Military lands comprise a unique component of the federal land management system in the U.S. These lands currently occupy more than 30 million acres with over 3,700 locations (installations) in the fifty states. These lands represent the places where military forces train, test equipment and project forces from the United States to theaters of operation abroad, both for conflict and humanitarian purposes. Military installations are major economic drivers for the communities in which they reside. Emerging renewable energy projects on installations may benefit surrounding communities. However, their expansion, increased use and the environmental impacts of military activities have been contested by the public, local governments and communities and other interest groups - generating varying social discourses about their legitimacy, control of space, and land uses.
Many military lands, which were initially very rural and distant from large communities, are now surrounded by development – both residential and commercial. This has created additional land use conflicts, referred to as “encroachment,” with surrounding communities. Encroachment issues include noise complaints, zoning regulations, safety concerns for landing aircraft and munitions firing, and environmental issues. Many military lands have become sanctuaries for hundreds of threatened and endangered species of flora and fauna. In comparison to other large federal land management agencies, Department of Defense lands contain a much larger population and proportion of threatened and endangered species. The management of species and other resources mandated by law has often come into conflict with military training needs.
Results/Conclusions
The physical, environmental and socio-economic relationships between the national military footprint and its surrounding communities have become a key land use issue. The trans-boundary effects of encroachment, both by the military and neighboring communities, require new ways of looking at the military installation in the context of local and regional space, communities and ecosystems. In the past decade an era of some cooperation has emerged on “both sides of the fence.” The military, other federal agencies, non-profit organizations and local landowners have begun to creatively address and resolve encroachment issues through “land use partnerships and collaborative collaboration. These strategies include approaches such as alignments, easements, buffer zones, and zoning regulations. However, sustainable solutions to these problems must be addressed in a more comprehensive fashion across administrative, jurisdictional and ecosystem boundaries.