Sikes Act Training: INRMP Content and Format - … Content and Format Sikes Act Training: INRMP Content and Format 1

INRMP Content and Format

Sikes Act Training:


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10 Sikes Act Required Elements

(1) Fish and wildlife management, land management, forest management, and fish- and wildlife-oriented recreation

(2) Fish and wildlife habitat enhancement or modifications

(3) Wetland protection, enhancement, and restoration, where necessary for support of fish, wildlife, or plants

(4) Integration of, and consistency among, the various activities conducted under the plan

(5) Establishment of specific natural resource management goals and objectives and time frames for proposed action

(6) Sustainable use by the public of natural resources to the extent that the use is not inconsistent with the needs of fish and wildlife resources

(7) Public access to the military installation subject to requirements necessary to ensure safety and military security

(8) Enforcement of applicable natural resource laws (including regulations)

(9) No net loss in the capability of military installation lands to support the military mission of the installation

(10) Such other activities as the Secretary of the military department determines appropriate

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Four Important Objectives of INRMPs

(1) Comprehensive plans for the management of all installation natural resources

(2) INRMPs shall be prepared to assist installation commanders in their efforts to conserve and rehabilitate natural resources consistent with the use of military installations to ensure the preparedness of the Armed Forces

• INRMPs are principally intended to help installation commanders manage natural resources more effectively so as to ensure that installation lands remain available and in good condition to support the installation's military mission

(3) INRMPs are to be prepared "in cooperation with" the USFWS and appropriate state fish and wildlife agencies

• This cooperation begins at the development stage of the INRMP and extends through preparation and coordination to completion

(4) Mutual agreement should be the goal with respect to the entire plan

• Mutual agreement is only required with respect to those elements of the plan that are subject to the otherwise applicable legal authority (i.e., authority derived from a source other than the Sikes Act, such as the Endangered Species Act) of the USFWS and state fish and wildlife agencies to conserve, protect, and manage fish and wildlife resources

2002 DoD Guidance

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DoD Instruction 4715.03 Enclosure 3 Addresses: - INRMP Preparation, Review and Implementation

- Partnerships

- Biodiversity

- Ecosystem-based management

- Land Management

- Coastal Resources

- Fund-Producing Programs

- Access

- Public Awareness

- Special Designation

- Conservation Law Enforcement

- Disclosure of Information

- Property Transfers

- Conservation Credits

INRMP Implementation Manual/Guidance Under Development

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Navy General Content Requirements

• Installation location and mission

• Mission description and requirements

• Land management

• Other (land management) considerations

• Ecosystem management

• General physical environment

• General biological environment:

– Use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS)/data management

– Relationship to other installation planning efforts

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Navy General Content Requirements Continued

• Resource Management Area Requirements:

– Wetlands, Watershed, and Estuary Protection

– Fish and Wildlife Management

– Forest Management

– Agricultural Outleasing

– Outdoor Recreation

– Grounds Maintenance

– Coastal & Near Shore Areas

• Threatened or Endangered Species and Critical

Habitat Requirements

• Migratory Birds

• Monitoring Requirements

• Federal Anti-Deficiency Act Language

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Biodiversity

DoD Instruction 4715.03

• Incorporate principles of ecosystem-based management – Avoid single-species management and

implement an ecosystem-based multiple species management approach, consistent with ESA

– Use an adaptive management approach to manage natural resources such as climate change

– Evaluate and engage in the formation of local or regional partnerships that benefit the goals and objectives of the INRMP

– Use the best available scientific information in decision-making and adaptive management techniques

– Foster long-term sustainability of ecosystem services

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Biodiversity continued

• Biodiversity conservation on DoD lands and waters should:

– Maintain or restore remaining native ecosystem types across their natural range of variation

– Maintain or reestablish viable populations of native species on an installation, when practical

– Maintain ecological processes, such as disturbance regimes, hydrological processes, and nutrient cycles, to the extent practicable

– Manage and monitor resources over sufficiently long time periods to allow for adaptive management and assessment of changing ecosystem dynamics

• Use heritage and other natural resources database networks

• Implement conservation and management efforts to further the conservation of State-listed species when such action is practicable and does not conflict with legal authority, military mission, or operational capabilities.

• Restore or rehabilitate altered or degraded landscapes and associated habitats to promote native ecosystems and land sustainability when such action is practicable and does not conflict with military mission or capabilities consistent with Executive Order 13514: Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance

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Land Management

DoD Instruction 4715.03 • DoD lands, waters, airspace, and coastal resources are

to support mission-related activities. All DoD natural resources conservation program activities shall work to guarantee DoD continued access to its land, air, and water resources for realistic military training and testing and to sustain the long-term ecological integrity of the resource base and the ecosystem services it provides

Navy INRMP Guidance • Navy defines land management as programs and

techniques to manage lands, wetlands, and water quality; including soil conservation, erosion control, and nonpoint source pollution, surface and subsurface waters, habitat restoration, control of noxious weed and poisonous plants, agricultural outleasing, range management, identification and protection of wetlands, watersheds, floodplains management, landscaping, and grounds maintenance

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Forest Management

Forest Management: Actions designed for the production and

sale of forest products and for maintaining the health and

vigor of forest ecosystems

DoD and Navy Guidance:

• DoD Components shall assess installation lands for forestry suitability

• Document the current status of commercial and non-commercial

forestry management and ecosystem management within forest areas

• Document current forest resource inventory data and statistical

summaries by stands or compartments

• Assemble maps and detailed descriptions of individual forest stands

with timber access roads

• Describe silvicultural management practices and plans such as timber

stand improvement techniques, harvesting methodologies, reforestation

practices, fire protection methods, and endangered species and cultural

resources protection initiatives

• Describe the markets for applicable forest products 10


Agricultural Outleasing

Agricultural Outleasing: The use of non-excess DoD lands under a lease to an agency, organization, or person generally for growing crops or grazing domestic animals

DoD and Navy Guidance: • DoD components shall assess installation lands for agricultural

outlease suitability

• Document coordination and cooperative agreements with the Natural Resources Conservation Service and discuss the suitability and availability of land for agricultural outlease

• Assemble maps and detailed descriptions of current or potential outleased land and prime and unique farmlands, including soil types, erodibility, fertility, productivity potential, and current vegetative cover

• Document the need for an Outlease Conservation Plan with monitoring systems and schedules for lease compliance, applicable land use controls, pest management practices, and specifications for construction and maintenance of improvements

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Wildland Fire Management

DoD Instruction 4715.03 • Management shall reduce the potential for wildfires, function

as an ecosystem-based management tool, integrate applicable State and local permit and reporting requirements, and be consistent with DoDI 6055.06 and the current Environmental Protection Agency memorandum

• Responses to wildfire responses shall be conducted in a manner that preserves health, safety, and air quality; protects facilities; and facilitates the health and maintenance of natural systems.

• Use prescribed burn programs where appropriate

Navy Position • Uncontrolled fires have the ability to effect the developed

environment as well as the undeveloped environment in ways that degrade the value of natural resources and capability of lands to support military readiness activities.

• INRMPs shall address the need for management of fuel loads, including the use of prescribed burns, for habitat enhancement purposes and to reduce the potential for wildfires

• A wildland fire management plan shall be developed for installations where necessary 12


Wetlands Management Wetlands : Areas that are inundated or saturated by surface or ground

water at a frequency and duration sufficient to support a prevalence of

vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions, such as

swamps, marshes, and bogs

• Jurisdictional wetlands are those that meet the criteria of having

hydric soils, wetland hydrology, and hydrophytic vegetation, and

are regulated by the Army Corps of Engineers under Section 404 of

the Clean Water Act

Clean Water Act [Federal Water Pollution Control Act], 33 U.S.C. 1251

• A comprehensive statute aimed at restoring and maintaining the

chemical, physical and biological integrity of the nation's waters

• Provisions requiring permits to dispose of dredged and fill materials into

navigable waters are important for wildlife protection purposes

Executive Order 11990: Protection of Wetlands

• “Mandates each Federal agency to provide leadership and take action

to minimize the destruction, loss or degradation of wetlands, and to

preserve and enhance the natural and beneficial values of wetlands

- Wetlands" definition more specific and different from above

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Wetlands Management Continued

DoD Instruction 4715.03 A watershed-based approach shall be used to manage operations, activities, and

lands to avoid or minimize impacts to wetlands, ground water, and surface waters on or adjacent to installations in accordance with the guidelines and goals established in the Unified Federal Policy for a Watershed Approach to Federal Land and Resource Management

– A no net loss of size, function, and value of wetlands, and will preserve the natural and beneficial values of wetlands shall be used n carrying out activities in accordance with E.O. 11990.

– When avoidance of wetlands and other waters of the United States is not practicable, and impacts have been minimized, participation in an approved off-site mitigation bank or in-lieu fee instrument is encouraged as sound conservation

– Off-site mitigation may provide a preferred alternative to meet watershed protection and ecosystem goals and meet future mission requirements. The enhancement, creation, or restoration of wetlands or streams on DoD property may also be an acceptable means for mitigating mission impacts on wetlands to meet permit conditions

– All appropriate permits are obtained and mitigation completed if discharges of pollutants into wetlands or other U.S. waters is necessary

– All applicable nonpoint source laws respecting the control and abatement of water pollution

– Incorporate best management practices for runoff for the State in which the installation is located to minimize nonpoint sources of water pollution.

– DoD shall prevent and control soil erosion, and implement soil conservation measures

– Adverse impacts on floodplains shall be avoided when possible

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Wetlands Management Continued

Navy INRMP Guidance:

• Identify any jurisdictional wetlands, surveys, or pending 401, 402, and

404 permits and mitigation projects

• Document the health of existing wetlands and any applicable wetlands

banking

• Address non-point source pollution plans as they relate to soil erosion

prevention and pesticide and fertilizer use

• Address wastewater or stormwater management issues

• Discuss regional programs for estuary and watershed protection as well

as local watershed protection initiatives

• Reference installation spill plans as they relate to watershed protection

and natural resources damage

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Coastal Resources

DoD Instruction 4715.03 • Manage operations, activities, and natural resources to avoid or minimize

adverse effects to natural resources on, adjacent to, or in close proximity to

DoD lands or near-shore areas

• Complete planning-level surveys to characterize significant installation and

near-shore natural resources.

• Establish procedures to ensure that no federally funded projects disrupt the

undeveloped and unprotected coastal barriers of the Coastal Barrier

Resource System unless those expenditures are for military activities

essential to national security

• Avoid impacting coral reefs and protect and enhance coral reef ecosystems

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Coastal Zone, Marine Environment, and Near Shore

Coastal Zone Management Act, 16 U.S.C. 1451: Encourages coastal states to develop and implement coastal

zone management plans for which Federal actions must be

conducted in a manner consistent with a federally approved state

plan

Executive Order 13158 Marine Protected Areas:

Marine environments are areas of coastal and ocean waters, the

Great Lakes, and their connecting waters, and submerged lands

there under, over which the U.S. exercises jurisdiction, consistent

with international law

Near Shore Areas: All submerged lands titled to the military and all other submerged

lands that are adjacent to installations that extend from the mean

high water level, offshore to the boundary of any security areas

controlled by the Military Services

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Coastal Zone, Marine Environment, and Near Shore Cont…

Navy INRMPs should include Coastal & Near Shore Areas by:

• Addressing the state coastal zone management plan and consistency determinations

• Addressing nonpoint source pollution that may impact coastal and near shore areas

• Including maps, inventories, and assessments of significant coastal resources such as coral reef ecosystems and other benthic habitats and resources

• Addressing important marine species and littoral zone issues

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Coral Reef & Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV)

Executive Order 13089: Coral Reef Protection Directs Federal agencies to study, restore, and conserve U.S.

coral reef ecosystems • The identification of coral reefs and their conservation by means of

appropriate management actions should be addressed in INRMPs, in accordance with the DoD Coral Reef Implementation Plan of 2000

• "Coral Reef Conservation Guide for the Military" creates awareness and outlines procedures militaries should use to ensure safe and environmentally responsible behavior in and around coral reefs

Navy Position • Installation near shore areas shall be surveyed for the presence of

coral reefs and their associated resources, where appropriate

• Coral reefs and their conservation must be addressed in the installation INRMP where found

Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) • SAV Restoration Handbook: A Guide for Restoring SAV on DOD

Installations

https://www.denix.osd.mil/portal/page/portal/NaturalResources/VegetationandHabitat

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https://www.denix.osd.mil/portal/page/portal/NaturalResources/VegetationandHabitat


Invasive Species

Invasive species: Any non-native (alien) plant, animal, microbe

or their seeds, eggs, spores or other biological material that

is capable of propagation of that species, and whose

introduction into a non-native ecosystem is likely to cause

harm to the economy, environment, or human health

Federal Noxious Weed Act, 7 U.S.C. 2814: Provides for control and

management of non-indigenous weeds that injure or have the potential to

injure interests of agriculture and commerce, wildlife resources, or the public

health

EO 13112: Invasive Species: Prevention and control of invasive species shall be

addressed in INRMPS

• Invasive species include injurious wildlife, noxious weeds, and plant and

animal pests

• Potential to introduce or spread invasive species shall be addressed by

planning documents along with means for prevention and control

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DoDI 4715.3:. Identify, prioritize, monitor, and control invasive

and noxious species and feral animals on its installations

whenever feasible. Accordingly native species should be

used, where feasible, to restore any habitats from which

native species are removed or controlled.

OPNAV 5090: Navy installations will cooperate with States that

maintain programs for controlling noxious plants, and will

provide access for that control, provided that: (1) access is

consistent with installation security procedures, (2) proven

control measures are used, and (3) control measures have

been implemented on privately owned adjacent lands

Invasive Species Continued

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Landscaping/Grounds Maintenance Presidential Memo: Requires environmentally and economically beneficial

landscaping practices to be used, and regionally native plants for landscaping to be used

DoD Instruction 4715.3:

• Environmentally and economically beneficial landscaping practices shall be used

• To the extent practicable, conserve and protect water resources, use locally adapted native plants, avoid using invasive species, and minimize the use of pesticides and supplemental watering

• Restore or rehabilitate altered or degraded landscapes and associated habitats to promote native ecosystems and land sustainability when such action is practicable and does not conflict with military mission or capabilities

Navy INRMPs should:

• Address installation landscape plans and sections of integrated pest management plans pertaining to outdoor pest management

• Describe BMPs for erosion control, low maintenance landscaping, reduced mowing procedures, and water conservation

• Investigate creating or expanding an urban forestry program

• Describe BMPs for control of pests and noxious weeds

• Integrate low-maintenance indigenous species in landscape planning and projects

• Describe BMPs for selection of plant materials for land rehabilitation 23


Fish and Wildlife Management

Navy INRMP Guidance:

Fish and Wildlife Management: Actions designed to preserve, enhance and

regulate indigenous wildlife (fish, birds, mammals and all other classes of

wild animals) and their habitats, including conservation of protected species

and non-game species, management and harvest of game species, BASH

reduction, and animal damage control

Navy INRMPs should:

• Develop maps of managed fish and wildlife areas, and document existing

management practices (e.g., stocking, food plots, permits and fees, and any

animal damage control procedures or BASH issues)

• Research any possible local diseases found in animals (e.g., Lyme disease,

Chronic Wasting Disease, rabies, encephalitis, etc.)

• Analyze the current demand for installation resources and any existing

programs for Watchable Wildlife, Recreational Fisheries, or protection of

neotropical migratory birds

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Fish and/or Essential Fish Habitat

Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, 16 U.S.C. 1801 - 1883:

Provides for the conservation and management of the fisheries, and other purposes

Essential Fish Habitat or EFH : "…those waters and substrate necessary to fish for spawning,

breeding, feeding, or growth to maturity.

- Necessary means the habitat required to support a sustainable fishery and the

managed species' contribution to a healthy ecosystem.

- Spawning, breeding, feeding, or growth to maturity covers all habitat types utilized by a

species throughout its life cycle”

CNO Memo Regarding EFH Assessments and Consultations, 22 Mar 2011

- Address Applicability, Analysis, Determinations, and Consultations

Navy INRMP Guidance requires marine species and littoral zones issues be addressed

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Marine Mammals

• Marine Mammal Protection Act, 16 U.S.C. 1361:

MMPA established a Federal responsibility to conserve

marine mammals with management vested in the

Department of Interior (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service) for

sea otter, walrus, polar bear, dugong, and manatee

– The Department of Commerce (NOAA, National

Marine Fisheries Service) is responsible for

cetaceans and pinnipeds, other than the walrus

• Navy INRMP Guidance requires marine species and

littoral zones issues be addressed

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Endangered Species Act (ESA)

Federal Agency Responsibilities

• Section 7(a)(1): Develop conservation programs for threatened and endangered species

• Section 7(a)(2):

– Do not jeopardize the continued existence of any threatened or endangered species or

– Destroy or adversely modify designated critical habitat

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ESA - Critical Habitat

• “Critical Habitat”:

– Areas deemed essential to the conservation of a threatened or endangered species

– May require special management consideration or protection

• “Conservation” in this context means those areas needed to enable listed species to recover to the point the protections of the ESA are no longer necessary

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Critical Habitat Exemption and Exclusion Overview

• ESA Section 4(a)(3)(B) Exemption

– INRMP may be in lieu of CH designation

– Special management actions

• ESA Section 4(b)(2) Exclusion

– Economic benefits/national security

considerations

– October 2008 Memo

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Critical Habitat Exemption - ESA Section 4(a)(3)(B)

ESA Section 4(a)(3)(B): • The Secretary shall not designate as critical habitat any lands

or other geographical areas owned or controlled by the DoD, or designated for its use, that are subject to an integrated natural resources management plan prepared under section 101of the Sikes Act (16 U.S.C. 670a), if the Secretary determines in writing that such plan provides a benefit to the species for which critical habitat is proposed for designation

• Nothing in this paragraph affects the requirement to consult

under section 7(a)(2) with respect to an agency action (as that term is defined in that section)

• Nothing in this paragraph affects the obligation of the DoD to comply with section 9, including the prohibition preventing extinction and taking of endangered species and threatened species

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Critical Habitat Exclusion – ESA Section 4(b)(2)

NDAA 2004 Section 318 amended the ESA to:

• (B)(i) The Secretary shall not designate as

critical habitat any lands or other geographical

areas owned or controlled by the DoD, or

designated for its use, that are subject to an

integrated natural resources management

plan prepared under section 101 of the Sikes

Act (16 U.S.C. 670a), if the Secretary

determines in writing that such plan provides

a benefit to the species for which critical

habitat is proposed for designation

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ESA Section 4(b)(2) Continued

• Designates critical habitat on the basis of best scientific data available and takes the following into consideration:

– Economic impact

– Impact on national security

• Excludes an area from CH if benefits of

exclusion outweigh benefits of specifying

the area as CH

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USFWS Policy/Guidance and DoD Guidance

• If adequate special management or protection is provided by a legally operative plan, habitat identified may be omitted from Federal critical habitat designation

– An INRMP may serve as adequate special management and obviate the need for CH designation

• USFWS criteria (i.e., Miramar criteria):

1. The plan provides a conservation benefit to the species

2. The plan provides certainty that the management plan

will be implemented

3. The plan provides certainty that the conservation effort will be effective

• Consistent with Navy policies and 2006 Navy INRMP guidance

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Criteria #1: The plan provides a conservation

benefit to the species

• The cumulative benefits of the management activities identified in a

management plan, for the length of the plan, must maintain or provide for an increase in a species' population, or the enhancement or restoration of its habitat within the area covered by the plan (i.e., those areas deemed essential to the conservation of the species)

• A conservation benefit may result from reducing fragmentation of habitat, maintaining or increasing populations, insuring against catastrophic events, enhancing and restoring habitats, buffering protected areas, or testing and implementing new conservation strategies

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Criteria #2: The plan provides certainty that the

management plan will be implemented

• Persons charged with plan implementation are capable of

accomplishing the objectives of the management plan and have

adequate funding for the management plan

• They have the authority to implement the plan and must obtain all

the necessary authorizations or approvals

• An implementation schedule (including completion dates) for the

conservation effort is provided in the plan

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Criteria #3: The plan provides certainty that the

conservation effort will be effective

INRMPs should include:

(1) Biological goals (broad guiding principles for the program)

and objectives (measurable targets for achieving the goals)

(2) Quantifiable, scientifically valid parameters that will

demonstrate achievement of objectives, and standards for

these parameters by which progress will be measured, are

identified

(3) Provisions for monitoring and, where appropriate, adaptive

management

(4) Provisions for reporting progress on implementation (based

on compliance with the implementation schedule) and

effectiveness (based on evaluation of quantifiable

parameters) of the conservation effort are provided

(5) A duration sufficient to implement the plan and achieve the

benefits of its goals and objectives

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Navy Policy on Addressing Listed Species in INRMPs

• The INRMP should document surveys that have been performed for listed species, species recovery plans, BAs, and BOs and examine the habitat health and mission impacts in the INRMP

- The INRMP should also address threatened and endangered species not currently found on the installation for which critical habitat might be designated

- All installations with critical habitat or the potential for critical habitat should address the USFWS three-point criteria detailed in Section 4.5

• INRMPs must follow CNO N4 Memo of 30 Oct 2002, "Procedures for Introducing/ Actively Attracting Endangered Species onto U.S. Navy Property."

- Mitigation for non-Navy actions or activities should not be suggested for Navy lands or supported in an INRMP unless it has been approved by the chain of command to the CNO level

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Navy Responses to Proposed CH Designations

2002 ASN Memo: • Responses to any proposal to designate CH or introduce federally protected species

requires review and approval from CNO N4

• N4 approval requires processing through chain of command:

– Process can take up to one month

– Required documentation includes:

1) Coordination Summary

2) Action Memo

3) One page Executive Summary

4) Draft Cover Letter with N4 signature

5) Detailed Response as an attachment to letter

Needs to Include Section 4(a)(2) and 4(a)(3)(B)

– Example: Arroyo Toad package

• USFWS and NOAA FR notices for petitions to List and/or Species Reviews signed out at region level

– Coordination with HQ is required

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INRMPs and ESA

• INRMPs should reflect relevant aspects of:

– Prior §7(a)(2) consultations

– §7(a)(1) conservation planning

– §4(f) recovery plans

• Typically, INRMPs incorporate measures agreed to as part of informal or formal consultations

• INRMP multi-species strategies may trigger need for new consultation on INRMP

Red Wolf

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Addressing “Listed” Species in Navy INRMPs

Listed species and Species at Risk (SAR) • These are species included on lists maintained by the USFWS and

NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, states and territories, Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species, or on a “watch list,” as an endangered, threatened, or vulnerable species, a species of concern, or candidates for any such lists.

– SARs are defined as any species, plant or animal, which is not yet federally listed as threatened or endangered under ESA, but has been designated as a candidate for listing

– SAR also include species whose status may warrant listing at any time, and whose conservation if not addressed, would severely impact the military mission

• BE PREPARED FOR UPCOMING LISTING AND CRITICAL HABITAT DESIGNATIONS

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Migratory Bird Treaty Act, 16 USC 703

• Series of 4 bilateral multi-national treaties protecting

migratory birds

– USFWS has exclusive authority

• National Defense Authorization Act FY 2004

– Exempts DoD readiness activities

• List of Migratory Birds

– 50 CFR Part 21:

– http://birds.fws.gov

– Focal Species Strategy for Migratory Birds

• Utilize the USFWS' Migratory Bird Program website to

find lists of Birds of Conservation Concern and Birds of

Management Concern and address those species in

INRMPs, on installations where they occur.

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http://birds.fws.gov/


Migratory Bird Management

• Avoid and Minimize Impacts

• Readiness Activities:

– DoD/MBTA Migratory Bird Rule

– Unintentional take authorized

– INRMPs need to Support NEPA Documentation

• Non-Readiness Activities:

– EO 13186: Responsibilities of Federal Agencies To

Protect Migratory Birds

– DoD and USFWS MOU Apr 2007

– No authorization for unintentional take

– USFWS prosecutorial discretion

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Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, 16 U.S.C. §668

• Provides for the protection of the bald and golden eagle by

prohibiting, except under certain specified conditions, the

taking, possession, and commerce of such birds

• When the Bald Eagle was delisted, the Service proposed

regulations to create a permit program to authorize limited

take of bald eagles and golden eagles where take is

associated with otherwise lawful activities


- DoD Components shall protect bald eagles pursuant to

MBTA where appropriate.

- DoD shall continue to implement military readiness

activities in accordance

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DoD PIF

• Sustains and enhances the military mission through proactive,

habitat-based conservation and management strategies that

maintain healthy landscapes and training lands

• Works beyond installation boundaries to facilitate cooperative

partnerships, determine the current status of bird populations, and

prevent the listing of additional birds as threatened or endangered

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North American Bird Plans

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Regional Bird Plans

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Access


• DoD lands, waters, and coastal resources shall

be made available to the public for the

educational or recreational use of natural

resources when such access is compatible with

military mission activities, ecosystem

sustainability, and with other considerations such

as security, safety, and fiscal soundness.

• INRMPs shall describe areas and conditions

appropriate for public access.

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Outdoor Recreation

Outdoor Recreation: A program, activity, or opportunity dependent on the

natural environment (e.g., picnicking, bird-watching, hiking, wild and scenic

river use, hunting, fishing, and primitive camping that will not impair or

degrade natural resources)

Sikes Act: DoD is authorized to carry out a program for the development,

enhancement, operation, and maintenance of public outdoor recreation

resources at military installations in accordance with a mutually agreed

upon INRMP

• In developing facilities and conducting programs for public outdoor

recreation, DoD shall ensure outdoor recreation opportunities (e.g.,

fishing, hunting, trapping, wildlife viewing, boating, and camping) made

available to the public also provide access for:

– Disabled veterans

– Military dependents with disabilities

– Other persons with disabilities

• When access to a military installation for such persons and other civilians

is not otherwise restricted when topographic, vegetative, and water

resources allow access for such persons without substantial modification

to the natural environment

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Outdoor Recreation Continued Navy Guidance

• Document cooperative agreements and coordination with the National Park Service for outdoor

recreation

• Include maps and detailed descriptions of current and potential outdoor recreation areas

• Address public accessibility for hunting, fishing, and trapping, and future demands for outdoor

recreation, boating access, and off-road vehicles

• Include specifications and/or constraints about construction techniques, materials, or signage

• Determine the appropriate interface with the installation's program for Morale, Welfare and

Recreation (MWR)

Recreational Hunting and Fishing: Navy installations shall incorporate public access where

feasible, and participation in outreach programs for recreational use of fish and wildlife

resources

E.O. 12962: Recreational Fisheries: Recreational Fisheries requires Federal agencies to improve

the quantity, function, sustainable productivity, and distribution of U.S. aquatic resources for

increased recreational fishing opportunities by restoring degraded habitat, fostering

conservation, and providing access and awareness of opportunities for recreational fishing

E.O. 13443: Facilitation of Hunting Heritage and Wildlife Conservation: Facilitation of Hunting

Heritage and Wildlife Conservation requires Federal agencies to provide for enhanced and

expanded hunting opportunities by the management of game species and their habitats

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Mitigation and Conservation Banks

• Mitigation Bank: A site, or suite of sites, where resources (e.g., wetlands, streams, riparian areas) are restored, established, enhanced, or preserved for the purpose of providing compensatory mitigation for impacts authorized by permits

• Conservation Banks: A parcel of land containing natural resources values that are conserved and managed in perpetuity, through a conservation easement held by an entity responsible for enforcing the terms of the easement, for specified listed species and used to offset impacts occurring elsewhere to the same resource values on non-bank lands

– USFWS Recovery Crediting Guidance

- After concurrence from the appropriate chain of command, DoD installations may participate in off-installation conservation banks and recovery credit systems

• Compensatory mitigation should be considered whenever a Navy action has unavoidable impacts to natural resources.

• Many laws governing the conservation and protection of natural resources have requirements for compensatory mitigation, and under some statutes, compensatory mitigation is voluntary.

• Compensatory mitigation shall be conducted in compliance with federal laws and regulations as required.

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Climate Change • Climate change is referred to by the National Academy of Sciences as any significant

change in measures of climate (such as temperature, precipitation, or wind) lasting for an extended period (decades or longer). Global warming is one aspect of climate change.

• All DoD Components shall, in a regionally consistent manner, and to the extent practicable and using the best science available, utilize existing tools to assess the potential impacts of climate change to natural resources on DoD installations, identify significant natural resources that are likely to remain on DoD lands or that may in the future occur on DoD lands and, when not in conflict with mission objectives, take steps to implement adaptive management to ensure the long-term sustainability of those resources.

• Assessing the impacts of climate change is best approached by identifying an environmental baseline for the future that considers the differences in landscape form and function caused by climate change and other stressors on the landscape.

– Regional partnerships are the most appropriate means to conduct such assessments and in developing and implementing adaptation strategies. In general, natural resources managers should identify NRM strategies that provide conservation benefits to the ecosystem, regardless of whether climate changes occur.

• Cross reference with Base Master Plan information on Climate Change 51

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GIS and Data Management

• GIS and Data Management needs to be addressed in an INRMP:

– Funds should be requested as part of INRMP Revisions, Updates

or Implementation

– All applicable INRMP implementation projects need to have a GIS

deliverable that is consistent with spatial data standard for

facilities, infrastructure, and environment (SDSFIE)

• Navy GeoReadiness Centers provide overall coordination and

acquisition of GIS data and resources

– Responsible for maintaining Common Installation Picture (CIP)

data layers

– Ensures geospatial data holdings of the Navy Regions meet

quality control standards for accuracy, currency, and compliance

– Provides GeoReadiness Services via Regional Shore Installation

Management System (RSIMS)

– Enables program managers, activities, and tenant commands to

view, report, analyze and update data

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Partnership and Volunteers


• DoD installations may use appropriate partnerships and volunteers to

enhance natural resources conservation programs, when practicable, in

accordance with DoDI 1100.21: Voluntary Services in DoD

• Work shall be performed under the direction of Federal employees and, when

practicable, under the direction of professionally trained NRM

Navy Position

• Partnerships (e.g., Coastal America, Partners in Flight, Student Conservation

Association, Chesapeake Bay Initiative) and volunteers shall be used, to the

extent practicable, to complete projects under the direction and approval of Navy

NRMs and consistent with NAVFAC P-73

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Enhancement Actions Beyond Compliance

• Includes those projects and activities that enhance

conservation resources or the integrity of the

installation mission, or are needed to address overall

environmental goals and objectives, but are not

specifically required by law, regulation, or E.O., and

are not of an immediate nature. − Community outreach activities, such as International Migratory

Bird Day, Earth Day, National Public Lands Day, Pollinator

Week, and Arbor Day activities

− Educational and public awareness projects, such as

interpretive displays, oral histories, Watchable Wildlife areas,

nature trails, wildlife checklists, and conservation teaching

materials

− Restoration or enhancement of natural resources when no

specific compliance requirement dictates a course or timing of

action.

− Management and execution of volunteer and partnership

programs

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Biodiversity Tools

Biodiversity Conservation Toolbox

• Biodiversity Outreach Toolkit

• Commander’s Guide

• Revised guidebook with case studies

• DENIX (www.denix.osd.mil )

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http://www.denix.osd.mil/


Federal Anti-Deficiency Act Language

• INRMPs must include the following language regarding funding

limitations:

– “All actions contemplated in this INRMP are subject to the

availability of funds properly authorized and appropriated under

Federal law. Nothing in this INRMP is intended to be nor must be

construed to be a violation of the Anti-Deficiency Act (31 U.S.C.

1341 et seq.)”

• Suggest that language be included on Implementation Table

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DoD INRMP Template

DoD Navy Crosswalk Table

INRMP Table of Contents Example

(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Zachary S. Welch/Released)

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Integration into other DoD Programs

Integrate the DoD Natural Resources Conservation Program with other

DUSD(I&E) activities, including, but not limited to:

- business enterprise integration

- environmental management

- safety, occupational health

- facilities

- global climate change

- ecosystem services

- renewable energy

- installations requirements

- geographic information systems (GIS)

- environmental management systems (EMS)

- the Readiness and Environmental Protection Initiative

- project planning programs

- range and training area management and sustainment programs 59


Relationship to Other Installation Planning Efforts

• Coordinate INRMP preparation with:

– Installation Master Plan or Site Development Plan

– Range Plan

– Training Plan

– Integrated Cultural Resources Plan

– Integrated Pest Management Plan

– BASH Plan *

– Forest Management Plan

– Wildland Fire Management Plan

– Endangered Species Management Plan *

– Installation Restoration Programs

- Navy Requires specific language to be cited

• Recommended to be incorporated by reference Recommended to be incorporate into the INRMP

60

State Wildlife Action Plans

61

Other Planning Documents

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INRMP Preparation

• In-House

• Environmental Consultant

• Tripartite Teams

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http://www.wildlifeprofessional-digital.org/