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Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN)
Distribution and abundance of wildlife species, including low and declining populations, are indicative of the diversity and health of the Commonwealth's natural resources. The Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) list was created by using a selection matrix that brought together lists of species identified by other groups as imperiled, or in decline. Within the SGCN list, species are classified into
four tiers that were developed to identify the relative importance of conservation need for each species.