Department of Defense (DOD) and CESU Projects

SOURCES OF FUNDING WITHIN DOD

The Department of Defense has two different conservation funding programs which supplement Installation Operations and Management (O&M) funding.Different from other sister Federal Agencies that allocate yearly funds for CESU projects, the Department of Defense funds CESU projects through O&M funding, SERDP or Legacy funding. An overview of these three different sources of funds is as follows:

  • The Legacy Resource Management Program

The Legacy Program provides financial assistance to the Department of Defense (DoD) projects that conserve and enhance our natural and cultural heritage. The program assists DoD in protecting and enhancing resources while supporting military readiness. A Legacy project may involve regional ecosystem management initiatives, habitat preservation efforts, cultural resource management, invasive species control, cooperative conservation, and/or monitoring and predicting migratory patterns of birds and animals.

  • Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program

SERDP is DoD’s corporate environmental research and development (R&D) program, planned and executed in full partnership with the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), with participation by numerous other Federal and non-Federal organizations. Within its new broad areas of interest, the Program focuses on Sustainable Infrastructure Munitions Management, Environmental Restoration, and Weapons Systems and Platforms.

  • Installation’s O&M funding.

Each installation funds recurring operations and maintenance projects as described in the installation’sIntegrated Natural Resource Management Plan. The plan establishes management practices that support military readiness while sustaining aspects of a facility’s natural resources.

DOD’s CHALLENGES

Readiness and Range Sustainment

The military’s ability to fight and win our nation’s wars is tied directly to readiness resulting from realistic test and training exercises. DoD is interested in projects that mitigate or resolve the adverse impacts of encroachment on DoD lands, and help sustain military ranges and operating areas for future use. Efforts that protect wildlife and natural resources while protecting military training and testing areas from incompatible development, and projects that can quantify and track the effects of encroachment on readiness are encouraged.

Integrated Natural Resources Management

Habitat enhancement can improve training conditions by minimizing disturbance of natural landscapes and increasing vegetative cover. Through the implementation of INRMPs, DoD land managers can determine how best to minimize negative impacts of diverse and sometimes conflicting requirements. INRMPs promote natural habitat restoration and protection, thereby preventing the listing of additional plant and animal species.

National and International Initiatives

DoD emphasizes active participation in national partnerships such as the North American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI) and National Public Lands Day (NPLD), which permit DoD to benefit from economies of scale, and heightened awareness of its environmental program. We also continue to support our Coral Reef and Chesapeake Bay initiatives. We will invest in other national and international initiatives that complement DoD conservation objectives.

Regional Ecosystem Management Initiatives

Regional management plans protect current military readiness and provide increased flexibility to respond to new missions through adaptive management, sustainable use for ecological and human purposes, and the best available science. They also promote the protection of species on adjacent non-DoD lands, thereby encouraging partnerships and reducing the management burden to DoD.

Invasive Species Control

Invasive species can adversely affect military readiness and create fire and safety hazards. Control and restoration efforts are often required to protect sensitive natural resources from invasive species. DoD is interested in habitat enhancement, particularly through control of exotic pests and promotion of natural species, to minimize disturbance of natural landscapes and increase vegetative cover, thereby controlling a growing threat to environmental security and improving training conditions.

Monitoring & Predicting Migratory Patterns of Birds

These efforts help to prevent bird strikes with resultant loss of personnel and equipment, while also preventing inadvertent harm to bird species. Main issues are long-term monitoring of migratory bird and animal habitat use and survivorship; monitoring and predictive modeling of movements during migration and in response to training activities using radar and satellite tracking; and monitoring birds of prey and waterbirds on training lands to comply with legal requirements.

Cooperative Conservation

The Department of Defense supports efforts that promote “cooperative conservation” through the proper inclusion of local participation in Federal decision-making. Cooperative conservation activities are those that promote the protection, use, enhancement or enjoyment of natural resources on military lands by collaborative action among Federal, State, Tribal and local governments, other nongovernmental entities, and private institutions.

Cultural Resources Management

The protection of cultural resources associated with our national heritage is a fundamental part of DoD's primary mission. By each installation developing an integrated cultural resources management plan (ICRMP), DoD recognizes its responsibility to manage cultural resources in a wise and effective manner. Projects of interest to DoD would enhance DoD's ability to access, evaluate, and use existing inventory data, projects that use research and developmentto support cultural resource management on military installations, projects that develop historic context studies, improve management and reduce costs of historic military family housing units and enhance the preservation and management of Cold War resources.

Historic Preservation and Force Protection

Heritage conservation and disaster management in the United States are two fields that depend on a working relationship at the federal, state and local levels. A renewed focus toward historic preservation occurred following September 11, 2001 and with it an awareness of the often difficult task of maintaining the historic integrity of an historic site while making it secure for people to work, live in, and visit. DoD needs comprehensive historic preservation plans that provide adequate security measures while at the same time enhance the unique character of the installation's cultural environment.

Native American Issues

As a result of military activities and archaeological excavations within their installations, DoD currently cares for many cultural items and Native American human remains. In addition, military activities and operations may adversely impact traditional and current life way patterns of these groups. DoD is interested in assisting projects that facilitate DoD-wide or regional efforts that seek to protect, manage, and/or restore resources in these areas in a manner supportive of military activities and operations, and meet our trust obligations to Federally recognized tribes.

Curation of Archaeological Collections, Associated Records and Documents and Management of Archaeological Sites

DoD owns or controls more archaeological resources than any other Federal agency. Increasing concern in DoD focuses on balancing proper management of archaeological resources with ongoing training needs. DoD has an immediate need for studies evaluating possible encroachment of archaeological sites on training areas. DoD also has an immediate need to develop sustainable deaccessioning and collections management policies. We will continue to invest in the rehabilitation of at-risk DoD collections and to develop partnerships to curate these collections.