The US Department of Defense started the Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration Program to improve military readiness while protecting the environment. The REPI invests in many projects to meet its goals. Let’s see the REPI projects for the Marine Corps and how they work.
The Marine Corps safeguards its training capabilities, builds climate resilience, and reduces the land conflict around the installations. The projects are started not only for mission benefits or Marine Corps operations, but also to protect the marine ecosystem.
Marine is a sensitive ecosystem thanks to increasing urban development; however, the REPI projects prevent incompatible development and enhance the training activities. Many projects are going on at multiple places to improve the coastline and training capabilities of Marine Corps bases.
What are the REPI Buffer Projects for Marine Corps Bases?
The REPI program annually approves the project funding with the state & local governments, non-profit organizations, and others. Based on the current list of REPI annual Buffer Projects, here are the projects for Marine Corps Bases:
- Chocolate Mountain Aerial Gunnery Range, CA:
- Partnering with Friends of Desert Mountains, the REPI buffer project aims to protect desert habitats and the range across.
- The location supports Marine Corps training, such as air support missions, air-to-ground bombing, etc.
- MCAGCC Twentynine Palms, CA:
- Partnering with the National Park Service, Copper Mountain College, California Department of Parks and Recreation, and others, the project protects the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center and the land around the installations.
- The 29 Palms and Mojave desert habitat is protected under the project, such as habitat for the desert tortoise, etc.
- MCAS Beaufort, SC
- Partnering with Beaufort County, City ofBeaufort, and others, the project enhances the military readiness around the Beaufort base.
- MCAS, Cherry Point:
- With multiple partners, such as the US FWS, City of Havelock, and others, the project protects the MCAS Cherry Point, supporting landing practices, ground maneuver training, and other systems.
- MCAS, Yuma:
- Partnering with the Arizona Game and Fish Department, Yuma County, and others, the project supports the busiest air stations, protects them from the increased development, prevents changes in land use, and supports biodiversity.
- MCB Camp Pendleton:
- Partnering with multiple stakeholders, the project continues Camp Pendleton’s efforts to provide encroachment relief, preserve natural resources, and protect wildlife.
- MCB, Hawaii:
- Partnering with Hawaii state and others, the project aims to enhance partnerships with Native Hawaiian organizations, preserve natural habitats, enhance working lands, and improve military readiness.
- MCB Camp Lejeune:
- Partnering with the multiple stakeholders, the REPI project aims at floodplain buffering and restoration of longleaf pine near the MCA Camp.
- MCB Quantico:
- The project aims to concise the maneuver space and establish the first buffers through conservation easements.
How does the REPI Buffer Projects work?
The REPI Buffer Project’s main motive is to stop the incompatible land development, avoid land conflicts, and improve the training capabilities and mission operations around the Marine Corps and other defense installations. Let’s see how buffer projects work for the Marine Corps:
- The Marine Corps partners with local communities or local/state governments to enhance the base areas and share the goals to leverage funding from REPI.
- The DoD shared the cost with partners through a cost-sharing agreement under the REPI program, making the project cost-effective.
- The project estimates the project cost and purchases conservation easements on land from third parties to minimize urban development and protect civilians from it.
- The authority measures the project based on three factors such as climate resilience, noise solution, and habitat loss.
How do the REPI buffer projects benefit Marine Corps Bases?
The REPI projects create buffers around the military installations and bases. Let’s see how it benefits the Marine Corps:
- Uninterrupted training:
- The buffer projects offer relief from the interruption in training due to land near the base.
- The project makes sure that the training capabilities and grounds are improved, such as the flight path, ranges, etc.
- Urban encroachment:
- Urban development is the biggest threat to the training areas for the military services, and the same goes for the Marine Corps, as many coastlines are near civilian population areas.
- Mission Restriction:
- The conservation and creation of a buffer enables the military operation to be free from environmental restrictions.
- Environmental protection:
- The REPI buffer projects offer protection to natural habitat and resources, as the buffer created will support the system and protect the installation from extreme weather events.
What has REPI achieved for Marine Corps Base?
According to reports from the past years, here’s how much the buffer projects have supported the Marine Corps Base.”
- The REPI projects in California have received support got $149.6 million for partners and $30 million from the rain from FY-2026 to FY 2024:
- The Marine Corps gets the right to preserve and construct 115 acres of wetlands through the REPI buffer projects.
- The MCAS Yuma prevented incompatible development around the working lands and used the revenue for the improvement of the system.
- With the REPI, the military services and others, like landowners, federal agencies, and others, can now engage properly and work together to enhance military readiness.
The REPI buffer projects enhance the training area while protecting nature and spreading awareness about it, which is critical for the nation and military.
