D.__"Natural area" means any area of land or water, or both land and water, whether publicly or privately owned, that retains or has reestablished its natural character, though it need not be completely natural and undisturbed, and that supports, harbors or otherwise contains endangered, threatened or rare plants, animals and native ecological systems, or rare or unique geological, hydrological, natural historical, scenic or other similar features of scientific and educational value benefiting the citizens of the State.

E. "Register of critical areas" means the official listing of critical areas.

F.__"Species" means any recognized taxonomic category of the biota including species, subspecies or variety.

G.__"Threatened plant" means any species of native plant likely to become an endangered species within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range in the State or any species of plant determined to be a threatened species pursuant to the federal Endangered Species Act of 1973, Public Law 93-205, as amended.

3.__Functions of the Natural Areas Program.__The Natural Areas Program shall perform the following functions.

A.__The Natural Areas Program shall conduct an ongoing, statewide inventory of the State's natural areas, including, but not limited to, rare plants, animals, natural communities and ecosystems or other geological, hydrological, natural historical, scenic or other similar features, and may conduct investigations related to the population, habitat needs, limiting factors and other biological and ecological data to support the mandates of the Natural Areas Program or other cooperating agencies.

B.__The Natural Areas Program shall maintain a biological and conservation database that must contain data from inventories and other data sources and other relevant biological, ecological or other information about natural features described in paragraph A and about ecologically significant sites that harbor these features.__Information contained in the biological and conservation database may be made available as necessary or appropriate for conservation