The Priority Habitats and Species (PHS) Program is the agency's primary means of transferring fish and wildlife information from our resource experts to local governments, landowners, and others who use it to protect habitat. PHS information is used primarily by cities and counties to implement and update land use plans and development regulations under the Growth Management Act and Shoreline Management Act. Landowners also use PHS as they consider ways to develop and conserve their property.

Please visit the website to read about regulations associated with PHS. While PHS is not a regulatory program, depending on how a local government’s development regulations are worded, PHS maps and management recommendations may trigger the local government’s regulatory authority. In non-regulatory contexts, PHS has been used to inform decisions about which proposed land acquisitions and restoration are priorities for funding.