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Conservation of Native Plants on Department of Defense Lands
The US Department of Defense (DoD) is responsible for the stewardship of approximately thirty million acres of land in the United States (about equal to area of the State of Pennsylvania) distributed on bases and ranges in every state of the country. Many individuals are unaware of the extent of military lands in the United States and the important environmental significance of many of those lands or the past and present efforts the military services have taken to ensure their protection.
This presentation will briefly outline the history the military has played in the discovery and documentation of native American biota starting in the early 19th century and its efforts today for the conservation and protection of endangered plants and animals on its lands. The presentation will conclude with a brief discussion of recent DoD initiatives to establish biodiversity enhancement and ecosystem management programs for its lands.