The Keystone Dialogue on DoD Biodiversity Management summarized key reasons why biodiversity conservation is important for meeting the military mission (Keystone Center 1996). These include:
- Biodiversity conservation is essential in sustaining the natural landscapes required for the training and testing necessary to maintain military readiness. Managing for biodiversity can help ensure that lands and waters are maintained in a “healthy condition” and thereby facilitate greater flexibility in land use for military operations.
- Biodiversity conservation is a central component of ecosystem management, which has been embraced as the DoD’s natural resource management strategy. Given the DoD’s significant investment in conserving and protecting the environment, this strategy promises the greatest return on investment—it is simply the right thing to do and the smart way of doing business.
- Biodiversity conservation can expedite the compliance process and help avoid conflicts. Proactive management for biodiversity can provide greater certainty in mitigation for environmental impact assessment processes under the National Environmental Policy Act as well as consultation processes under the Endangered Species Act.
- U.S. citizens demand that federal land managers demonstrate responsible stewardship of public lands. The practice of biodiversity conservation fosters good will within the communities surrounding military installations, which in turn engenders public support for the military mission.
- By helping to maintain aesthetically pleasing surroundings and expanding opportunities for outdoor recreation, managing for biodiversity can improve the quality of life of our nation’s military personnel and their families.
Next Page: Ecosystem Management
Author
Bruce Stein, Ph.D., Chief Scientist and Associate Vice President
National Wildlife Federation
A Shift Toward Ecosystem Management and Biodiversity Conservation Sections
A Shift Toward Ecosystem Management and Biodiversity Conservation
Box 1.1: Importance of Biodiversity Conservation for the Military Mission