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HERPETOLOGICAL EDUCATIONAL & RESEARCH PROJECT (HERP) DATABASE
TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF USE
Revision date: May 08, 2026

The HERP Database is a project of Naherp which is managed by the Naherp Board of Trustees (Naherp trustees, trustees)

Naherp Board of Trustees Members:

• Steve Bledsoe, CA
• Bob Ferguson, PA
• Brian Hubbs, AZ
• John Lauermann, CA
• Kyle Loucks, PA
• Nate Nazdrowicz, DE

Anyone aged 18 years or older who agrees to the following Terms and Conditions and registers as a Naherp Member may submit data to the database. Registration is achieved by creating an account on the Naherp website at the following web address: https://www.naherp.com. There is currently no fee required to register to become a member and use the database.

The HERP Database will operate under the following terms and conditions:

DATA ENTRY AND MANAGEMENT

The HERP Database is a depository for herpetological records intended for release to researchers. The database is not to be used for personal data storage with no intention of releasing or sharing data.

Permanent Data
All records are copied and permanently stored for future reference. Record copies cannot be edited or deleted. Editing of original records will remain permissible by the contributing member. Editing history of all records is tracked, and projects will have access to both past and future edit history.

Relinquished Data
Contributing members may relinquish control of their data to the Naherp Board of Trustees. The release of relinquished data shall be controlled by the trustees.

Editing and Deleting Data
Apart from records that have been relinquished to the trustees, contributing members have control over the editing and deleting of their records. Naherp trustees have no authority to edit individual records, deny access to individual records by the contributing member, or eliminate the option of the contributing member to manage his or her records, except with the express prior consent of the contributor.

Upon entering, data (including photos and audio files) will be designated by the contributing member as either Non-Sensitive (NS), Sensitive (S), or Closed (C).

• Non-Sensitive (NS) - Non-Sensitive data are those records which do not require the submitting member's permission to be released to persons or parties within and outside of the Naherp membership.
• Sensitive (S) - Sensitive data are those records which require the submitting member's permission to be released to persons or parties within and outside of the Naherp membership.
• Closed (C) - Closed data are highly sensitive records which may only be released as approved by the contributing member. A Closed security status can never be changed or removed by Naherp Trustees without the contributing member's approval.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, each member agrees and acknowledges that neither Naherp, Naherp Trustees, nor any other Naherp Member shall be liable for the release of any data that is inconsistent with the terms set forth above. By submitting data, each data contributor specifically acknowledges that they do so at their own risk.

Data status can be designated upon submission when adding a record, or after submission by editing a record. An option in the member's profile allows a member to choose how his/her records are treated in the data release process for all projects that are not voted upon by the submitting member.

Specific locality of data including Lat/Lon coordinates is always hidden from public view. Data can be further restricted from public view when adding or editing a record by choosing the option 'Restrict public access to this record'.

DATA RELEASE

Data will be released by HERP for those projects that undergo the following procedure:

Project Review:

1. A project description will be submitted to the Naherp Board of Trustees that details the scope of the data being requested, the intended use of the data, and information regarding any known risks of releasing data.
2. The project description and known risks will be detailed on the Naherp website and open to member's comments for a minimum 10 day period. The comment period is not for voting to release the member's data. The voting period will follow the comment period.
3. After the 10 day review period, the Board of Trustees will review member comments and vote to approve or reject the project. Any project which is not unanimously rejected will proceed to a Data Owner vote in accordance with the following:

Project approval:

The project will be put to vote by the contributing members whose data is considered within the scope of the project's request.

Members who have data within the scope of the request will be notified which of their records are being requested, and given the following options:
Yes - I approve this project. Release ALL of my data (SENSITIVE, NON-SENSITIVE, and CLOSED)
Yes - I approve this project. Release ONLY my SENSITIVE AND NON-SENSITIVE data.
Yes - I approve this project. Release ONLY my NON-SENSITIVE data.
No - I do not approve this project. DO NOT release any of my data.
No - I do not approve this project. However, please release ALL of my data (BOTH SENSITIVE AND NON-SENSITIVE) if the majority of the voting members approve the project.
No - I do not approve this project. However, please release only my NON-SENSITIVE data if the majority of the voting members approve the project.

Members will be shown which of their data they have selected to release, and will be required to confirm their decision.

Votes will be tallied. If the number of members who have approved the project exceeds the number of members who have rejected the project, then the data of the approving members will be released, as will the data of members who did not approve the project but nonetheless authorized the release of their data. In addition, the data of members who did not vote will be released (unless they have indicated otherwise).

If the number of members who have rejected the project exceeds the number of members who have approved the project, then only the data of approving members will be released, to the degree that the release was authorized. The data of Data Owners who did not vote will NOT be released.

Released records will be made available to the requesting party via a password protected portion of the website, and/or a CSV file, according to the requesting party's preference. Upon release, all records included in the release may not be edited or deleted from the database. The contributor of released records shall retain access to the private data contained in the record and retain the right to release the data to further requests.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, as stated above, each member agrees and acknowledges that neither the Naherp Board of Trustees, nor any other Naherp Members shall be liable for the release of any data that is inconsistent with the terms set forth above. By submitting data, each Data Owner specifically acknowledges that it does so at its own risk, and that all such data may become completely public.

NAHERP BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Naherp shall maintain a minimum of three (3) and a maximum of seven (7) active members of the Board of Trustees.

1. The core duties of the trustees shall be to ensure that all activities within the HERP database follow the above Terms and Conditions and in the best interests of the Naherp Members. Trustees do not and will not have access to the data contributed by other members without the express written permission of the submitting member.
2. The trustees shall be responsible for the maintenance of the Naherp website and HERP Database including he financial responsibilities associated with online hosting.
3. Active Voting Members may be nominated or volunteer for approval to serve as a trustee.
4. Nominees must be approved by a majority vote of the currently seated trustees.
5. Naherp Trustees will serve a minimum 2-year term.
6. Changes to the Terms and Conditions of Use of the HERP Database can be proposed by Naherp Members and be subject to approval by the Board of Trustees for submission for review by all Naherp Members.
   1. Upon approval by a majority vote of the members of the Board of Trustees, the suggested changes shall be posted on the Naherp website for review and discussion by the Naherp Members for a period of 10 days.
   2. At the end of the 10-day review period, the proposed change or changes shall be submitted to a final vote by the Naherp Voting Members and require a majority of the votes cast to be implemented.

NAHERP MEMBER DEFINITIONS

Member: Any member who registers as a HERP Database contributor at https://www.naherp.com and has records posted in the HERP database. All members have voting rights pertaining to the release of their personal records, but do not have voting rights pertaining to changes in Naherp policy.

Voting Member: Any registered member who has posted a minimum of 2,000 records in the HERP database. Voting members have voting rights to proposed changes to Naherp policy and/or the HERP Database.

Board of Trustees Member: A Voting Member who volunteers to serve or has been nominated by fellow voting members and has been approved by a majority vote by the current members of the Naherp Board of Trustees.