Land Protection: Limited conservation dollars and volunteer contributions must be allocated carefully. Information from the Natural Heritage Program helps focus attention on Alabama's critically threatened natural features. Landowners and land managers may also be informed of the presence and importance of critical species so that they can voluntarily help protect them.

Environmental Impact Assessment: Before the heritage system was established, land-use decisions were often made without sufficient information. As a result, many important biological resources have been destroyed inadvertently. A professionall y staffed, centralized database is readily accessible to facilitate informed decision-making before costly planning investments are made.

Resource Management: Wise stewardship of Alabama's natural areas requires knowledge of sensitive or endangered biological features. Information maintained on parks, nature preserves, wildlife areas, and private conservation areas may be used to improve existing management policies and practices.

Endangered Species Review: Information collected and analyzed by the Natural Heritage Program is helpful in the revision of state and federal lists of endangered and threatened species.

Research and Education: As the Alabama Natural Heritage Program's database matures, gaps in our current knowledge will become evident. Results from the inventory will guide new research, and the database itself will provide a long-term educatio nal resource.