Updated 4/14/2022: Fixed a bug with '(__file__)'
Updated 9/23/2021: Add Colorado & Kansas
Updated 9/22/2021: updated script 1 to prevent bug when no NEW layers were identified
Updated 7/22/2021: maintain layers in Map; packaged data better for NatureServe Development Team
Updated 7/19/2021: updated documentation and metadata within Toolbox, according to feedback
Updated 07/14/2021: add NEW Visualization layers to Map; should be configured there prior to running script 3 which will create layer files, prior to zipping files
Updated 06/16/2021: added Tennessee and updated documentation


The NatureServe ERT.tbx (toolbox) should be used to package data for submission to NatureServe for use with the Environmental Review Tool. The purpose of the tool is to facilitate the process as well as provide the data in a standard and consistent way to the Development Team. 


The zip file contains the instructions, the toolbox, and a csv file which is required by the toolbox. The files generated by the toolbox will be created in the folder where the NatureServe_ERT.zip file is unzipped.


Following is a description of what the tool does:

  • Prompts for program. If your state is not listed in the tool selection dropdown, send an email to ert@natureserve.org, providing your projection information and noting that the need is related to the ERT Toolbox.
  •  Prompts for new and/or updated layers to be used for visualization and/or spatial calculation purposes.

  • Creates SpatialCalculations.gdb and VisualizationLayers.gdb, as appropriate, to contain the spatial and tabular data sets.
    • Projects spatial calculation layers to the projection identified within the ERT_Program_Projections.csv (ert_table), as provided in the NatureServe_ERT.zip file. 
    • Projects visualization layers to WGS 1984 Web Mercator (auxiliary sphere)’ (WKID = 3857). 
    • Creates frequency tables for use with the Feature Search tool, as indicated; the tables are added to the VisualizationLayers.gdb. Feature Search layers must be among the Visualization Layers as they are required to be included in the Map for Feature Search to work 
  • NEW Visualization layer(s) are added to the Map and should be subsequently configured with appropriate Title, symbology, field aliases, visible fields, scale dependencies and filters, as appropriate, to reflect how the layer(s) should be displayed in the ERT's Map.
  • Generates notes file indicating if layers are new/updated, for display/calculation purposes, and whether the layer should be restricted. An Additional Information area is left empty for each layer within the notes file to be manually populated as necessary.
  • Creates layer files from the NEW Visualization layers within the Map.
  • Generates a zip file containing the project (.zprx), resulting geodatabase(s), layer files (.lyrx), and notes file.