Endangered Species Act Toolbox: A Guide for Department of War Natural Resource Managers

Across Department of War (DoW) installations, natural resources managers operate at the intersection of mission execution and statutory conservation responsibilities. Military training and testing lands support high‑tempo operations while sustaining habitats for listed and at‑risk species. When mission activities intersect with the requirements of the Endangered Species Act (ESA), installations need tools for early planning, coordinated action, and mission‑sustaining conservation solutions.

The ESA Toolbox, developed as part of the Recovery and Sustainment Partnership by the DoW’s Natural Resources Program and the Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute, provides installation natural resources managers and partners with a practical, mission‑focused resource for navigating ESA requirements while maintaining readiness.

SERPPAS marks 20 years of partnership while looking toward the challenges ahead

For two decades, the Southeast Regional Partnership for Planning and Sustainability (SERPPAS) has brought together leaders from the military, state agencies and federal natural resources, wildlife, ocean and working lands organizations to address a shared set of challenges across the Southeast. At its core, SERPPAS is built on a simple but consequential idea: military readiness, conservation, working lands and resilient communities are not separate priorities. In many places, they depend on one another.

New plans to protect salt marsh, coastal communities and military installations

A regional partnership spanning North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida released targeted plans for each state in April 2026 to conserve coastal salt marshes—grassy wetlands that fill with saltwater and drain as the tides ebb and flow. These habitats protect communities and more than a dozen at-risk military installations from floods, provide fish breeding grounds, and offer recreation and seafood to millions of people.

Updated prescribed fire liability report for the southern US

The use of prescribed fire remains a critical component of land management across the southern United States. As land managers, private landowners, and agencies work to apply fire at the scale and frequency necessary to achieve ecological and management objectives, understanding liability continues to be an important consideration.

REPI report to Congress highlights continued investment in military readiness and conservation partnerships

The Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration Program (REPI) has released its 2026 Report to Congress, highlighting another year of growth in collaborative efforts that strengthen military readiness while advancing natural resource conservation across the country.

Fort Sill habitat restoration provides new opportunities for hunters

On about 40 acres, with roughly 300 acres scheduled to follow, Fort Sill’s Natural Resources team is carrying out what foresters call timber stand improvement. In plain language, it means thinning the understory of older, overgrown forest to let light back in.

Conserving South Atlantic salt marsh through collective action

The South Atlantic Salt Marsh Initiative (SASMI) is a voluntary, non-regulatory partnership of individuals working together to protect and restore salt marshes across a four-state region from North Carolina to Florida. This regional initiative is coordinated by NRI’s Amanda Gobeli, who oversees federal, state, and local partner organizations and engagement for the implementation of their conservation plan. We recently sat down with Gobeli to discuss how her role within SASMI is shaping the defense against specific threats to our coastal salt marshes.

Nationwide effort to protect pollinators gains momentum

Pollinators, including bees, bats, butterflies, and birds, are vital to U.S. ecosystems and food security. These species transfer pollen from a flower’s stamen to its pistil, enabling fertilization and the production of fruits and seeds for plants that cannot self-pollinate. They support biodiversity and enhance crop yields, significantly contributing to the productivity of working lands and the economy.

NRI expands web tools to help protect military training spaces from incompatible development

With funding from DOD's Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation, NRI developed the new Texas Compatible Use Zones (TCUZ) Viewer (tcuz.nri.tamu.edu), the first centralized web tool to display military compatible use zones (using DOD AICUZ and ICUZ data) for active-duty installations across the state. The TCUZ Viewer helps anyone considering development near a military installation in Texas identify whether their location of interest may conflict with military operations in that area.

Up to $3 million available for landowners to protect natural resources near Camp Bullis

The Camp Bullis Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) is now accepting applications from voluntary landowners interested in permanently protecting their land and natural resources through conservation easements. These tailored easements support compatible land uses, such as agriculture, wildlife habitat, and open space, that also help safeguard the military mission and training capabilities of Joint Base San Antonio–Camp Bullis.