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DOD REPI Program Newsletter | November 2024 Edition

Please see below for exciting news and announcements relevant to the REPI community! If you have questions or would like an announcement featured in the next newsletter, please contact us at osd.repi@mail.mil.

REPI Program Invests $9 Million in 2024 National Coastal Resilience Fund to Support Critical Military Missions

Today, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced the recipients of the 2024 National Coastal Resilience Fund (NCRF). Through this year’s NCRF, NFWF will provide $139 million to 94 projects across 31 coastal states and United States territories. These grants will generate more than $140 million in matching contributions for a total conservation impact of $280 million. The NCRF aims to reduce risks for coastal communities from the impacts of storms, floods, and other natural coastal hazards and improve habitats for fish and wildlife. 

Since 2020, the DOD REPI Program has contributed funding to the NCRF for projects that preserve natural environments in support of military mission capabilities. This year, the REPI Program is contributing $9 million in funding to 13 projects that use nature-based solutions to protect critical coastal installations. The 13 projects neighboring DOD installations received over $3.6 million in matching funds from non-federal partners and over $2 million from NOAA.

“Installations along coastlines are integrally important for readiness of DOD's critical testing and training missions. The 13 National Coastal Resilience Fund projects receiving nearly $9 million in DOD Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Program funding will help reduce flooding risks, wildfire threats, and shoreline erosion rates outside our installations and in our defense communities across ten states.  These investments improve installation resilience and force readiness,” said Brendan Owens, Assistant Secretary of Defense, Energy, Installations and Environment.  “The DOD projects are leveraging an additional $2 million in funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to help accelerate project implementation and protect key installation capabilities, including deploying Ohio-class fleet ballistic missile submarines from Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay and launching unmanned satellites at Vandenberg Space Force Base."

By leveraging funding from multiple Federal and non-federal sources, DOD installations and their partners are advancing project planning, development, and implementation at a rate that would be unachievable by DOD alone. To learn more about this year's NCRF, including applicant eligibility, funding priorities, and submission requirements, visit the National Coastal Resilience Fund website.

Save the Date: Navigating Military Readiness Through Responsible Project Execution Webinar

Join the REPI Program for the Navigating Military Readiness Through Responsible Project Execution Webinar on Wednesday, December 11, from 1:00 - 2:00 PM Eastern Time. The REPI Program ensures responsible, sensitive, and collaborative project execution by aligning with regulatory requirements for environmental compliance, cultural preservation, and tribal consultations. During this webinar, participants will learn about REPI projects that involve compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act, National Historic Preservation Act, and Tribal consultations to effectively balance military readiness with environmental stewardship and cultural preservation.

REPI Program Joins Partners in Celebrating Mission and Conservation Successes: Downlisting the Red-Cockaded Woodpecker

The DOD REPI Program joins the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in celebrating the downlisting of the red-cockaded woodpecker from endangered to threatened status under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). As we celebrate this significant milestone, it's important to recognize those who have worked to continuously conserve natural resources, enhance environmental efforts, and strengthen military readiness. Wildlife conservation compliance is a significant responsibility and is essential to ensuring mission readiness across military services. Lands managed by the DOD contain the highest density of endangered species in any Federal land management agency. Healthy and resilient lands are critical to the success of the DOD's mission and provide the natural infrastructure to support military readiness.

The red-cockaded woodpecker has been listed as endangered under the ESA for over 50 years. For decades, balancing military training activities and requirements of the ESA required restrictions on significant portions of military lands, greatly impacting military installations' ability to train, test, and operate on those lands. In response, the Department kickstarted research and conservation efforts in collaboration with USFWS and other partners focused on restoring and protecting the species and its habitat, investing over $250 million to date in restoring and protecting red-cockaded woodpecker populations. 

Through agreements with the USFWS, the REPI Program continues to work with partners in collaborative efforts at installations across the United States to recover the red-cockaded woodpecker. For example, due to REPI projects at Fort Moore, the installation has exceeded its population goal for red-cockaded woodpeckers thanks to decades of hard work, conservation measures, and land management practices aimed at helping the woodpeckers thrive. These efforts by Fort Moore and a suite of partners across the Southeastern landscape factored significantly in a USFWS proposal to down-list the red-cockaded woodpeckers from endangered to threatened.

The REPI Program joins its longstanding partners in celebrating the red-cockaded woodpecker's downlisting as its population approaches a full recovery!

 Newly Released: DOD's Legacy Resource Management Program Announces New Story Map

Under the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense's Energy, Installations, & Environment portfolio, the REPI Program is pleased to join the Legacy Resource Management Program in announcing the new Legacy Program Story Map. This interactive resource offers an immersive journey through the Legacy Program’s impactful contributions to the stewardship of DOD’s natural and cultural resources over the past 34 years.  Established by the Secretary of Defense through the 1991 Defense Appropriations Act, the Legacy Program has been a pioneering force in resource conservation and historic preservation across military lands.  The Legacy Program Story Map showcases the depth of this program, detailing how it has provided strategic, competitive funding for over 3,400 projects across more than 300 installations globally, totaling an impressive $405 million investment in conservation.

The new story map highlights how the Legacy Program continues to evolve, leveraging partnerships and innovative solutions to address current and future conservation challenges essential to DOD’s mission.

Partner Spotlight: Compatible Lands Foundation Awarded Funding for Military Resilience Projects Through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program

Last month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a historic $1.5 billion investment for 92 partner-driven conservation projects through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), a partner-driven approach to conservation that funds solutions to natural resource challenges on agricultural land. Partners will provide $968 million in contributions to amplify the impact of the Federal investment.

The REPI Program is thrilled to announce that its partner, the Compatible Lands Foundation, alongside installation partners at Fort Campbell, Fort Cavazos, and Dyess Air Force Base, will receive RCPP funding to purchase both working land and non-working land easements to prevent loss of working lands, habitat, and open space and to address compatible land use impacting military missions.

By leveraging collective resources and collaborating on common goals, the Compatible Lands Foundation through RCPP funds, demonstrates the power of public-private partnerships in delivering results that advance and sustain the military mission. 

Fort Stewart Hails Several Conservation Milestones

The U.S. Army (Washington, D.C.) reports several conservation milestones at Fort Stewart, a REPI Program partner. This quarter, Fort Stewart protected over 50,000 acres. This effort complements the 90,000 acres permanently protected around Fort Stewart and puts Fort Stewart halfway to their land conservation goal. The installation will continue leveraging partnerships to promote compatible development and protect endangered species like the red-cockaded woodpecker.