SWAP Habitat Maps

The NH State Wildlife Action Plan includes a set of two maps available for use by conservation planners, landowners, land trusts, biologists and others. These maps include:

• Habitat Land Cover Map: shows where the different types of wildlife habitat are located throughout the state.
• Highest Ranked Habitat by Ecological Condition Map: shows where habitats in the best ecological condition in the state are located, based on biodiversity, arrangement of habitat types on the landscape, and lack of human impacts.

In addition to the set of two maps, a detailed Aquatic Habitats data layer was developed in 2015 and updated in 2020. This data layer provides an assessment of surface water habitats.

The maps were first created in 2006, and updated in 2010, 2015 and 2020 with new data and information. In 2020 new high resolution landcover data was used to update grassland and developed areas, and add a new sand/gravel habitat type. In addition, updates to the National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) data were used. You can access the 2020 maps at the links below, but be sure to read the background information about the maps and what went into their creation, especially if you are new to the NH Wildlife Action Plan.

How can I access the Maps and Data?

• Community-Scale Maps: Wildlife Action Plan maps and lists of Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) are available for each New Hampshire community here. For each town or city, the SWAP Map PDF includes the Habitat Land Cover Map; Highest Ranked Habitat by Ecological Condition Map, and an Aquatic Habitats Map. The SWAP List of Potential Species spreadsheet includes species-by-habitat lists for the SGCN that potentially occur in a community based on broad distribution information. Please note that when you click on the link for your community, the PDF is automatically downloaded and will not appear until opened in your file folder for downloads.
• An Excel table format that shows the extent of each habitat type and habitat condition by town and ecoregion
• GIS data via the GRANIT website.
• GRANITView an online mapping service (useful for non-GIS users), has the map data available for you to view and include with other datasets. The maps you create can be printed from your computer.