AACOG Sentinel Landscape Camp Bullis Information Paper 12/01/2020 What is a Sentinel Landscape? Sentinel Landscapes are United States Department of Defense (DOD), Department of Agriculture (USDA), and Department of the Interior (DOI) defined areas to preserve natural and working character of land around military bases. The Sentinel Landscape Partnership is a coalition of federal agencies, state and local governments, and non-governmental organizations that works with private landowners to advance sustainable land management practices around military installations and ranges. Founded in 2013 by USDA, DOD and DOI, the partnership connects private landowners with voluntary assistance programs. Sentinel Landscapes is a component of DOD’s Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration Program, and weaves together grant funding from DOD, USDA and DOI to achieve the goals and objectives identified by each designated Sentinel Landscape’s local and regional working groups. Leadership from the three founding agencies coordinate the partnership at the national level through the Federal Coordinating Committee (FCC). There are seven designated Sentinel Landscapes throughout the United States. https://sentinellandscapes.org/ Why is Sentinel Landscape important for Camp Bullis? Camp Bullis is a vital component of Joint Base San Antonio, which contributed $41B to the Texas economy in 2019. Camp Bullis provides state-of-the-art training facilities, to include firing ranges, simulation facilities, maneuver lands, tactical airstrip, and other training enablers and services that fully support the training requirements of JBSA’s 266 mission partners. It provides live-fire ranges and nighttime training essential for validating every military combat medic in DOD. It also is extensively utilized by Army and Air Force special forces which rely on its rugged Hill Country terrain for key training. A Sentinel Landscape designation around Camp Bullis would sustain the military mission by promoting compatible land use around this vital JBSA training area. As a federal facility, Camp Bullis is steward of its natural resources and adheres to various laws, regulations, and policies that govern natural resource management. Camp Bullis is situated on the Edwards Plateau – and central to a convergence of natural resources such as the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone and critical habitats for wildlife species. How will Sentinel Landscape benefit Camp Bullis? Sentinel Landscape designation for Camp Bullis will: • Lead to improved recognition at local, state and national level and facilitates grant applications; • Improve communication and coordination (collaboration) between partner organizations and local communities • Lead to more effective and collaborative use of public funding (allows use of grants for matching funds); leverages existing conservation and protection programs; • Lead to greater voluntary landowner participation; deepens engagement with willing landowners; and, • Encourages partners to develop new technical and financial assistance options