Overview

There are several hundred major U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) military installations across the nation, many of which are experiencing encroachment from incompatible residential and commercial development. Encroachment can threaten public safety because people located near military installations are potentially exposed to artillery fire, aircraft noise, dust, and even accidents.

Governors are concerned about encroachment because military installations may be forced to close if encroachment restricts training and operational missions. Military bases are often critical to state economies, generating thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in economic activity and tax revenue. In addition, these military installations often make significant contributions to state homeland security activities.

To prevent encroachment, many state and local governments are taking steps to protect the land around their military installations and the health of the economies that rely on them by encouraging compatible development through a combination of the following approaches and tools:

• General plans and zoning codes that encourage compatible development around military installations.
• State growth and development policies that discourage encroachment.
• State legislation specifically aimed at preventing encroachment.
• State and local capital expenditure policies that direct growth away from military installations.
• DoD financial and planning assistance.
• Conservation partnerships.