Ecosystem management in the department of defense: managing for biodiversity conservation and the military

The Department of Defense (DOD) is the steward of 10 million ha (25 million acres), and is the third largest federal land management department in the USA. Many rich and varied natural and cultural resources are present on DOD installations. There is strong evidence that DOD managed lands are richer biologically than any other federal lands. The DOD's conservation goal is to support the military mission while managing these important resources for multiple uses for future generations. The DOD faces significant challenges in achieving this goal. Military mission demands on these resources are increasing. Various stakeholders have potentially conflicting ideas on how to manage and use these resources. And, downsizing may affect the DOD's ability to manage these resources effectively. One solution has been to emphasize regional ecosystem management. The DOD has made significant progress in establishing ecosystem management as the preferred approach to managing its natural and cultural resources, in the Mojave Desert, on major bases such as Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California; Eglin Air Force Base (AFB), Florida; Arnold AFB, Tennessee; Fort Hood, Texas; and Nellis AFB, Nevada; and on its installations in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.