Species that are federally listed  are entitled to certain protections under the Endangered Species Act. Fish and Wildlife Service has been using these management plans  in lieu of designating critical habitat on military lands. Despite Some Positive Examples, Cooperative Management for Endangered Species Affecting Military Training Ranges Is Limited

Notwithstanding some positive efforts to implement regional interagency  cooperative efforts, the extent to which DOD and other federal land  managers are managing cooperatively for endangered species affecting  military training ranges is limited. Recognizing the benefits of  cooperatively managing natural resources, the Departments of the Interior  and Agriculture have issued policies, and DOD has issued directives,  instructions, and an action plan to promote such efforts. In addition, these  departments have entered into memorandums of understanding that  contain specific actions to be taken to implement cooperative  management—such as forming interagency working groups, identifying  geographic regions for species management, and identifying reporting  requirements—but many of these actions were never fully implemented. According to a DOD official, this was in response to two legislative  proposals that could have reduced the scope and authority of the act. Such crises can include a  marked decline of a species’ population or land-use restrictions that may  impact the federal land managers’ ability to carry out their missions. Factors Limiting Cooperative Management for Endangered Species

The Departments of Defense, the Interior, and Agriculture have identified  a number of factors that can limit interagency cooperative management  for endangered species affecting military training ranges. Lack of a Shared Crisis among Federal Land Managers Hinders Cooperative Management

When there is not a shared crisis among federal land managers, such as  when a species does not exist on each other’s land or is not federally  listed, federal land managers do not always consider management of the  species a high priority. However, Congress currently has no such  mechanism available to monitor interagency efforts to cooperatively  manage endangered species on a regional basis. Given  that federal agencies have made little progress in implementing the various  agreements for cooperative management, an interagency reporting  requirement to Congress would provide the basis to hold the agencies  accountable for making progress on sharing the management for  endangered species affecting military training ranges. Recommendations for Executive Action

To encourage cooperative management for endangered species affecting  military training ranges, we recommend that the Secretaries of Defense,  the Interior, and Agriculture jointly (1) develop and implement an  interagency strategy that includes a systematic methodology to identify  opportunities for cooperative management efforts, funding sources,  science and technology sources, and goals and criteria to measure  success; (2) develop a comprehensive training program for federal land  managers, to include senior executives, regional, and on-site staff to  identify and implement opportunities for interagency cooperation; and  (3) create a centralized or easily accessible source of information on  cooperative management efforts that includes elements such as lessons  learned, best practices, and agency contacts for federal land managers. Matter for Congressional Consideration

To hold DOD and other federal land managers accountable for  implementing regional interagency cooperative efforts for managing  endangered species affecting military training ranges, Congress may wish  to consider requiring the Secretaries of Defense, the Interior, and  Agriculture to jointly report each year on their efforts to manage  cooperatively for endangered species affecting military training ranges and  share the burden of land use restrictions.
Why GAO Did This Study

Military lands provide habitat for more than 300 species that must be protected under the Endangered Species Act and many other species that may become endangered. In some cases, military installations provide some of the finest remaining habitat for these species. However, Department of Defense (DOD) officials stated that protection of endangered species may result in land-use restrictions that reduce the military's flexibility to use land for training. GAO was asked to examine the (1) extent to which DOD and other nearby federal land managers in the region are managing cooperatively for endangered species affecting military training ranges and (2) factors that can limit cooperative management for endangered species on military training ranges.

What GAO Found

DOD and other federal land managers have taken some steps to implement interagency cooperative efforts to manage endangered species on a regional basis, but the extent to which they are using this approach for military training ranges is limited. Federal land managers recognize that cooperative management of endangered species has several benefits, such as sharing land-use restrictions and resources and providing better protection for species in some cases. The Departments of the Interior and Agriculture have issued policies, and DOD has issued directives to promote cooperative management of natural resources. They have also outlined specific actions to be taken--such as identifying geographic regions for species management and forming working groups. However, follow-through on these actions has been limited, without many of the prescribed actions being implemented. A few cooperative management efforts have been taken but were generally in response to a crisis--such as a species' population declining. The Departments of Defense, the Interior, and Agriculture have identified a number of factors that can limit cooperative management for endangered species on military training ranges. When a species is found on training ranges but is not found on other federal land or is not protected under the Endangered Species Act, neighboring land managers do not always consider management of the species a high priority. Limited interaction among agencies and limited resources to employ cooperative programs also inhibit cooperative management. Lack of training and expertise has limited federal land managers' ability to identify such opportunities. Moreover, federal agencies cannot easily share information--such as best practices and land management plans--because there is no centralized source of such information. Given that federal agencies have made little progress in implementing the various agreements for cooperative management, an interagency reporting requirement would provide a basis to hold agencies accountable for sharing endangered species management on training ranges.