ARLINGTON, Va. - Fighting raged in Afghanistan in December 2002, and potential operations in Iraq loomed on the horizon, making it doubtful environmental worries about rare butterflies and sumac plants topped the list of concerns many had for Army National Guard installations.
However, a provision of the 2002 National Defense Authorization Act, later to be known as the Army Compatible Use Buffer program, debuted and has become a powerful tool for the Army National Guard to better utilize property for training and protect installations against encroachment, while still being good environmental stewards.
ACUB allows commands to partner with eligible entities to encumber buffer areas adjacent to the installation to protect training and operations, said Larry Zimmerman, ARNG ACUB program manager.
The program is installation-driven – the host unit develops the proposal, identifying their encroachment protection priorities.
“By the time the plans comes to us, the unit has already developed the relation with the partner and is working toward mutually beneficial goals,” Zimmerman explained.
These partners fall into one of two categories — a state or political subdivision of a state such as a county or local water board; or a nongovernment organization whose primary mission is environmental conservation. Through a cooperative agreement, the partners purchase property, or create easements.
While many state-based government entities are concerned with protecting their local installations from incompatible encroachment, the reinvigorated emphasis on protecting natural resources has become a crucial part of the ACUB equation.
Because access to installations is restricted, and because land stewardship activities are so effective, the Department of Defense property has the highest percentage of endangered and protected species of federal agencies.
Once they completed a one-time ACUB parcel deal, Camp Rilea in Oregon moved habitat management responsibilities for the Oregon silverspot butterfly onto the ACUB parcel. When the proposal was submitted, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service removed the no-disturbance restrictions on post allowing for foot traffic and ground maneuvers. Upon completion of the purchase, and formal consultation, the habitat management plan was incrementally lifted.
“This allowed the base to work with regulators to get relief from the management restrictions and has created an area that not only protects the endangered resource, but has become a refuge used for outdoor activities,” Zimmerman said.
ACUB requires a sharing of the acquisition costs between the ARNG and the partner, where the general formula is a maximum 75 percent federal cost share. In many cases, investment ratio between the outside partner and the Army Guard has increased significantly. Currently, the ARNG has contributed $38.5 million compared to the nearly $130 million value contributed by the current partnering organizations at the 10 installations with approved ACUB programs, Zimmerman explained.
Safeguards also exist in the program to protect DoD’s interests. Partners are required to regularly monitor the properties, easements transfer with the property if it’s sold, and the military has reversionary rights via the deed restrictions on these properties.
While a Joint Land Use Study is another avenue for the DoD to use to manage its installation and environmental programs, ACUB is more powerful because it helps fund the actions rather than simply act as study development tool, said Alisa Dickson, ARNG natural cultural resources team lead.
Dickson said three channels exist for the Guard to get funding for the partnerships — DoD money through the Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration Program, from the Department of the Army or money via the ARNG budget process.
“We actually have three avenues to pursue funding from,” she said. “While it’s very competitive, there are tremendous benefits from the outcomes.”
Additionally, many states are being proactive with building funding channels to support installations with their states. Dickson said states such as Florida, South Carolina and Minnesota all have programs where entities can apply for various financial opportunities.
The Florida ARNG and Camp Blanding worked closely with the state to protect more than 17,000 acres via fee-simple purchases or easements through the state’s Florida Forever conservation funding program. Zimmerman said there is a proposed purchase plan to be used as wetland mitigation banks for projects on Camp Blanding and will provide likely habitat for protected species such as the red cockaded woodpecker.