Ecosystem Management at the Department of Defense

As we approach the end of the 20th century, the United States Department of Defense finds itself in the position of redefining its mission and goals, as well as determining its place in the new world order. The highlights of this era include a military drawdown, a shrinking defense budget, and the development of a more sophisticated weaponry, all of which is compounded by a national movement away from federally funded environmental programs. These trends contribute to the current atmosphere of increasing pressure on the remaining Department of Defense lands and waters. The Department of Defense (DOD) must accomplish more with less in many areas, including stewardship of natural resources, training, and other mission-essential components. One mechanism the Department increasingly turns to is ecosystem management. Ecosystem management allows DOD to look beyond single species, and consider the full range of natural resources as an integrated whole. The Department of Defense recognizes the link between the preservation of the land, water, and air and the national and economic security of the United States. With the myriad of environmental laws applying to the DOD, if we do not preserve natural resources on military bases, our military will not be able to train. With 10 million hectares under its control, the Department of Defense is the third largest land holder in the federal government and home to over 200 threatened and endangered species. Numerous military installations have become "islands of endangered species" surrounded by industrial development. Many Department of Defense installations are becoming the last best hopes for protecting particular types of ecosystems, such as the coastal scrub sage brush (California), the 80 000 ha of what is believed to be the largest sand of old-growth longleaf pine in the world (Florida), and the rarest vertebrate animal in the continental United States, the Loggerhead Shrike (California). This ecological richness means that the Department of Defense must conduct training and base operations without significant harm to natural and cultural resources. DOD's ability to maintain readiness cannot be ensured without responsible stewardship and sensible conservation management practices. The Military Departments have developed conservation strategies that focus on both resource protection and mission enhancement. The Department is in a unique position to preserve and protect the natural and cultural resources in the nation. We take this mission very seriously. Ecosystem management is important because natural and cultural resource issues can have a direct impact on the military mission. The Department of Defense is successfully incorporating ecosystem management at installations around the country. For example: