Marstel-Day, LLC - Military Bases for Habitat and Species Preservation

Fort Stewart, GA, spends as much as $3 million a year on wildlife management to accommodate five endangered species that live on its 279,000 acres. Last year, the base’s wildlife staff built 100 artificial cavities to install 25 feet high in large pines so that the red-cockaded woodpecker would not have to build nests themselves. Although the military has argued that saving endangered species would hinder its battle preparedness, it has gradually realized that working to help species rebound is in its best interest: the more endangered species thrive, the fewer restrictions are put on training exercises to avoid destroying habitat. Today, extraordinary efforts to save threatened species are unfolding at military sites around the country. The military owns about 30 million acres of relatively pristine land that is often critical habitat for plants and animals. It needs to fulfill obligations under laws like the Endangered Species Act without curbing training exercises. The military is planning to broaden its efforts to reach beyond the 420 officially endangered or threatened species on its land to restoring ecosystems for more then 500 other species that are considered at risk. Post commanders are routinely trained on environmental responsibilities.

New York Times: Article

The military began purchasing wide-open, largely untouched rural expanses of land as the country prepared for WWII, but suburban sprawl has brought development up to base fence lines today, turning bases into de facto havens for threatened species. These can cause frustrating modifications to military training, for example at Camp Pendleton, where Marines are able to use only a fraction of their beachfront property to practice amphibious landings out of concern for nesting shorebirds. The Navy heavily relies on midfrequency sonar, which environmentalists say disrupts activity of whales and dolphins. At Twentynine Palms, Marines built a desert tortoise research and rearing center to help babies avoid predation. Says Kieran Suckling of the Center for Biological Diversity, “Over all, the military has done a great job, and I know they are spending boatloads of money. When they decide we are going to protect something, they just do it.”

As the military successfully helps threatened and endangered species, there are increasing concerns about not having additional pristine habitat for species near military installations, which may end up jeopardizing training in years to come. To limit the pressures from encroaching development, the military began asking Congress to pay for preservation purchases in Fiscal Year 2005. In the FY 2009 budget, the funds available had grown to $56 million. The Pentagon does not wish to own these lands, but to organize multiparty partnerships to try to preserve land and watersheds around installations. The land preservation will prevent development from getting too close to the fence line and will also serve as a haven for threatened species. If a plant or animal species is officially listed as endangered, it would seriously impede training on military installations. The military’s commitment has allowed local conservation groups to be more ambitious in rebuilding the natural ecosystem.