The award-winning Natural Resources Conservation team at Fort Walker, near the environmentally sensitive Chesapeake Bay, uses systematic planning, partnerships at multiple levels and innovative strategies to protect and preserve the environment at the installation and in the region.
Since 2022, the team has been recognized by the Department of Defense Chesapeake Bay program, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality for exemplary work in protecting multiple endangered species and for environmental protection and preservation.
“We work hard to manage all natural resources housed on the installation, and successfully execute a variety of projects for the betterment of ecologically diverse species and habitats while effectively bolstering the military training mission,” said Andrew Satterwhite, Fort Walker’s natural resources coordinator.
The team efficiently manages four Endangered Species Act listed species residing on the installation - swamp pink (Helonias bullata), small whorled pogonia (Isotria medeoloides), northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis) and Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis). The Natural Resources team regularly surveys and monitors annual population demographics and the habitats of the two plant species. The 25 colonies of small whorled pogonia are managed primarily through partnering on federal propagation and light level manipulation research.
One notably challenging project is the management of aquatic habitat of 58 colonies of swamp pink, adding the efforts require both construction of water management systems above and below stream of the endangered plants, as well as the removal of beavers, whose dams pose a threat to the plants.
The Fort Walker environmental team oversees approximately 65,000 forested acres, 6,300 wetland acres and 5,550 open area acres, and uses effective land management techniques to support the military mission and create habitat. The team’s comprehensive efforts include timber harvests, forest thinning, prescribed burning, other forest stand improvements, delayed mowing of open areas to benefit ground nesting birds and pollinators, planting high value wildlife forage for year-round benefit, fisheries surveys, use of submerged fish structures, invasive species control, nuisance beaver removal, bat surveys, migratory bird surveys, bald eagle net monitoring, and environmental reviews of proposed installation activities.
The team uses a sustainable environmental management system to avoid conflict between planned military uses of the land and impacts that might have on protected species.
For example, bat survey results are used to identify areas where military smoke and obscurants can be used without negatively impacting either species of the federally listed bats that are on the installation. There are also listed plant sites that are marked as ‘no digging’ and ‘no bivouacking’ and bald eagle nesting areas are also annotated on aviation maps to decrease the risk of bird-aircraft collisions.
Mr. Gef Fisher, Fort Walker’s Environmental and Natural Resources Division chief said “FWVA’s Environmental and Natural Resources Division was awarded Extraordinary Environmental Enterprise (E4) status under Virginia’s Environmental Excellence Program for the full implementation of the environmental management system. This is an award verified by an independent third party that commends our team for the commitment to continuous and sustainable environmental progress and community involvement.”
The successful implementation and growth of the installation’s Army Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration program has protected more than 13,500 acres of undeveloped lands surrounding the installations and within the Chesapeake Bay watershed since the program’s inception 15 years ago.
“The Army REPI success is beneficial on multiple levels within the region,” Fisher said. “While the primary purpose is to preclude incompatible residential development from encroaching upon our military operational readiness, there are a host of other benefits including contributing to regional land protection goals and migratory bird habitat protection within the Lower Rappahannock River Important Bird Area.”
“The REPI program also helps provide habitat protection for the small whorled pogonia and swamp pink and also preserves the views in three historic districts as well as the John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail,” he said. “We are also able to protect more than 3,000 acres of wetlands and 30 miles of streams and rivers, along with protecting of bald eagle nesting sites.”
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