The New York State Biodiversity Project was initiated in late 1999 to improve our understanding of the state's biodiversity and to identify both challenges and solutions to protecting that biodiversity. Coordinated by the American Museum of Natural History's Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, this project is a joint effort among five New York organizations:

• American Museum of Natural History
• New York State Museum's Biodiversity Research Institute
• New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
• The Nature Conservancy
• New York Natural Heritage Program

The project is partially funded by the Surdna Foundation, Inc. and the NYS Biodiversity Research Institute. The Environmental Law Institute has also provided substantial guidance to this initiative.

Goals

• To assess the current status of knowledge of New York State's biodiversity and to identify information gaps, conservation threats, and research needs by compiling and organizing existing available knowledge about biodiversity in the state;
• To make that information useful, meaningful, and accessible to a broad array of users by providing one central location where groups and individuals can find information about all components of New York State's biodiversity;
• To support the development of collaborative strategies that will allow key players throughout the state to take action on issues critical to the state's biodiversity by incorporating biodiversity information into policy and planning, land management, business decision-making, and research and education; and
• To prioritize future conservation and systematic work with the full complement of biodiversity in mind.

This study examines the extent and adequacy of biodiversity information currently being generated in New York form the point of view of representative decision makers. It also identifies impediments to the use of such information and suggests ways to design formats for biodiversity information to increase their accessibility to decision makers.

The Environmental Law Institute conducted 57 phone interviews with key decision makers in New York between June and August 2000. The interviews targeted representatives from state, federal, and regional management agencies; land acquisition, planning, environmental, and state education organizations; business and industry; and research institutions. Respondents were selected and interview questions were developed with guidance from the New York State Biodiversity Project Steering Committee. Given the selective and small sample, this assessment was designed to reveal general, non-statistical trends among respondents and related sectors.

Download PDF of completed report

An important goal of the New York State Biodiversity Project is to educate the residents of New York State, policy makers and others about the philosophy and importance of biological diversity. To achieve this goal, the members of the NYSBP steering committee have begun production of a biodiversity book that will include general and specific information concerning the biodiversity of New York State. The book will be published in association with illustrations in an attractive and easily accessible printed format. It will then be distributed throughout the state to students, policy makers and the general public to help form a solid foundation in understanding biodiversity.

This web site was developed by the New York State Biodiversity Project
and is maintained by the New York State Biodiversity Research Institute