Military Readiness and Environmental Protection through Cost-effective Land Conservation

Abstract

Harboring a high density of threatened and endangered species on its bases leaves the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) with a critical responsibility: establishing sound environmental policies while also continuing training and ensuring military readiness. This dual objective is the goal of the Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration program, a large conservation fund for military installations that is mandated to be cost-effective. Analyzing a unique DoD data set, we show that use of optimization models generates a 21% increase in military readiness and environmental protection or achieves the same benefits as benefit targeting at a cost saving of 37%. (JEL Q57, Q58)