DOD officials have identified eight encroachment issues of concern. These problems are expected to increase over time. Examples of How Encroachment Is Affecting Training Capabilities

We visited four installations and two major commands and found that each has lost some capability in terms of (1) the time training ranges were available or (2) the types of activities that could be conducted. Impact of Encroachment on Readiness and Training Costs Is Not Well Reflected in DOD’s Reported Data

Service readiness data do not indicate to what extent encroachment has significantly affected training readiness or costs, even though officials in congressional testimonies and other forums cited examples of encroachment at times preventing the services from training as they would like to. At the same time, fully assessing the impact may be difficult because the services lack information on (1) their training range requirements and (2) the training range assets available to support these requirements. However, the services have not documented the overall impact of encroachment on training costs. Recommendations for Executive Action

While the Congress considers the department’s legislative proposals, we recommend that the Secretary of Defense (1) require the services to develop and maintain inventories of their training ranges, capacities, and capabilities, and fully quantify their training requirements considering complementary approaches to training; (2) create a DOD data base that identifies all ranges available to the department and what they offer, regardless of service ownership, so that commanders can schedule the best available resources to provide required training; (3) finalize a comprehensive plan for administrative actions that includes goals, timelines, projected costs, and a clear assignment of responsibilities for managing and coordinating the department’s efforts to address encroachment issues on military training ranges; and (4) develop a reporting system for range sustainability issues that will allow for the elevation of critical training problems and progress in addressing them to the Senior Readiness Oversight Council for inclusion in Quarterly Readiness Reports to the Congress as appropriate. Appendix II: Membership of DOD Encroachment-Related Groups

Appendix III: DOD’s Draft Sustainable Ranges Action Plans for Addressing Encroachment Issues

Between June 2000 and November 2001, DOD drafted sustainable ranges action plans for addressing range sustainability issues associated with endangered species habitat on military installations, environmental legislation covering unexploded ordnance and munitions, competition for the radio frequency spectrum, protected marine resources, competition for airspace, air pollution, noise pollution, and urban growth around military installations.
What GAO Found

Senior Department of Defense (DOD) and military service officials have testified that they face increasing difficulties in carrying out realistic training at military installations. There are eight "encroachment" issues that affect or have the potential to affect military training and readiness. The eight encroachment issues are: endangered species habitat on military installations, unexploded ordnance and munitions constituents, competition for radio frequency spectrum, protected marine resources, competition for airspace, air pollution, noise pollution, and urban growth around military installations. Whenever possible, the services work around these issues by modifying the timing, tempo, and location of training, as well as the equipment used. However, these workarounds are becoming increasingly difficult and costly and they compromise the realism essential to effective training. Over time, the military services report they have increasingly lost training range capabilities because of encroachment. Each of the four installations and two major commands GAO visited reported having lost some capabilities in terms of the time training ranges were available or the types of training that could be conducted. Higher-than-average population growth around installations makes further encroachment losses likely. Despite the loss of some capabilities, service readiness data do not indicate the extent to which encroachment has significantly affected reported training readiness. Although encroachment workarounds may affect costs, the services have not documented the overall impact of encroachment on training costs. The services face difficulties in fully assessing the impact of training ranges on readiness because they have not fully defined their training range requirements and lack information on the training resources available to support those requirements. DOD officials recognize the need for a comprehensive plan of administrative actions and legislative proposals to address encroachment issues but have not yet finalized a plan for doing so.