Tools
Habitat Priority Planner
Provided by the NOAA Coastal Services Center
This tool aids in making decisions about habitat conservation, restoration, and land use planning. The Habitat Priority Planner takes away much of the subjective nature of the process by providing a means of obtaining critical habitat analyses that are consistent, repeatable, and transparent. The program allows users to easily test various ideas and "what if" scenarios on the fly, making it the perfect tool to use in a group setting.
Features
- Inventories specific habitat or land-use types relevant to the site in question
- Assesses target habitat or land-use type conditions with a process that automates the pre-packaged spatial analysis metrics
- Analyzes "what if" scenarios such as the impact of new development or how restoration might change overall habitat function; participants can quickly and easily set the parameters—and change them as needed
- Gets people involved thanks to the fast, interactive environment this easy-to-use system provides
- Creates maps, reports, and data tables to enhance communication and the decision-making process
