A best practice guide published by the Global Biodiversity Information Facility(GBIF) and ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability, details the simple steps needed to preserve data and make them accessible via the Internet.

The intention is to increase awareness of the tools and protocols available to publishbiodiversity data collected as part of local government planning processes, which are often lost after completion of reports or collected in inconsistent formats that cannot be easily archived or shared.

The guide notes that local governments are becoming increasingly important as managers and users of biodiversity assets, with their responsibilities for environmental management and planning, regulation of land use, and supporting implementation of policies and strategies relating to biodiversity.

To read more, see link below.