The Department of Defense’s (DOD) Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (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 resilience to climate change. 

The REPI Program consists of three integrated components: encroachment management projects (or REPI projects), landscape partnerships, and stakeholder engagements. Each component is complementary and works with other mission sustainability programs to provide problem solving and decision-support tools for installations and their neighboring communities.

The goal of the REPI Program is to protect the military’s ability to accomplish its training, testing, and operational missions by helping remove or avoid land-use conflicts near installations, addressing regulatory restrictions that inhibit military activities, and promoting installation resilience to climate change. REPI projects provide an important platform to encourage compatible land use, preserve natural habitats, and enhance installation resilience to climate vulnerabilities. Through the REPI Program, DOD funds and supports the Military Services’ cost-sharing agreements with state and local governments and private conservation organizations to acquire easements or other interests in land from willing sellers.

 

The REPI Program Protects the Nation’s Military Readiness, Improves Military Installation and Community Resilience to Climate Change

Under section 2684a of Title 10, United States Code, and other complementary authorities, the REPI program funds cost-sharing partnerships for the military with state and local governments and private conservation organizations.  These partnerships obtain easements or other interests in land from willing sellers, or promote natural resource management and military installation resilience to preserve critical areas, resources and natural infrastructure near our military installations.

Since Fiscal Year 2003, REPI encroachment management (hereinafter referred to as “REPI projects”) have protected nearly 830,000 acres of land in 118 locations in 35 states and territories. Overseen by the Office of the Secretary of Defense and implemented by the military Services, these projects help to preserve vital missions at key installations. Congress has raised REPI’s original funding from $12.5 million (FY 2005) to $105 million (FY 2021).  Thus far, for completed transactions, DoD’s over $1.18 billion investment in the program has attracted over $1.05 billion in partner contributions. With their ability to leverage other funding, REPI projects have proven to be cost-effective tools for promoting installation resilience and protecting mission capabilities that are at risk.