The Sentinel Landscapes Partnership announced the designation of three new sentinel landscapes — the Camp Bullis Sentinel Landscape in Texas, Southern Indiana Sentinel Landscape and Northwest Florida Sentinel Landscape — in a Feb. 15 news release.
The Sentinel Landscapes Partnership consists of the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Defense and Interior. As defined by the Sentinel Landscapes Partnership, a sentinel landscape is an area in which the natural land is suited to protect from land use that would hamper the military's ability to conduct training and testing.
Besides helping the Department of Defense maintain military readiness, these landscapes address concerns surrounding natural resources and contribute to the America the Beautiful initiative.
“These new sentinel landscapes are a testament to the power of collaboration and partnership," said USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service Chief Terry Cosby. "By using USDA's conservation programs to protect and enhance farmland, rangeland, forestland and grasslands around military installations, we can invest in critical water resources and wildlife habitats on working lands and support climate-smart agriculture, while also advancing military training and testing opportunities.”
America the Beautiful is a recent initiative by the Department of Interior that aims to combat climate change by protecting lands and waters across the nation.
