Abstract
Encroachment of incompatible land uses increasingly threatens military training across the country. In many states, military training grounds are part of the rural landscape resulting in significant interest from military leadership in the maintenance and enhancement of land uses that are compatible with training operations. In the southeast, a vast majority of the rural landscape is under private ownership increasing the needs for policies that address the interests of landowners and provide meaningful incentives for maintaining land-use compatibility. Market-based conservation strategies have the potential to provide an effective means for conserving large landscapes used for military training. This issue is particularly salient in North Carolina that has an extensive military training footprint. We conducted a case study to evaluate a cross-sector partnership in the state that collaboratively developed a Market-Based Conservation Initiative Pilot to promote land use compatibility by engaging private landowners in performance-based contracts. This study determined the factors that influenced pilot project outcomes and lessons learned when developing market-based strategies that integrate military interests. Data analysis identifies five key factors that are 1) military funding authority to establish agreements, 2) development of landowner trust and program credibility, 3) military understanding the purpose and associated risks of a pilot program, 4) military perception of rural landownership patterns, and 5) institutional mandates of the Navy.
Highlights
The United States military maintains combat readiness through intensive training on the ground, in the air, and at sea
Using an intrinsic case study design [27], we explored partnership documents as well as partner and key stakeholder perceptions to understand what key factors influenced the outcomes of the Market-Based Conservation Initiative (MBCI) pilot
The factors are presented in order based on their level of influence perceived by the study participants
Summary
The United States military maintains combat readiness through intensive training on the ground, in the air, and at sea. To achieve this purpose, the military relies on designated bases and training ranges. Incompatible land uses in areas adjacent to military-controlled training areas negatively affect military readiness by restricting the military’s ability to recreate realistic operational conditions [7]. Residential and commercial land use can be less compatible, as conversions of these lands to such uses often result in higher population densities, tall structures, or other factors that impede realistic military training in the area
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