The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) released the agency’s 2023 Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration Program (REPI) Resilience Project Funding Guide this week.
“The REPI Program is thrilled to release the first-ever Resilience Project Funding Guide,” REPI Program Director Kristin Thomasgard said. “Our office designed this guide to serve as a valuable resource for installations and on-the-ground partners to learn how to leverage funding from over 25 federal and non-federal resilience and conservation programs that can support existing or new REPI installation resilience projects.”
Installations and partners can leverage the guide to review funding opportunities for developing nature-based solutions near installations and ranges as a means of preserving military missions; enhancing habitats; and ensuring military readiness, officials noted.
The REPI Program supports cost-sharing agreements between the Military Services, other federal agencies, state and local governments, and private conservation organizations. The goal is to avoid land use conflicts near military installations; address environmental restrictions limiting military activities; and increasing climate change resilience.
On the letter, climate change impacts have evolved into a significant encroachment threat for DoD, officials said. The military’s access to its land, air, and sea-based training facilities is increasingly at risk due to climate-related issues. Failing to adapt to the conditions will limit DoD’s ability to respond effectively to domestic and foreign crises.
Thus, at the DoD’s request, Congress expanded REPI’s primary legal authority to include climate change adaptation as a core focus of the REPI program.