The Invading Sea (Boca Raton, FL) featured Northwest Florida Sentinel Landscape’s Coordinator, Kent Wimmer, and his mission-support work across the nine Department of War installations within the sentinel landscape. The sentinel landscape protects land surrounding the installations to support uninterrupted weapons testing, special operations, cyber warfare, and pilot training across multiple military branches. The landscape also participates in Florida Forever, the state conservation program, to preserve a 100-mile stretch of connected land with vital wildlife and critical low‑level flight corridors and buffer zones for military missions.

Spectrum News (Orlando, FL) reported the Avon Park Sentinel Landscape successfully hosted the Highlands County Landowners Exposition. In partnership with Conservation Florida, this event has provided technical and financial resources to Polk County landowners for the past five years. This year’s event was highly successful, bringing together more than 15 organizations and registering 135 landowners.

The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (Richmond, VA) reported the Lake Caledon property was recently acquired through the Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Program. The 455-acre acquisition increased the total acres protected to 3,034. The project will provide the dual benefit of supporting Naval Support Facility Dahlgren’s military mission and expanding Caledon State Park offerings along the scenic Potomac River.

 

Kauaʻi’ Now (Kauaʻi’, Hawaiʻi) reported a new conservation initiative is underway on Kauaʻi’s west side to address frequent vehicle collisions involving the endangered Hawaiian goose, the nēnē bird. The project received funding through the Department of War’s Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Program alongside partners, the state Division of Forestry and Wildlife and the Pacific Missile Range Facility. The project’s first phase will focus on field research, including monitoring vehicle traffic, mapping nēnē crossing points, and placing GPS trackers on adult birds. The project will help ensure the Pacific Missile Range Facility can continue uninterrupted training and military mission operations.

Florida Politics (St. Petersburg, Florida) reported the Department of War’s Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Program, and the Army Compatible Use Buffer program have been instrumental in securing properties for conservation, helping preserve roughly 9,500 acres near the installation over the past decade. In exchange, the North Florida Land Trust (NFLT) provides 25% matching funds for the land acquisitions. The Florida Defense Support Commission is now awarding a substantial grant to the NFLT to prevent development near Camp Blanding. As a key link in the O2O corridor, Camp Blanding depends on surrounding land conservation to support military readiness while protecting vital wildlife and plant habitats. This ongoing collaboration has already safeguarded thousands of acres with more expected to follow.

The Virginia Institute of Marine Science (Gloucester Point, VA) reported the Department of War’s Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Program’s $4.5 million project is supporting two major efforts: restoring Penniman Spit and constructing intertidal and subtidal oyster reefs around the R3 Pier. The top priority is protecting the R3 Pier, a vital supply line for the Navy’s Atlantic Fleet. Preventing erosion along the pier will sustain military readiness while also enhancing broader environmental efforts like the Chesapeake Bay oyster restoration.

The Bay Journal (Chesapeake, VA) reported that since 2017, the Department of Defense’s REPI Program has invested more than $20 million to conserve nearly 6,000 acres of farmland and forests on Virginia’s Northern Neck. These efforts directly support military readiness by reducing land‑use conflicts near installations and preserving critical flight paths for Naval Air Station Patuxent River. The Chesapeake region also encompasses three sentinel landscapes that protect land around key military assets along the Potomac, Rappahannock, and Tidewater areas. Together, these programs strengthen installation resilience, safeguard long‑term training access, and preserve critical species habitat and shoreline essential to sustaining defense operations.

WUSF National Public Radio (Tampa Bay, FL) reported that Eagle Haven Ranch, 2,300 acres of land in Polk County, Florida, has been permanently protected through a $9 million conservation easement. The easement was secured through a strategic partnership between the Department of Defense’s REPI Program and Conservation Florida. Eagle Haven Ranch provides habitat for nearly 200 species, including bald eagles, alligators, and the endangered Florida scrub‑jay, and encompasses more than 4 miles of Lake Kissimmee shoreline. Situated within the Avon Park Sentinel Landscape, the protection of Eagle Haven Ranch directly enhances the resilience of nearby military training operations by preventing incompatible development and sustaining long‑term access to critical training environments. At the same time, the project preserves habitat for endangered species such as the Florida panther. Lt. Col. (Ret.) Buck MacLaughlin emphasized the dual benefit: “Protecting Eagle Haven Ranch ranks among the best…we’re celebrating a tremendous win for both national defense and Florida’s wild places. Eagle Haven Ranch is a part of our Sentinel Landscape, helping to ensure our military can train with excellence and our endangered panthers can roam free.”

 

Florida Politics (St. Petersburg, FL) reported the preservation of 79 acres in Bradford County, Florida, an area rich in wetlands and cypress swamps located just west of Camp Blanding Joint Training Center.  The acquisition was made possible through funding from the Department of Defense’s REPI Program and the U.S. Army’s Compatible Use Buffer Program.  This effort strengthens installation readiness by preventing incompatible development, protecting water resources, and sustaining long‑term training access for Camp Blanding.

 

The Recorder (Ponte Vedra, FL) reported the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) finalized a 12,243‑acre acquisition to create Sandy Creek State Forest, Florida’s newest addition to the state forest system.  Sandy Creek State Forest will offer public hiking, wildlife viewing, and outdoor education.  Managed by the Florida Forest Service, the property supports conservation and recreation while reinforcing the Northwest Florida Sentinel Landscape and Florida Wildlife Corridor.  This acquisition enhances resilience for nearby defense infrastructure by maintaining compatible land use and safeguarding training environments.

 

The Monmouth Journal (Red Bank, NJ) reported the successful preservation of the 84‑acre Spinella Family Farm in Colts Neck Township.  The effort was led by Monmouth Conservation Foundation in partnership with the Department of Defense’s REPI Program, Monmouth County, and local officials.  The preservation ensures the land remains an agricultural and natural resource while protecting Naval Weapons Station Earle from encroachment.  This investment directly supports mission assurance by maintaining secure buffers around a critical military installation.

 

Conservation Florida (Orlando, FL) announced the permanent protection of AP Ranch, a 1,000‑acre property within the Florida Wildlife Corridor.  The ranch, located in the Avon Park Air Force Range Sentinel Landscape, was conserved through support from the Department of Defense’s REPI Program and USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service.  AP Ranch safeguards military readiness by preventing incompatible development and preserving a vital wildlife corridor that also serves as a protective buffer for training activities.  The property provides critical habitat for the endangered Florida Panther, of which only 120–130 remain in the wild, while ensuring long‑term operational viability for Avon Park Air Force Range.

The Port Townsend Leader (Port Townsend, WA) reported that the Northwest Watershed Institute (NWI) acquired 81 additional acres of forest and wetlands adjacent to the Tarboo Wildlife Preserve, expanding the protected area to more than 500 acres.  The parcel’s forested slopes and tributary streams improve water quality and provide habitat for at‑risk species, including salmon, trout, and the western brook lamprey.  Funding of approximately $1.295 million was provided by Federal, tribal, county, and private sources, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Program and the Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Program.  This strategic investment directly supports defense readiness by safeguarding watershed health near key Pacific Northwest defense infrastructure, ensuring installation resilience.

 

WUSF National Public Radio (Tampa, FL) reported that Conservation Florida, in partnership with the Department of Defense and USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, secured a $4 million conservation easement to protect 1,003 acres of AP Ranch in Highlands County, Florida.  Located within the Avon Park Air Force Range Sentinel Landscape, the property provides critical habitat for the endangered Florida Panther while sustaining ongoing ranch operations.  The easement permanently prohibits development, preserving a vital wildlife corridor that also serves as a protective buffer for military training activities.  This effort demonstrates how REPI investments directly align conservation with mission assurance, ensuring long‑term operational viability and readiness for Avon Park Air Force Range.

The Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (Atlanta, GA) reported that the Department of Defense’s Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Program, Marine Corps Base Hawai‘i, and the U.S. Army secured $11 million to advance ongoing efforts to protect the Maunawili watershed and restore native species habitat.  This project strengthens both conservation and military objectives by preventing urban encroachment, protecting watershed health, and sustaining long‑term training access for the Services.  Preserving the native forest creates a natural buffer against storm surges and flooding, supports groundwater recharge, and enhances installation resilience to ensure mission readiness.

The Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (Atlanta, Georgia) announced the designation of the Guam Sentinel Landscape. This marks the partnership’s 19th designation, designed to enhance military readiness and mutually beneficial land-use goals. In this landscape, partners will work to safeguard the military’s Indo-Pacific priorities while protecting the island’s endangered species, mitigating wildfires, and conserving critical water resources.

 

The Desert Sun (Palm Springs, CA) reported the Mojave Desert Land Trust received $577,000 to acquire an 80-acre property south of Yucca Valley. The grant will permanently protect the western Joshua tree and desert tortoise habitats near the Mojave Desert Sentinel Landscape. The sentinel landscape, which spans 3.5 million acres, also includes multiple military bases and over 40 protected species that will benefit from this funding.

 

The Office of Governor Glen Youngkin (Richmond, VA) announced the Middle Chesapeake Sentinel Landscape and REPI Program Penniman Spit Living Shoreline Project as 2025 Governor’s Environmental Excellence Awards recipients. Through these projects, partners pioneered efforts to restore the Chesapeake Bay watershed and protect the land surrounding Naval Weapons Station Yorktown. Working to create living shorelines and implementing agricultural best practices on Federal lands were key to reducing erosion along three miles of shoreline, protecting military training areas, and stabilizing Federal Superfund sites.

The United States Senate (Washington, D.C.) announced the bipartisan, bicameral Incentivizing REPI Sales Act of 2025. This proposed legislation encourages landowners to participate in the Department of Defense’s REPI Program by offering a tax incentive for selling land to the military for training, installations resilience, and other important purposes. Preventing land use conflicts ensures the military can conduct critical training to maintain operational readiness.

 

 

Clay Today (Fleming Island, FL) reported that the North Florida Land Trust acquired 1,109 acres west of the Camp Blanding Training Center. This acquisition is partly funded through the Department of Defense's REPI Program and the Army Compatible Use Buffer program. These initiatives focus on preserving land around Camp Blanding to maintain compatibility with aerial and ground military training activities.