Successful conservation of United States Department of Defense Lands: Response to Emily Rabung & Eric Toman (2022), Soldiers in the garden: managing the US military training landscape

AbstractThe National Military Fish & Wildlife Association (NMFWA) presents a rebuttal to the article by Rabung and Toman (Citation2022) on the management of United States Department of Defense (DoD) Lands. Published literature supports the notion that military training areas are not only managed to comply with environmental laws, regulations, and policies, but also represent flourishing natural areas with diverse ecosystems, high biodiversity, and rare species. The authors dispel Rabung and Toman’s assertion that the over 26.9 million acres of military lands are not managed for environmental outcomes and demonstrate how compliance with the Sikes Act and associated laws, policies, and Executive Orders ensure that military lands are managed for discrete environmental outcomes. The authors argue that military land managers intentionally manage for environmental outcomes and outline the comprehensive ecological and conservation extent of Installation Integrated Natural Resource Management Plans (INRMPs). The authors conclude by highlighting DoD's commitment to conservation, as evidenced by its significant expenditures, policies, and breadth of proactive conservation actions.Keywords: Department of defensemilitaryconservationecosystem management AcknowledgmentsWe would like to thank the thousands of DoD Conservation professionals who have dedicated their careers to conservation of military lands within the USA and beyond.Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Additional informationNotes on contributorsAlan D. SchultzAlan Schultz is Regional Director for NMFWA, Fish and Wildlife Manager at the United States Department of Defense’s Fort Liberty in North Carolina, and DoD Partners in Flight Steering Committee Representative. His interests focus on avian habitat associations and wildlife management, pursued during 39 years with DoD conservation around the Southeast USA.Richard A. FischerRichard A. Fischer is Senior Research Wildlife Biologist with the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Centre, Environmental Laboratory, and National Coordinator for DoD Partners in Flight, with a research focus on the ecology and management of migratory birds on Department of Defense lands.Robert E. LovichRobert E. Lovich is Senior Natural Resource Specialist for Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, Southwest, and Co-Founder and National Technical Representative for the Department of Defense Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Initiative. His research is focused on the inventory, conservation, and management of amphibians and reptiles on United States military lands.David K. McNaughtonDavid K. McNaughton is Senior Natural Resource Specialist for Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, Southwest, Co-Founder of a new DoD subject matter expertise group focused on small mammals, and active in DoD Partners in Flight and DoD Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation. His research is focused on ecology with emphasis on bats, rodents, reptiles, amphibians, and early seral successional habitats and processes.Elizabeth S. NeipertElizabeth Neipert is Research Wildlife Biologist at the US Army Engineer Research and Development Centre-Environmental Lab, Technical Coordinator for DoD's Bird Conservation Program – DoD Partners in Flight, Director of DoD's Avian Knowledge Network, and Chair of the National Avian Knowledge Network Steering Committee. Her research and work focus on avian conservation and management nationwide both inside DoD and with hundreds of federal, state, and NGO partners.Christopher E. PetersenChristopher E. Petersen is Senior Natural Resource Specialist for Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Atlantic, and Co-Founder and National Representative for the Department of Defense Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Network. His research is focused on the inventory, conservation, and management of amphibians and reptiles on United States military lands.Vanessa ShoblockVanessa Shoblock is currently Director at Large for NMFWA, a Natural Resources Specialist with Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, Southwest supporting scientific study and conservation on a host of installations, and a designated Department of Defense Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units Representative.Michael WrightMichael Wright is President of the NMFWA, Natural Resources Specialist and Manager at the DoD’s Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia, and DoD Partners in Flight Steering Committee Representative. Her focus is on integrating military operational needs with natural resources compliance and conservation.