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The Navajo Natural Heritage Program
The Navajo Nation Natural Heritage Program is part of the Natural Heritage Network.

Last update: 16 February, 2005

The Navajo Natural Heritage Program

The Navajo Natural Heritage Program (NNHP) is the Navajo Nation’s rare, threatened and endangered species office. NNHP’s purpose is to collect, manage and disseminate biological and ecological information for land use planning to promote the conservation of biological diversity on the Navajo Nation. The NNHP maintains a comprehensive databank of information on rare and protected plant and animal species and biological communities on the Navajo Nation.

The NNHP was established in 1984 through a cooperative agreement between the Navajo Nation and The Nature Conservancy. It is a cooperator in The Nature Conservancy's international network of Natural Heritage Programs and Conservation Data Centers, and is the only Native American-based program. All cooperators in the network utilize the same data collection methodology. The NNHP is fully integrated into the Navajo tribal government as a section within the Navajo Fish and Wildlife Department. Since 1989, funding has been provided through the Indian Self-Determination Act (Public Law 93-638), administered by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior.

NNHP’s primary responsibilities include the following:

  • Inventory for new populations of rare and protected species and communities, and monitor known populations.
  • Maintain and update the NNHP databank.
  • Respond to requests for data on rare and protected species from land use planners, developers and researchers.
  • Provide biological review for projects for consideration by the Resources Committee of the Navajo Nation Council.
  • Provide biological survey services for land development projects planned on the Navajo Nation.
  • Promote awareness of tribal biological resources through outreach programs directed towards the tribal government and the general public.
  • Identify and prioritize geographic areas in need of special management to recover rare and protected species and communities.
  • Provide technical assistance for the development of recovery and management plans, and protection of geographic areas in need of special management for biological resources.
  • Review and update the Navajo Endangered Species List pursuant to the Navajo Tribal Code.

GEOGRAPHY & BIOLOGY OF THE NAVAJO NATION
The Navajo Nation is located on the Colorado Plateau and covers over 25,000 square miles in northeast Arizona, northwest New Mexico, and southeast Utah. It is bordered by two major rivers-the Colorado on the west and the San Juan on the north. Other major geographic features within its borders include the Little Colorado River, Navajo Mountain, Rainbow Bridge, Black Mesa, Monument Valley, Canyon de Chelly, Chuska Mountains, Carrizo Mountains, and Ship Rock. Elevations range from 10,388 feet to 2,722 feet, and biotic communities range from subalpine conifer forests to desert scrub. Thirteen federally endangered, threatened or proposed species reside on the Navajo Nation. Six species or subspecies of plants and animals are found only on the Navajo Nation.

THE NNHP DATABANK
Information on rare and protected plant and animal species and biological communities on the Navajo Nation is stored in a databank composed of a computerized database, manual files, maps and a library. At the present time, the vast majority of information in the databank pertains to species; the collection of community information is in its infancy. Because only a small percentage of the Navajo Nation has been adequately inventoried and because the biotic environment is dynamic, the NNHP databank is continually expanding and under revision. Sources of information for the databank include fieldwork by NNHP staff, survey results from other biologists working on the Navajo Nation, knowledgeable experts, publications, and museum and herbarium collection records.

Information included in the NNHP Databank

  • Biological descriptions of plants and animals occurring on the Navajo Nation. Descriptions include details on taxonomic status, identification, habitat preferences, reproductive biology, phenology, etc.
  • Information on the status of plants and animals that are rare or protected at the Navajo Nation or federal level.
  • Information about specific geographic locations for rare or protected plants and animals on the Navajo Nation.
  • Annotated bibliography of publications (reports, articles, books, etc.) relating to biology, ecology and conservation issues, with primary geographic emphasis on the Navajo Nation and Colorado Plateau area.
  • A list of species of concern potentially occurring on each U.S. Geological Survey 7.5-minute quadrangle covering the Navajo Nation. “Species of concern” include protected, rare, and certain native species, as well as species of economic or cultural significance.
  • Cultural information about plants and animals occurring on the Navajo Nation (e.g. traditional uses and Navajo names). This information is just beginning to be collected and is currently quite limited.
Requesting data from the NNHP Databank
Requests may be made for data on the occurrence and potential occurrence of species of concern at potential project sites on the Navajo Nation, according to the following procedures (A-E). “Species of concern” include protected, rare, and certain native species, as well as species of economic or cultural significance. Requests for other types of data may be discussed on an individual basis.
Submit Data Requests to:
Data Manager
Navajo Natural Heritage Program
P.O. Box 1480
Window Rock, Navajo Nation, AZ 86515
(520) 871-7603
(520) 871-7069 (FAX)
Data Requests must include the following items:
  • Written request. Data Requests must be in writing. Processing of a Data Request may begin if a verbal request is made (provided items 2 and 3 are met), however, a response will not be provided until a written request is received. Please refer to each project by a specific name and number (if available), as that eliminates the potential for confusion during correspondence.
  • Project summary. A summary of the proposed project is necessary so a Data Request can be adequately reviewed. Biological concerns may vary depending on factors such as the project size, type and location, the length and time of construction, etc. Project summaries should be as specific as possible, but not excessively long or detailed.
  • Maps. A map of the area with the project site clearly delineated is essential. Processing of a Data Request will not begin until maps are received. Reproductions of USGS 7.5-minute topographic maps are preferred. Please include the quadrangle name on all topographic map reproductions. If topographic maps are not available, maps must have a scale and some type of geographic reference point(s) so the project location and dimensions can be easily and accurately identified.
The NNHP will respond to Data Requests within 15 working days of receipt. However, please note that the absence of any one of the three items listed above in B will lengthen the processing time. Standard" responses will consist of (1) species known to occur on or near the potential project site, and (2) species having the potential to occur anywhere on the USGS 7.5-minute quadrangle(s) containing the project boundaries. Your project biologist should have the expertise to determine which of the quadrangle-specific species listed have the potential to occur at the particular project site. Projects determined by the NNHP staff to be of a particularly sensitive nature with regards to biological issues (based on the project summary and map) will include a more detailed response than the "standard".
Fees:
  • $50.00 per request (includes the first four USGS 7.5-minute quadrangles reviewed); plus $5.00 for each additional USGS 7.5-minute quadrangle reviewed.
  • Separate projects will be considered separate requests. If a single letter solicits information on more than one project, a separate fee will be charged for each project.
  • The Navajo Division of Finance will issue an invoice to the requestor a short time after the NNHP provides a letter of response.
  • Fees are waived for Data Requests from agencies of the Navajo and United States governments.
Additional Information:
For each species included in a letter of response, the following tribal and federal statuses will be indicated: Navajo Endangered Species List (NESL), federal Endangered Species Act (ESA), federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and federal Eagle Protection Act. Information will not be provided on state status. Species which do not occur on any Navajo, federal, or state listing or species with only ESA candidate or NESL group 4 status have no legal protection and will be included for project planning and information gathering purposes only.
Surveys should be conducted during the appropriate season for species listed in a letter of response. Surveyors on the Navajo Nation must be permitted by the Director, Navajo Fish and Wildlife Department. Contact the Department’s Management and Research Section at (520) 871-7068 for permitting procedures.
The information provided in a letter of response is based on existing data known to the NNHP at the time of the Data Request. The information should not be regarded as a final statement on the occurrence of any species of concern nor should it substitute for on-site surveys for species. Also, because the NNHP databank is continually updated, any given response is only wholly appropriate for its respective request. The information in a letter of response should be used to: identify significant issues early in project planning; begin development of measures to avoid unnecessary conflicts and costs; plan surveys; and supplement survey information.

Contributing Data to the NNHP Databank
Because the NNHP has a small biological staff, we rely on information from an array of sources. If you conduct biological surveys on the Navajo Nation or know of significant survey results, please contact the NNHP. Also, if you personally observe a rare or protected species, please send us a completed Species Observation Form. A Species Observation Form can be obtained from this home page.

BIOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION PERMITS
All biological surveys and collections on the Navajo Nation must be permitted by the Director, Navajo Fish and Wildlife Department. This includes, but is not limited to, surveys conducted by biological and environmental consultants for development projects, and research conducted by University and government personnel. For permitting procedures, contact the Department’s Management and Research Section at (520) 871-7068.

BIOLOGICAL SURVEY SERVICES PROGRAM
As part of the process of obtaining permission to develop Navajo Nation land, a biological evaluation for the project must be completed. A biological evaluation looks at the proposed project site with respect to rare, threatened and endangered species, their habitat, and general plant and animal life surrounding the project site. The Biological Survey Services Program (BSSP) is a program within the Navajo Fish and Wildlife Department that conducts biological evaluations for land development projects on the Navajo Nation. The biological evaluation usually includes a field survey to document the biological resources that are present at the project site. After the field survey is completed, a report is written to document the findings and assess any potential effects of the project upon biological resources, particularly upon legally protected species. This report is submitted to the requestor (the project sponsor or their consultant), and can be used as a portion of the overall environmental documentation required for project approval by the tribal government.

The BSSP complies with the Endangered Species Act, Migratory Bird Treaty Act, Bald Eagle Act, National Environmental Policy Act, and tribal code as it pertains to threatened and endangered species. These laws were enacted to protect natural resources within the United States, including the Navajo Nation.

NAVAJO ENDANGERED SPECIES LIST
In 1991, the Resources Committee of the Navajo Nation Council approved the Endangered Species List for the Navajo Nation” (NESL) and authorized the Director, Navajo Fish and Wildlife Department, to update the NESL when sufficient information is gathered to make such a determination. Title 17 § 507 of the Navajo Tribal Code makes it unlawful for any person to “take, possess, transport, export, process, sell or offer for sale or ship any species or subspecies” on the NESL.

The NESL was most recently updated on 24 July 1997. It includes a total of 89 species-60 animals and 29 plants. Six of the 89 species are extirpated from the Navajo Nation (group 1), and 53 are candidates for protection (group 4). The remaining 30 species are protected by tribal law (groups 2 and 3). The NESL can be obtained from this home page.

NNHP STAFF AND CONTACT INFORMATION

For up-to-date staff and program contact information, please visit the Heritage Directory.

 
Mailing Address:
The Navajo Nation Natural Heritage Program
P.O. Box 1480
Window Rock, Navajo Nation, Arizona 86515
 
Telephone:
(520) 871-6472 Fax: (520) 871-7069
 
Wildlife Manager:
Jeff Cole (520) 871-6452
jcole@navajofishandwildlife.org
 
Zoologist:
David Mikesic (520) 871-7638
email: dmikesic@hotmail.com
 
Botanist:
Daniela Roth (520) 871-7639
email: navajoplants@hotmail.com
 
Data Manager:
Brent Nelson (520) 871-7603
email: BNELSON_0421@yahoo.com
 
Environmental Assessment Reviewer:
John Nystedt (520) 871-7060
email: jnystedt@hotmail.com
 
Wildlife Technician/Office Manager:
Sonja Detsoi, (520)871-6472
email: sdetsoi@yahoo.com

Available Lists, Reports, and Forms

Endangered Species of the Navajo Nation. March 2001 (37 kb MS Word document)
Navajo Nation Division of Natural Resources, Department of Fish and Wildlife
Resources Committee Resolution
No. RCMA-31-01

Author: Annette Nystedt, Navajo Natural Heritage Program
Last update: 16 February, 2005

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