How to Request Data - F.A.Q.

Can I get site specific information?
If you want locations of species occurrences for your site or project area, send us a letter by mail or by fax (see address and fax number below).
Your letter should include:
• The location of the site (preferably with a vicinity or project boundary map)
• Public land survey information (township, range & section), or explicit directions, and the name of the USGS quadrangle on which the site occurs.
• A general description of the nature of the project.

Can I get species lists, habitat, or general distribution information?
Yes. Call us, or send an e-mail to ONHI, or browse available data on our “Reports and Forms” page.

What data formats do you support?
Most of our responses will be in the form of correspondence, but we can often provide data in electronic spreadsheet or GIS format as a convenience to you, if you request it in advance.

Can I get a data dump?
No. Data in the Element Database is constantly changing, so dumps can quickly become obsolete. In addition, some species data have been provided to us on condition that the raw form of the data not be released without permission from the provider.

How long will it take to get a reply?
We respond to requests within 10 working days, but we will try to work with you if you have a shorter deadline. Please note that this applies only to uninterpreted database searches: we search for records, we report record summaries. ONHI biologists handle interpreted data responses and this may take longer than 10  days.

What will it cost?
Basic information on rare species or natural communities is provided on request to individuals free-of-charge. We also provide limited quantities of available booklets, maps, and species lists without charge. However, we do not have funding to supply organizations, groups or schools with large quantities of free materials.

Is ONHI a regulatory agency?
No. We are not a regulatory agency, only an information source for any interested persons or organizations. ONHI is actually a program of the Oklahoma Biological Survey, which is a research unit and state office located at the University of Oklahoma in Norman. Regulatory agencies for endangered species in Oklahoma are The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Tulsa, and the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation in Oklahoma City.

For more information, please contact the Biological Data Coordinator:

Data Coordinator
Oklahoma Natural Heritage Inventory
Oklahoma Biological Survey
111 East Chesapeake Street
Norman, OK 73019-0575

405.325.1985
Fax: 405.325.7702
E-mail: onhi [at] ou [dot] edu

DISCLAIMER
Data provided by the Oklahoma Natural Heritage Inventory are based solely on existing information in our databases. In the absence of field surveys, we cannot tell you whether a given site harbors rare species or significant natural communities.

The Element Database is the most current and comprehensive information source about the rare biota of Oklahoma. However, such databases are only as complete as the information that has been collected. For this reason we suggest you also contact the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation Natural Diversity Section, or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Tulsa, Oklahoma, as they may have information of which we are unaware.