What Colorado Natural Heritage Program does

The Colorado Natural Heritage Program (CNHP) is a non-academic conservation data unit within Colorado State University's Warner College of Natural Resources, established in 1979 (originally as the Colorado Natural Features Inventory). CNHP serves as Colorado's primary source of information on the status and location of the state's rarest and most threatened species and natural plant communities, with named tracking of 1,059 plants, 391 animals, and 764 natural plant communities as of September 2025. Its core constituents are government agencies (federal, state, local), private landowners, conservation NGOs, and academic researchers requiring biodiversity data for land management, environmental review, and conservation planning.

CNHP's technology stack is built around the Biotics 5 database (a web-enabled platform hosted by NatureServe), the CODEX Conservation Data Explorer (a web-based interactive map integrating data from multiple conservation partners), the Colorado Wetland Inventory mapping tools, COMaP (a 28,000+ polygon protected lands database), STReaMS (an endangered fishes database for the Upper Colorado River Basin), and the Rare Plant Guide Online. The organization also delivers professional services including database development, GIS analysis and modeling, mapping, biological surveys and inventories, monitoring and condition assessment, conservation planning, and private lands conservation work. The platform architecture emphasizes interoperability with the NatureServe Network's global dataset of rare and imperiled species, with over 57,000 element occurrence locations tracked as of September 2025.

CNHP operates as a CIOSU (Center, Institute, and Other Special Unit) at CSU, funded through agreements, grants, and donations rather than commercial sales. Its go-to-market is partnership-based, delivered through direct collaboration with 80+ partner organizations across federal, state, local, NGO, educational, and tribal categories, supplemented by data request services, public CODEX access, workshops, and an annual events calendar (Green Bag Seminars, Partners Meetings, Rare Plant Symposia). Revenue is not publicly disclosed; customer pricing is not listed on the website. CNHP is a member of the NatureServe Network and participates in the broader 80+ member program ecosystem spanning the U.S., Canada, and Latin America.

Name

Colorado Natural Heritage Program

Legal name

Colorado Natural Heritage Program

Website

https://cnhp.colostate.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Colorado Natural Heritage Program (CNHP) is a non-academic conservation data unit within Colorado State University's Warner College of Natural Resources, providing biodiversity data, mapping, and conservation planning services to government agencies, conservation organizations, and private landowners across Colorado.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Biodiversity Information Services

NAICS

Administration of Conservation Programs (924120), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Wildlife, Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation Administration (BPAIAMAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

State/Provincial Environmental Protection & Natural Resources Administration (BPAIABAL)

Keywords

• Biodiversity conservation data
• Natural heritage assessment
• Wetland inventory mapping
• Rare species monitoring
• GIS conservation analysis

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Collins

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations

Revenue model

1. University and Grant Funding: CNHP is a CIOSU (Center, Institute, and Other Special Unit) at Colorado State University, funded through agreements, grants, and donations as a non-academic department of the Warner College of Natural Resources

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Colorado Natural Heritage Program (CNHP) is a biodiversity information and conservation services organization operating within Colorado State University. It tracks locations, conditions, and ranks of Colorado's rare and imperiled species and natural plant communities through the Biotics 5 database and CODEX interactive mapping platform. CNHP delivers professional services including biological surveys, GIS analysis, mapping, monitoring, conservation planning, and private lands conservation support to government agencies, conservation organizations, and landowners.

Product overview

Colorado Natural Heritage Program is a conservation data organization that operates as a unified platform providing biodiversity information services rather than a traditional product company. The core offering consists of the Biotics Database (NatureServe-hosted platform) and CODEX web-based interactive mapping system, supported by specialized tools including the Rare Plant Guide Online, Colorado Wetland Information Center (CWIC), COMaP protected lands mapping, STReaMS endangered fishes database, and Colorado Bat Working Group resources. The organization also offers professional services including database development, GIS analysis and modeling, mapping, surveys and inventories, monitoring and assessment, conservation planning, and private lands conservation. Data access is provided through a request process rather than a public API.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CODEX (Colorado Conservation Data Explorer) A web-based interactive map viewer providing tools to support conservation planning, environmental review, evaluation of conservation portfolios, and education. Integrates biodiversity data from Colorado Parks and Wildlife, The Nature Conservancy, Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, and History Colorado.
• Biotics Database Web-enabled database platform hosted by NatureServe that tracks locations of rare and imperiled species and plant communities, manages global and state imperilment ranks, and maintains Potential Conservation Areas (PCAs).
• Rare Plant Guide Online Online guide for identifying rare plants in Colorado with photographs, illustrations, habitat descriptions, maps, management issues, research information, and herbarium specimen images.
• Colorado Wetland Information Center (CWIC) Standalone wetlands website providing detailed information on wetland resources in Colorado, including mapping tools, field guides, and condition assessment data.
• COMaP (Colorado Ownership, Management and Protection) Colorado's premier map of protected lands featuring over 28,000 polygon entries with attributes including owner, manager, easement holder, and public access information, served through an online Map Viewer.
• STReaMS (Endangered Fishes Database) Custom database solution to track endangered fishes in the Upper Colorado River Basin for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service fish recovery programs.
• Colorado Wetland Field Guides and App Interactive field guides with detailed descriptions and photos of over 700 wetland plant species, available as an app and web resource.
• Database Development Services Custom database design, web-enabled database development, online content management systems, data entry and quality control tools, and reporting tools for conservation data management.
• GIS Analysis and Modeling Services Geographic Information Systems analysis for biodiversity conservation including identifying important biodiversity areas, threat and mitigation analysis, predictive species distribution models, and climate change ecological effects analysis.
• Mapping Services High-quality mapping of natural resources including rare and imperiled species locations, land ownership, vegetation maps, and wetland maps with tens of thousands of element occurrence locations.
• Surveys and Inventories Services Biological inventories for rare animals, plants, wetlands, riparian areas, and plant communities at scales from single parcels to entire counties.
• Monitoring and Assessment Services Monitoring the status of Colorado's rare species and plant communities including condition assessment tools such as Floristic Quality Assessment, Vegetation Index of Biotic Integrity, and Ecological Integrity Assessment.
• Conservation Planning Services Conservation planning assistance for landowners, land managers, and land users to make informed choices that maintain natural character while enabling livelihoods.
• Private Lands Conservation Services Services supporting private lands conservation in Colorado including species surveys, bioblitzes, restoration, monitoring, conservation planning, easement mapping, and GIS services.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 57,000 mapped element occurrence locations tracked in Biotics database
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and key.

• Colorado Parks and WildlifecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary state partner for wildlife conservation; collaborated on State Wildlife Action Plan including plants for first time; partner on CODEX Conservation Data Explorer; joint biological surveys at Fishers Peak State Park
• The Nature ConservancycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey conservation partner; assisted with CNHP relocation to CSU in 1994; co-developer of CODEX; partner in Colorado Conservation Data Explorer initiative
• NatureServecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent organization of NatureServe Network; provides Biotics 5 database platform; enables global data integration through NatureServe Explorer; recipient of MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions
• Bird Conservancy of the RockiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCODEX partner collaborating on conservation data integration; joint efforts in bird conservation and monitoring
• U.S. Bureau of Land ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner on Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring (AIM) Strategy; collaborative wetland monitoring and condition assessment; supports CNHP field surveys on BLM lands
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-developer of Colorado Wetland Inventory mapping; partner in National Wetland Inventory program; collaboration on endangered fish recovery programs
• Denver Botanic GardenskeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-host of Colorado Rare Plant Symposium held annually in conjunction with Colorado Native Plant Society
• Colorado Native Plant SocietykeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint host of annual Colorado Rare Plant Symposium; collaboration on native plant conservation initiatives
• National Park ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner on vegetation mapping inventory; collaborative monitoring at Great Sand Dunes and other national parks; GLORIA climate monitoring stations
• History ColoradokeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCODEX partner contributing cultural and historical data integration for conservation planning
• U.S. Forest ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on forest conservation, species monitoring, and habitat assessments across national forests in Colorado
• LightHawkkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation aviation partner providing aerial support for conservation surveys and project access
• Keep It ColoradokeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCODEX partner; coalition supporting conservation easements and protected areas mapping (COMaP) in Colorado

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• New York Natural Heritage Program: State natural heritage program at SUNY, tracking rare species and ecosystems in New York with Biotics-based methodology and direct partner engagement. Directly comparable in mission, data products, and partnership-based GTM.
• NatureServe: Parent network of the NatureServe Network, providing the Biotics 5 database platform CNHP uses and aggregating state heritage program data globally. Direct peer because both operate conservation data programs tracking rare species and natural communities using shared methodology.
• Washington Natural Heritage Program: Washington State's natural heritage program within the Department of Natural Resources, tracking rare species and ecosystems for environmental review. Comparable in mission, data products, and government partnership model.
• Montana Natural Heritage Program: Montana's state heritage program within the Montana State University Library. Directly comparable as a NatureServe Network member providing Biotics-based biodiversity data, environmental review support, and conservation planning for a similar western US geography.
• California Natural Diversity Database (CNDDB): California's statewide rare species and natural community database operated by CDFW. Most directly comparable in function and scale to CNHP, providing element occurrence data, environmental review support, and regulatory integration for the state's largest biodiversity program.

Emerging players

• iNaturalist: Citizen-science biodiversity observation platform with tens of millions of geo-referenced species records. Comparable as an emerging player in biodiversity data collection that increasingly intersects with regulatory environmental review workflows.
• Vermont Center for Ecostudies: Regional biodiversity research and conservation organization with comparable rare species, bird monitoring, and ecological inventory work. Comparable as a smaller-scale peer combining scientific research with conservation delivery.

Broad incumbents

• National Audubon Society: National bird and wildlife conservation organization with state-level chapters, science programs, and habitat data initiatives (e.g., Christmas Bird Count). Comparable as a broader incumbent producing and using biodiversity data at scale.
• Defenders of Wildlife: National wildlife conservation advocacy and science organization. Comparable as a broader incumbent engaging on biodiversity policy, endangered species, and habitat conservation across multiple states.
• The Nature Conservancy: Global conservation NGO that originally established CNHP and remains a core partner. Comparable as a broader incumbent in biodiversity conservation and protection, with overlapping mission on protected lands and species conservation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/colorado-natural-heritage-program

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Colorado Natural Heritage Program