presented here are part of the 15th Edition of the Massachusetts Natural Heritage Atlas, and are effective beginning August 1, 2021.
If your project or activity falls within Priority Habitat and does not meet a MESA filing exemption (321 CMR 10.14), then you must file directly with the NHESP pursuant to MESA. For more information, please see the Regulatory Review section of the NHESP website.
Note that only a small area at the southern edge of Newton is in one of these areas.
Last Updated: September, 2021