The REPI program aimed to integrate military readiness and environmental protection to improve training capabilities, along with protecting the environment. Apart from this, REPI also helps in improving rural livelihood. You can find everything about REPI efforts and work here.
The US DoD initiated the REPI a very long time ago, and it has become one of the major programs meeting the goals of the department. The program is positively affecting the rural areas and improving the economy through cost-sharing partnerships and other ways.
Most of the defense installations are far from city life and near rural areas, where most of them earn through farming or natural products. The military services protect and preserve the land around the installation to limit urban development and engage with local communities for long-term results.
How do the REPI partnerships sustain Rural Economies?
The REPI program preserved military missions through cost-sharing agreements between state or local governments, military services, federal agencies, non-profit organizations, and local community groups. Now, let’s see how the REPI partnerships support the rural economy in the US:
- Preserving Working Land:
- The REPI program focuses on projects that focus on military operations improvement and involve land preservation.
- The working land includes farms, ranches, and other land that is the income source for the rural people, and preserving working land helps them generate more income, ensuring they are financially stable.
- This way, the farmers and ranchers will preserve their lives that have been threatened over the years.
- Conserving natural resources and assets:
- The REPI projects protect, restore, and conserve the natural resources and assets, helping the wildlife as well as rural people who use the natural products for their income or livelihood.
- Many projects have encouraged the use of renewable resources and produce their electricity and water, following the saying ” give back to nature.”
- Mission Sustainability:
- The military missions and training have included environmental protection for the following sustainable practices that will help the rural economy.
- Investment:
- Partnership from multiple stakeholders bridges the funding gaps and attracts investment that helps the rural economy to grow and flourish.
- Job Creations:
- The preservation project’s funds include training programs for local workers and veterans or locals and help them get some work.
What are the REPI proposed initiatives for improving rural economies?
The REPI program provides funding for the eligible projects and has started some initiatives to support the rural economy, such as:
- Conservation Easement:
- The REPI program conservation easement was a legal agreement that limits the land use to protect the environment and military readiness, allowing landowners to retain ownership and continue economic activities.
- The agreement prevents urban encroachment and preserves military training spaces, and promotes climate resilience.
- Land Management:
- REPI provides tools for land management for projects funding the restoration of natural resources and managing the land use that will support the rural economies.
- Landscape-Scale Efforts
- The REPI program promotes landscape-level collaboration and partnerships between local community groups and other stakeholders to enhance the future possibilities and stabilize the economy through rural development.
- Sentinel Landscape Partnerships:
- The local government, federal agencies, and non-profit organizations come together and work with landowners to advance sustainable land practices and strengthen the rural economy.
How does promoting Rural economics help the military?
The US DoD focuses on the rural economy because it helps the defense in the following ways:
- Local Communities Support:
- The REPI program understands the need for the participation of local communities, which generally own the lands near the military installation.
- The local community will have trust in the military and help them in maintaining the buffer zones.
- Promoting compatible land use:
- For the betterment of military readiness, it’s necessary to prevent incompatible land use. The compatible land use limits the urban development near the area, ultimately helping the rural area.
- Climate Resilience:
- The DoD is focusing on climate resilience, seeing the climate change. The REPI program supports nature-based solutions, land restoration, flood control, and others that will help both military and civilians.
Real-world Example of REPI partnerships affecting rural livelihood
Here we have listed some examples of the REPI projects affecting rural livelihood:
- Camp Riley, Minnesota:
- The REPI buffer projects limited the urban encroachment and helped in forest management, protecting the natural resources.
- The project saved the timber-based economy of the area and, with conservation efforts, opened many job opportunities.
- Joint Base Dan Antonia:
- The project at Camp Bullis, Texas, protected the natural habitat, and landowners got the easement payments to maintain the farm, and supported the rural economy.
There are many projects passed every year under the REPI program that support many rural areas, strengthening military readiness, safeguarding the rural economy, as well as national security.
