An overview of the primary funding sources and some additional external sources of funding is presented below.
Appropriated Funding
Obtaining appropriated funding for natural resources projects is the responsibility of each military service, based on policy guidance issued in DoD Instruction 4715.3. Each military service has therefore developed individual environmental funding policy based on the DoD policy.
The DoD funding policy establishes the following natural resources funding priorities for appropriated Operations and Maintenance (Funding Appropriation 3400):
- Class 0: Recurring natural and cultural resources conservation management requirements. Includes activities needed to cover the recurring administrative, personnel, and other costs associated with managing DoD’s conservation program that are necessary to meet applicable compliance requirements (federal and state laws, regulations, presidential executive orders, and DoD policies) or which directly support the military mission.
- Class I: Current compliance: Includes projects and activities needed because an installation is currently out of compliance (has received an enforcement action from a duly authorized federal or state agency, or local authority); has a signed compliance agreement or has received a consent order, or has not met requirements based on applicable federal or state laws, regulations, standards, presidential executive orders, or DoD policies, and/or are immediate and essential to maintain operational integrity or sustain readiness of the military mission. “class I” also includes projects and activities needed that are not currently out of compliance (deadlines or requirements have been established by applicable laws, regulations, standards, DoD policies, or presidential executive orders, but deadlines have not passed or requirements are not in force) but shall be if projects or activities are not implemented in the current program year.
- Class II: Maintenance requirements. Includes those projects and activities needed that are not currently out of compliance (deadlines or requirements have been established by applicable laws, regulations, standards, presidential executive orders, or DoD policies) but deadlines have not passed or requirements are not in force), but shall be out of compliance if projects or activities are not implemented in time to meet an established deadline beyond the current program year.
- Class III: Enhancement or actions beyond compliance. Includes those projects and activities that enhance conservation resources or the integrity of the installation mission, or are needed to address overall environmental goals and objectives, but are not specifically required under regulation or executive order and are not of an immediate nature. An example of a class III conservation project that addresses important conservation and outdoor recreation goals but is not required under service regulations or federal law is the development of “Watchable Wildlife” sites and sometimes associated bird checklists to foster public recreation related to conservation.
Non-appropriated funding
- Agricultural leases: Title 10, Section 2667(d) prescribes procedures for agricultural leases, which are also delineated in the individual service’s natural resources directives (https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:10%20section:2667%20editio n:prelim)
- Commercial forestry programs: A special feature of this program is the DoD Forestry Reserve Account, which serves as an emergency holding account to ensure the self-supporting DoD forestry program remains solvent in times of low revenue. The Army serves as the DoD executive agency for this account, as specified in the DoD’s Financial Management Regulation (DODFMR 7000.14-R Volume 11A, Chapter 16) https://comptroller.defense.gov/Portals/45/documents/fmr/archive/11aarch/11 a16f.pdf. Specific policy and guidance for the management of each service’s forestry account is contained in the individual service’s natural resources directives
- Hunting and fishing fees: The authority for the collection of these fees derives from the Sikes Act (https://www.fws.gov/endangered/esalibrary/ pdf/2004SikesAct%20NMFWA.pdf ). As with the other reimbursable accounts, specific policy and guidance for the management of each service’s hunting and fishing fee accounts is contained in the individual service’s natural resources directives.
Next Page: Other Funding Sources
Author
David S. Jones, RA IV, Ecologist/Project Manager
Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands
Warner College of Natural Resources
Colorado State University