Number: 2000-06
WHEREAS, the Department of Defense (DoD) is charged with the management of approximately 25 million acres of public trust lands on military installations, which contain valuable natural resources, important habitats for fish and wildlife, and excellent recreational opportunities; and
WHEREAS, management of fish, wildlife and other natural resources on these military installations is governed by the Sikes Act (16 U.S.C. 670a, as amended), which requires DoD to develop, implement, accomplish, and adequately fund integrated natural resource management plans; and
WHEREAS, effective balancing of the often-conflicting requirements of military readiness and conservation of natural resources demands capabilities that can best be provided by a cadre of dedicated public servants that understand both the military mission and natural resource management, and who are skilled at integrating the demands of both to satisfy the public trust; and
WHEREAS, in numerous instances DoD has contracted out natural resource management on military lands and reduced the current number of professional natural resource management positions on military installations; and
WHEREAS, this reduction in the number of professional resource managers and the overall level of expertise available “in-house” serves to limit the flexibility of DoD to react to wildlife issues and is eroding DoD wildlife management programs; and
WHEREAS, the National Wildlife Federation has supported the Sikes Act and actively supported management of these public trust lands for sound and long-term sustainable use of the natural resource base;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation in its Annual Meeting assembled March 16-18, 2000, in Seattle, Washington, recognizes that management of natural resources on military lands is a government function that must be carried out by qualified, professionally-trained individuals within DoD; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation recognizes and supports that the intent of Congress in the Sikes Act was to maintain an effective program for managing natural resources on military installations by keeping professional DoD personnel with appropriate training and expertise in resource management; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation calls upon the Secretaries of Defense and the various branches of the military services to terminate current efforts to reduce professional natural resource positions in military institutions; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation supports the development, implementation, accomplishment and adequate funding of integrated natural resource management plans on all military bases; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation supports, in the event it is demonstrated not to be practicable, using available resources to carry out natural resource activities by DoD personnel, and that priority be given to state and federal resource agencies when contracting out natural resource activities on military installations, as required by the Sikes Act, as amended.