Military Land Use Compatibility in Texas: 2021

Authors: Tony Parisi, Alison Lund, Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute

The military mission, while imperative to national defense, is under mounting pressure from various encroachment and incompatible land use threats. These threats include any outside activity, law, or pressure that affects the ability of military forces to train to doctrinal standards or to perform the mission assigned to the installation. In an effort to reduce conflict spurring from external factors, the Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute, in partnership with the Texas Military Preparedness Commission, and with a grant from the Department of Defense Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation (formerly the Office of Economic Adjustment), has developed several reports and web tools that assist installation personnel and community stakeholders. As part of that effort, NRI performed a comprehensive evaluation of all compatible use documents for Texas installations, to identify areas where collaboration and large-scale/statewide approaches or legislation can be applied. This effort considered legislation enacted in other states, which may be applicable in Texas. The resulting report offer recommendations for military communities to work collaboratively towards common goals in addressing conflicts between military installations and surrounding areas.