NRI’s Installation Support program strengthens the long-term resilience and mission readiness of military installations by integrating natural resource science, land stewardship, and practical on-the-ground management strategies. Through applied research, geospatial analysis, restoration planning, and collaborative partnerships, the program helps installations balance military training needs with conservation responsibilities, reduce regulatory risk, and improve the ecological function of the landscapes that support defense missions. From habitat management and species conservation to innovative land stewardship practices like regenerative grazing, NRI provides data-driven solutions that sustain military operations while enhancing the natural systems critical to their success. Below are the installations across the U.S., from the West to the East Coast, where NRI staff and scientists are currently embedded.
Fort Irwin
At Fort Irwin, NRI supports both natural and cultural resource management efforts that balance intensive training demands with long-term ecosystem health and protection of important archaeological sites. Our natural resource work helps installation staff maintain the landscape conditions necessary for year-round training operations, monitor sensitive habitats, and manage wildlife and plant populations, such as the federally threatened desert tortoise. In addition, NRI supports cultural resources on Fort Irwin by surveying for and protecting sites of archaeological importance.
Marine Corps Air Station Yuma
At MCAS Yuma, NRI leads innovative grazing management projects that use regenerative and rotational grazing practices to improve land health and support mission readiness. Through baseline ecological monitoring, adaptive management, and tools such as eFence systems and bale grazing, NRI helps restore soil function, increase vegetation resilience, and enhance the ecological capacity of high-use training areas. This work provides a scalable model for sustainable land stewardship on military installations in arid environments.
Holloman Air Force Base
NRI supports Holloman AFB through applied research and natural resource assessments that guide sustainable land management. This work helps maintain training readiness while ensuring that sensitive desert ecosystems remain healthy and functional. Focal species managed for include the state-listed White Sands Pupfish, migrating songbird and waterfowl species, and a variety of endemic desert animal and plant species.
Cannon Air Force Base & Melrose Air Force Range
At Cannon AFB and Melrose Air Force Range, NRI assists with wildlife species monitoring and land management practices that enhance ecological conditions and reduce conflicts between conservation needs and mission activities. Efforts include habitat monitoring for grassland obligate species such as the Lesser Prairie Chicken, rangeland condition monitoring to improve the resilience of high-use training lands, and avian surveys to minimize bird/aircraft strike hazards.
Fort Sill
NRI assists Fort Sill in integrating conservation science into land management so training lands remain resilient and mission-ready. This work includes conservation efforts that aligns ecological stewardship with installation operational needs. NRI also supports the development and updating of key policy and compliance documents—such as Integrated Natural Resources Management Plans (INRMPs), biological assessments, and defined conservation commitments—to ensure Fort Sill meets regulatory requirements while sustaining training capabilities. Additional efforts include leading the post-delisting monitoring for the Black-capped Vireo, managing the installation’s integrated herbicide program, and providing conservation support for the Tricolored Bat.
Robins Air Force Base
At Robins AFB, NRI provides data-driven conservation and land stewardship support to help the installation meet regulatory requirements and sustain high-value habitat. Our team assists with species management, ecosystem monitoring, and planning that aligns with its mission needs. The endangered Ocmulgee skullcap is the primary focus on Robins Air Force Base because it is potentially the best remaining stronghold for the species. Many efforts go into invasive removal as invasive species management is the chief concern for the skullcap population. Other ongoing projects include habitat restoration through controlled burns, landscaping efforts, and general invasive species removal on base.
Moody Air Force Base
NRI works with Moody AFB to evaluate and improve natural resource conditions across the installation, supporting both day-to-day training and long-term ecosystem health. Sustainability efforts include habitat management for native longleaf pine forests and the wetland complex within the Grand Bay-Banks Lake ecosystem. Ongoing species assessments focus on keystone and rare species, including the gopher tortoise and the associated eastern indigo snake, ensuring the protection and maintenance of viable native populations. These efforts support realistic military training, create recreational hunting and fishing opportunities, and prevent environmental degradation.
Eglin Air Force Base
NRI partners with Eglin AFB to address large-scale conservation challenges across its extensive training landscapes. Our work supports habitat resilience, species conservation, and environmental planning that protects both mission capabilities and the natural systems that surround them. Specific programs focus on restoring and maintaining threatened and endangered species in longleaf pine/sandhill forests, coastal dune/barrier islands, and freshwater wetlands. Focal species include eastern indigo snakes, gopher tortoises, red-cockaded woodpeckers, sea turtles, shorebirds, and beach mice.
Naval Air Station Key West
At NAS Key West, NRI provides science-based support to help manage coastal and island ecosystems that are vital to both military operations and regional biodiversity. Our work enhances habitat resilience, supports species management, and informs planning decisions in sensitive, rapidly changing coastal environments. Some of this work includes conducting surveys of rare and at-risk bird species, as well as population and habitat management for the federally endangered Lower Keys marsh rabbit.
Joint Base San Antonio
NRI is working with Joint Base San Antonio by drafting the JBSA Biological Assessment to determine the effects of groundwater withdrawal from the Edwards Aquifer by JBSA on ESA-listed aquifer-dependent species. This helps ensure that military mission activities are conducted in compliance with the ESA and that JBSA has sufficient groundwater withdrawal to support the existing and foreseeable future missions.
Fort Huachuca
Fort Huachuca must sustain operational readiness and emerging mission activities while meeting strict federal and Army environmental and cultural compliance requirements. NRI is working at Fort Huachuca to evaluate how mission activities affect historic, archaeological, and natural resources across the installation to develop a long-term, comprehensive plan to prevent or reduce adverse impacts. The effort includes assessing archaeological sites, conducting biological surveys, and recommending protective measures or other management strategies to aid in this process.
Naval Air Station Corpus Christi
At Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, NRI works to promote habitat restoration, manage invasive species, support compliance with federal and state regulations, and inform Department of War conservation policies. Some of this work conducted for the installation includes monitoring at-risk shorebird species, such as the Piping Plover, and providing ecosystem management through invasive species removal to restore native grasslands.
Naval Air Station Kingsville
Naval Air Station Kingsville is in partnership with NRI to protect rare, threatened, and endangered species on the installation. Work includes surveying local riparian habitats, improving conditions for the federally listed South Texas ambrosia, and determining bat species occurrence on post. By combining research and conservation efforts, the aim is to preserve the natural environment while supporting the station’s mission.
Laughlin Air Force Base
Laughlin Air Force Base is working with NRI to restore and protect its natural areas while supporting its mission. Enhancing the base’s nature pond through the removal of invasive cattails and brush, followed by planting native grasses and pollinator-supporting plants, promotes healthier wildlife habitats and ensures compliance with environmental laws. In addition, determining the presence of rare, threatened, and endangered reptile species, such as the spot-tailed earless lizard, and managing nuisance wildlife allows for a safe resumption of mission-critical activities and protection.
