We foster collaborative partnerships with the Department of Defense to promote conservation on military lands. Working under the authority of the Sikes Act, we offer guidance and field support for the conservation and management of fish and wildlife resources on military installations while supporting military readiness.
What We Do
Our Projects and Initiatives
The Department of Defense manages approximately 27 million acres of land on 338 military installations, some of which are available to the public for recreation and are largely protected from development. These lands support the preservation of ecologically important native habitats such as old-growth forests, tall-grass prairies, coastal beaches, and wetlands making military installations a haven for fish, wildlife, and plants, including rare and unique species.
- Integrated Natural Resources Management Plans - Integrated Natural Resource Management Plans focus on ecosystem-based management with a goal of managing the natural resources to meet stewardship requirements while supporting, and even enhancing, military training.
- Air Force Natural Resource Partnership – The Air Force and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have been engaged in a formal partnership to conserve fish, wildlife, and other natural resources on Air Force lands across the United States and in the Pacific to advance their shared conservation goals on 10 million acres of federal lands that include over 100 military locations.
- Army Natural Resource Partnership - The Army is working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to find new ways to increase the conservation of sensitive species and habitats while ensuring the sustainability of the military mission.
- Military Conservation Partner Award - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service established the Military Conservation Partner Award to recognize military installations for exceptional cooperative conservation efforts.
- Military Lands Conservation Initiatives - Military lands conservations initiatives include the Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration program and the Sentinel Landscapes Partnership.
Latest Stories and Topics
Stories
Our Partners
How do you go from chef to conservationist? After working 13 years in the culinary industry, Ryan Saito (he/him) is now a Federal Pathways Intern in Hawaii, working with Lyon Arboretum, James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge, and the Oahu Army Natural Resources Program.
Our Partners
The U.S. Army has partnered with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to preserve our nation’s most at risk ecosystems. This series, In Defense of Our Natural Resources, highlights the success of these projects and of those who made them a reality.
Our Partners
Julianne Johnson (she/her) is a Federal Pathways Intern working across three labs in Manoa Valley and the North Shore: Oahu Army Natural Resources Program, Lyon Arboretum, and James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge. After initially pursuing a career as an emergency veterinary technician, funding...
Our Partners
Elwynn Sherman is a Biological Field Intern placed at Fort Cavazos, Texas through a partnership with the Army and the U.S. Fish...
Our Partners
Shelby Truckenbrod is a PhD student at University of Massachusetts Amherst. Through a partnership with the USFWS and the Army, she works at Fort Devens in eastern Massachusetts, facilitating partnerships to monitor and research Blanding’s turtles.
Our Partners
Emily Grace Thompson is a Digital Media Intern at The Fish and Wildlife Service's Headquarters. Her position is funded in partnership with the Army, and her job focuses around supporting youth employment and communicating successes in Army Natural Resources Programs.
