For this week’s 25 Weeks of Memories for 25 Years of Conservation post we want to highlight and recognize a premier partner of NFLT— the Camp Blanding Joint Training Center.
Camp Blanding is the primary military reservation and training base for the Florida National Guard and plays a crucial role in preparing service members for a variety of operational scenarios. The installation not only supports military training but also provides resources to enhance joint, interagency, intergovernmental, and multinational training in support of our country, state, and local communities, making it a key stakeholder in the region. Camp Blanding is located in Clay County and is neighbor to two of NFLT’s priority properties, Little Rain Lake Preserve and Smith Lake Preserve. It is also a crucial partner in our work to protect land in the O2O Wildlife Corridor. There are so many examples we can list as to how Camp Blanding has been such a critical and supportive partner to our work but first let us take a step back and talk about how this partnership came to be.
Did you know that military installations manage some of the most well-preserved wildlife habitats in the country? Each military installation needs a buffer zone to limit the effects of encroachment and to protect training areas, as well as to preserve natural resources and keep surrounding communities safe. The Army Compatible Use Buffer Program (ACUB) is a strategic initiative designed to ensure that military installations can coexist harmoniously with surrounding communities while fulfilling their mission requirements. The program seeks to reduce land use conflicts while also supporting conservation measures and preserving working lands and forests. The program manages the impacts of military training activities on surrounding communities including addressing noise, environmental concerns, and land use changes that may arise due to military operations.
From the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs ~
The ACUB program is designed to minimize development that is incompatible with military training activities by utilizing permanent conservation easements, fee-sales, or other interests in land from willing landowners. In the case of conservation easements or similar agreements, the landowner retains ownership and rights to use the land for the purposes specified in the agreement.
Establishing buffer areas around a military installation limits the effects of encroachment on military training and maximizes the amount of available training land inside the installation boundary that can be used to support the installation’s mission. These buffer areas also contribute benefits to local recreational, agricultural, forest management, and greenspace uses. There are multiple secondary natural resource and habitat-based benefits to the program. ACUB is a voluntary program; landowners in the approved project area can decide whether they want to participate.
Camp Blanding serves as an excellent case study for the ACUB program. Environmental stewardship is a critical aspect of the ACUB program and Camp Blanding encompasses diverse ecosystems and habitats that are vital to Florida’s wildlife. The ACUB encourages sustainable practices within the installation, promoting conservation efforts that benefit both the military and local communities. Initiatives include habitat restoration projects, wildlife management programs, and efforts to ensure water quality and conservation. By prioritizing environmental sustainability, Camp Blanding not only fulfills its military mission but also enhances the quality of life for nearby residents.
NFLT works closely with Camp Blanding in supporting the ACUB Program by promoting land conservation initiatives that align with both environmental stewardship and military readiness. A core component of NFLT’s mission is to protect critical habitats and preserve the region’s ecological integrity. Through ACUB, NFLT works to acquire and conserve land adjacent to Camp Blanding, creating buffers that mitigate the impact of military operations on local communities. These buffers serve several purposes: they reduce encroachment from urban development, preserve wildlife habitats, and help maintain the natural landscape essential for military training exercises. By collaborating on conservation easements and land acquisitions, NFLT ensures that areas surrounding Camp Blanding remain free from incompatible development, thereby supporting both military operations and local ecology.
You may recall that NFLT recently acquired two properties in Clay County, both within the O2O and both within the military use buffer zone for Camp Blanding. Through NFLT’s partnership with Camp Blanding and the ACUB program, NFLT received funding to support both acquisitions. These most recent acquisitions are just two of many examples of NFLT’s and Camp Blanding’s partnership. Some other properties conserved through the ACUB program in partnership with Camp Blanding include Little Rain Lake Preserve, the Bear Bay conservation easement, and the home of our stewardship team and flagship property, Smith Lake Preserve.
NFLT’s relationship with Camp Blanding and the ACUB Program is a prime example of how military readiness and environmental conservation can coexist and, even more so, how they can ensure the other’s success. Through collaborative efforts to establish and maintain protective buffers, conservation not only enhances the operational capabilities of Camp Blanding but also safeguards the natural resources that are vital to the region, benefiting the military, the resident wildlife, and the local community now, and long into the future.
