As the third largest federal land manager in the United States (Keystone Center 1996a), the Department of Defense (DoD) mandates the conservation and wise management of the natural resources on military installations. To this end, DoD policy directs each Army installation to produce an Integrated Natural Resource Management Plan (INRMP), the purpose of which is to “ensure that natural resource conservation measures and Army activities on mission land are integrated and consistent with federal stewardship requirements” (Army Goals and Implementing Guidance for Natural Resource Planning Level Surveys and Integrated Natural Resource Management Plans, 21 March 1997). The basic goal of this INRMP is to support and sustain the operational military mission of WSMR while meeting natural resource management and conservation requirements. The plan takes an ecosystem management approach to the conservation and management of natural biological resources.
