Land and Water Conservation Fund and matching Department of Defense funds will support recreation and conservation 

December 22, 2024 – WASHINGTON – The Departments of the Interior and Defense on Friday announced a $15 million investment to support conservation and recreation access around military bases through the Readiness and Recreation Initiative. Funding comes from the Land and Water Conservation Fund and the Department of Defense (DOD)’s Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Program and will support community conservation projects in Florida, Indiana, Minnesota, North Carolina and Virginia.  

The DOD REPI Program preserves military missions by supporting cost-sharing agreements between the Military Services, other federal agencies, state and local governments, and private conservation organizations to avoid land use conflicts near military installations, address environmental restrictions that limit military activities, and increase military installation resilience. 

"The Interior Department is committed to preserving our outdoor spaces and enhancing equitable access wherever we can," said Department of the Interior Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks Shannon Estenoz. "In partnership with the Department of Defense, this investment will increase recreational opportunities around military bases, help sustain native wildlife habitats and build climate resilience, helping to support the health and well-being of local communities across the country." 

"The Department is committed to the health and well-being of our Service Members and the defense communities they live in," said Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installation and Environment Brenden Owens.  "By partnering with the National Park Service through the Readiness & Recreation Initiative, we honor this commitment by funding the protection of new parks and the development of public outdoor recreation infrastructure that our military families can enjoy for generations to come." 

This investment improves access to outdoor recreation for millions of Americans living by military bases. 

2024 Readiness and Recreation Initiative Project Locations: 

State	Park Name	Project Sponsor	Installation	Proposed Funding
FL	Sherman Creek Park	City of Jacksonville	Naval Station Mayport	$660,000
IN	Westgate Park	West Gate Authority	Naval Support Activity Crane	$2,324,000
MN	Mississippi River Overlook Park	City of Baxter	Camp Ripley Military Training Center	$2,500,000
NC	Weymouth Woods State Natural Area	NC Division of Parks & Recreation	Fort Liberty	$1,700,000
VA	Robinson-Baker's Creek	Middle Peninsula Planning District Commission	Naval Weapons Station Yorktown	$276,000

To learn more about the Readiness and Recreation Initiative, visit the REPI webpage.

Source & photo: DOI