Download Natural Resources in DoD Current Issues and Program Priorities

L. Peter Boice
Deputy Director, Natural Resources
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Hot Issue: Candidate Species
Policy and Guidance
Evaluating DoD’s Natural Resource
Programs
Tools and Training
Partnerships
Looking Ahead
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Center for Biological Diversity and Wild Earth
Guardians filed suit with USFWS on 757 species
Judge approved settlement September 10, 2011
USFWS agreed to:
 A 6-year schedule for final listing decisions on
251 species on the candidate list
 Developing initial findings on 506 other species
Formal data call to DoD Components
 Key species
 Level of concern (Red, Yellow, Green, White)
 Information available
Level of Concern
SUMMARY RESULTS
LEVEL OF
CONCERN
ARMY
NAVY
MARINE
CORPS
RED
6
0
1
1
8
ORANGE
25
6
1
3
29
YELLOW
45
38
3
4
71
TOTALS
72
43
5
6
110
AIR
FORCE TOTAL
Red knot (3 Military Services; 31 installations)
 Greater sage grouse
 Washington ground squirrel
 Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly
 Streaked horned lark
 Roy prairie pocket gopher
 Louisiana pine snake
 Lesser prairie chicken
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Collect updates through FY 2013 EMR
Implement processes that ensure INRMPs
adequately address candidate species on an
ongoing basis
Ensure INRMPs are up-to-date
DoDI 4715.03
 INRMP Implementation Manual
 Tripartite MOU
 Migratory Bird MOU
 DoD Partners in Flight Plan
 DoD Partners in Amphibian and Reptile
Conservation Plan
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Purposes
 Improve the integration of mission and stewardship
 Integrate a conservation ethic throughout DoD
 Facilitate military readiness and cost-effective policies
through sustained use of natural resources
 Identify opportunities for improved cooperation,
information sharing, technology demonstration and
transfer, and public communications
 www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/471503p.pdf
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General INRMP provisions
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Coordination, review and public comment
Implementation and special management
Ecosystem-based management
INRMP contents
In Formal Coordination
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Clarifies definitions for:
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Compliant INRMP
INRMP Review
INRMP Update
INRMP Revision
 Streamlined
review process
 Anticipate by end of June
 Companion USFWS Sikes Act Guidance Update
 To be published NLT September 2013
 Definitions consistent w/ MOU
 Help ensure USFWS input to annual Focus Area
metrics
Adds responsibilities for implementing
Executive Order 13186
 Clarifies information sharing among
Migratory Bird Council members
 Provides guidance for implementing changes
in cantonment areas and best practices for
non-readiness activities (e.g., reducing
amount of reflective glass, using native plants
for landscaping)
 Anticipate update before end of fiscal year
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Goals:
 Evaluate effectiveness of natural resources support
to the military mission
 Assess overall health and trends of each
installation's natural resources program
 Identify and correct potential
funding and other resource
shortfalls
Number of Installations
40
30
20
10
0
Installations
FY04
FY05
FY06
FY07
FY08
FY09
FY 10
FY 11
4
29
2
2
1
8
0
5
INRMPs and Critical Habitat Exclusions
51 installations and satellites have used INRMP exclusion:
4(a)(3)(B); 22 more than once
Majority of recent occurrences – Hawaii plants
99 total difference species
34 bases used readiness exclusion: 4(b)(2)
1 since 2006 (two coral species)
Front office query – what do we get for this
level of investment?
FY
2011
FY
2013
FY
2014
REQUEST $320M $380M
$379M
$363M
ESTIMATE $325M $408M
$380M
ACTUAL
FY
2012
$394M $388M
Manpower
 Education and Training (Natural)
 Listed and At-Risk Species
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 Endangered Species Act
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Wetlands
 Clean Water Act
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Natural Resources Conservation & Rehabilitation
 Sikes Act
Marine Mammal Protection Act
 Other Natural Resources
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 Migratory Bird Treaty Act
 Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act
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Define Needs and Address Gaps
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Information Exchange
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Strategic Planning
 Sikes
and ESA courses developed and
implemented. Now online only:
 www.Dodworkshops.org/Training.html
No additional Legacy-sponsored course
offerings projected
 Evaluating alternative training methods
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 e.g., webinars, distant learning
www.dodworkshops.org/Workshops.html
 Biodiversity
 www. Dodbiodiversity.org
 Invasive
Species Outreach
 www.dodinvasives.org
Improve understanding of DoD mission and
stewardship needs
 Place DoD lands into larger regional context,
and leverage resources across geopolitical
boundaries
 Enhance resource sharing and cost
efficiencies
 Ease INRMP approval and implementation
 Increase management flexibility
 Demonstrate DoD’s community engagement
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 Economy
 Sikes
Act (16 USC 670c-1)
 Legacy
 REPI
Act (31 USC 1535 and 1536)
Program (10 USC 2694)
(10 USC 2684a)
 Internal
DoD
 External
– Federal
 External
- NGO
 US Fish and Wildlife Service
 USDA Forest Service
 Bureau of Land Management
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National Military Fish and Wildlife Association
Cooperative Ecosystem Study Units
Cooperative Conservation
Non-Profit Organizations
 DoD Readiness and Environmental Protection
Initiative (REPI): www.denix.osd.mil/sri/repi
 DoD Partners in Flight: http://dodpif.org
 DoD Partners in Amphibian and Reptile
Conservation:
www.parcplace.org/resources/dod-parc.html
 U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service
 Key partner – regulator
 Regular meetings between DoD
NR Program and Ecological Services,
Migratory Bird, and Endangered
Species offices
 Award-winning outcomes
• 2012 Presidential Migratory Bird Stewardship Award
(Burrowing Owls)
• 2013 Military Conservation Partner
Award (Naval Base Coronado)
 Coalition
of military installation
natural resource managers and
contractors
 Future:
more webinars and other
online resources
Currently a member of 15 CESU units
 CESU – New Regions for 2013
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 Pacific Northwest, Great Basin
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Ft. Worth District
 FY12: 62 new and 65 continuing projects
 $34.0M
 Sliding scale fee
 Regional
Partnerships
 Ecosystem Management Initiatives
 SE Regional Partnership for Planning and
Sustainability (SERPPAS) and Western Regional
partnership (WRP)
 Cooperative Invasive Species Management Areas
 Locally
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Implemented Partnerships
National Public Lands Day
Bat Conservation International
National Wild Turkey Federation
Ducks Unlimited
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Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)
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Caught in the Crosshairs: Combating the Illegal Wildlife Trade in Iraq &
Afghanistan
 www.wcswildlifetrade.org/military
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Pollinator Partnership
 Variety of project funded, primarily through National Public
Lands Day
 www.pollinator.org
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National Wildlife Federation
 Scanning the Conservation Horizon: A Guide
to Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment
 www.nwf.org/vulernabiltyguide
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The Wildlife Society
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New Military Working Group
www.wildlife.org/subunits/working-groups
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Limited travel – mission essential
 Alternative means of communications
Compliance-driven requirements will
dominate budget decisions
(e.g., Listed and at-risk species)
 FWS expected to propose additional changes
to ESA rules and policies
 Continued off-base partnership opportunities
 Climate change focus → missions and
facilities
 Sustainability (e.g., water)
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 Websites
 DoDNaturalResources.net
 DENIX.osd.mil/NaturalResources
 DoDLegacy.org
Natural Selections Newsletters
 Publications/Brochures
 YouTube Animations
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http://dodnaturalresources.net/Animation.html
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zipNe0rnu3E
Social Media
 DoD Facebook and Blog
 Twitter: @DoDNatRes
[email protected]