Improving the preparation and implementation of integrated natural resource management plans (INRMPs)

The Sikes Act Improvement Act (SAIA) of 1997 for the first time mandated the military to prepare and implement integrated natural resource management plans (INRMPs), and to do so in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, appropriate state fish and wildlife agencies, and other stakeholders. The Department of Defense issued updated guidance for consistently implementing SAIA requirements throughout the Department on October 10, 2002. This article describes why this new guidance will significantly improve how military installations prepare, coordinate, and implement their INRMPs. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals Inc.