scope:

INTRODUCTION

1. This document has been developed as a best practices handbook for commanders and military training area managers. Its purpose is to present best practices for sustaining military training areas that maximize their capability, accessibility and availability in support of military training in the presence of environmental regulations.

2. For decades there has been growing international consensus for the importance of Environmental Protection (EP) and biodiversity, i.e. the variety of flora and fauna species along with their genetic variation and the complex ecosystems of which they are a part. Locally, biodiversity contributes to the distinctive character of an area and enriches quality of life.

3. NATO nations have been among the world leaders in advancing the state of EP science and practice. Indeed, military and other governmental agencies are frequently among the first institutions to adopt national EP measures. As environmental quality, including biodiversity and air, water and soil quality, declines worldwide, the flexibility of national and supranational EP policy to allow potentially harmful activities will decline. This may impact the availability, accessibility and capability of national military training areas over time. National training is the first step in NATO force generation, thus underlining the importance of having adequate national training possibilities available with minimal restrictions on its use.

4. There are varying views on what effects military training has on the environment, but it has been shown that military training areas often exhibit greater ecological value than surrounding areas. In many nations a higher percentage of military lands versus non-military lands are designated as protected areas. For this reason, efforts have been initiated to increase awareness of the positive relationship between military land use and biodiversity.

5. To help sustain this relationship and ensure that military training can continue as necessary, the use of applicable best practices should be documented.

6. The purpose of this document is to present best practices:

a. To safeguard the natural environment, primarily within¹ the training area, while maximizing its use as a training resource;

b. To balance military training and environmental considerations;

c. To increase awareness of a positive relationship between military training and environmental considerations; and

¹ Areas outside training areas can be affected by military training, but the aim of this document is to provide best practices that occur within the training area