Efforts for Conserving Lands Around Military Bases: Cooperation Between Department of Defense and Partners

Abstract

In the United States, land conservation programs are operated around military bases to balance military readiness with protection of nature. These programs include REPI and the Sentinel Landscapes Partnership, and are making progress through Department of Defense (DoD) and other federal government agencies, states and local governments and private groups. DoD plays leading role and the others cooperate as partners. Among partners, land trusts play an especially notable role. They acquire conservation easements on lands around military bases through purchasing or donation from landowners to protect such lands from encroachment, and to ensure land use is compatible with the military mission. These programs seem to be succeeding based on explicit legal foundation and sustained budgetary support. Land conservation around bases is also considered an innovative program, and is expanding policy “horizons” with the new objective of tackling climate change issues. While the military and protection of nature appear odd bedfellows at first glance, it may be beneficial to understand the environmental issues around military bases in the United States.