Military Communities Resource Hub
Connecting Counties and Military Installations
502 counties host U.S. military installations, representing more than 15 percent of America’s counties nationwide. In partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Program, NACo supports communication and information sharing between county governments and neighboring military installations. NACo is creating a Military Communities Resource Hub to share timely and relevant DOD updates and opportunities for county leaders to connect with each other and DOD representatives. This hub will primarily serve county officials who have an interest or role in coordinating with their local military installation personnel on administrative, environmental, public safety, economic development or other matters.
Featured Partner Resources
The Department of Defense (DOD) relies on secure access to realistic live-fire training, weapons system testing and essential operational environments to build a lethal, resilient combat force. However, incompatible land-use changes near installations, including commercial and residential development, continue to erode training capacity. To address these threats, Congress created the Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Program in 2002 under the Fiscal Year (FY) 2003 National Defense Authorization Act. The REPI Program provides the Military Services with tools to protect irreplaceable training areas and mission-critical assets. Through cost-sharing agreements between the Military Services, other Federal agencies, state and local governments, and private organizations, the REPI Program preserves military missions by avoiding land-use conflicts near military installations, addressing environmental restrictions that limit military activities and increasing military installation resilience.
Produced by the Department of Defense REPI Program, these state-level fact sheets highlight how REPI investments are supporting military readiness, local economies and environmental resilience. Each report details the locations, funding levels, partners and outcomes of REPI projects within individual states, offering counties a snapshot of defense-community collaboration in their region.
The Sentinel Landscapes Partnership is a coalition of federal agencies, state and local governments, and private organizations that work with willing landowners and land managers to advance sustainable land use practices around military installations and ranges. Founded in 2013 and codified in statute through the Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (10 U.S.C §2693), the partnership aligns the objectives of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Department of Defense, and Department of the Interior to strengthen military readiness, conserve natural resources, bolster agricultural and forestry economies, increase public access to outdoor recreation, and enhance landscape resilience.
Counties with Military Installations
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Building Resilience and Preserving Missions Through the DoD REPI Program
Join NACo and the Department of Defense’s Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Program for an interactive and educational discussion on disaster resilience and climate change. Counties and military installations alike face growing threats from severe flooding, catastrophic wildfires, drought, and other extreme weather events. Come learn more about how the REPI program can advance resilience and climate action goals and protect critical missions through off-base natural infrastructure solutions.
Supporting National Defense and Strengthening Local Communities: County and Military Partnerships through the REPI Program
The Department of Defense’s (DoD) Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) program facilitates cost-sharing partnerships between the Military Departments, local governments, other federal agencies, and private conservation organizations to help relieve or avoid land use conflicts near military installations.
Join us for this educational webinar to learn more about the REPI program and county-military planning partnerships to maintain military readiness, while preserving open space and working lands, protecting natural resources, and building resilient economies and communities.
Leveraging the Farm Bill to Promote Compatible Land Use Near Military Installations
This webinar will explore how programs within the 2018 Farm Bill can be used to promote compatible land use and development near military bases as communities grow, while ensuring continued economic stability and the preservation and use of recreational and working lands. Speakers will help educate county officials and DoD staff on the importance of compatible land use near military installations and some of the various programs in the 2018 Farm Bill that can help preserve local landscapes, benefitting local communities while also supporting DoD’s mission.
Related Topics
Related NACo Committee and Programs
Counties Celebrate Key Permitting Inclusions in SPEED Act
NACo issued the following statement in response to the passage of the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development (SPEED) Act (H.R. 4776), which advanced out of the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources on November 20.
House Natural Resources Committee advances Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development (SPEED) Act
On November 20, the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources advanced the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development (SPEED) Act (H.R. 4776), which would make important changes to streamline federal permitting and strengthen county involvement in decision-making by amending the National Environmental Policy Act. Counties support commonsense permitting reforms, and NACo secured provisions in the SPEED Act that would guarantee counties a seat at the table during federal environmental reviews.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency releases new definition of the “waters of the United States”
On November 17, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released a proposed rule defining what constitute the “waters of the United States” and are subject to federal regulation under the Clean Water Act. The new definition is narrower than previous rules and codifies the decision of U.S. Supreme Court in the 2023 case Sackett v. EPA.
County Countdown – Nov. 17, 2025
Every other week, NACo's County Countdown reviews top federal policy advocacy items with an eye towards counties and the intergovernmental partnership.
Restoration efforts turn former Texas oil field into flood buffer and wildlife sanctuary
Harris County, Texas helped purchase the land to restore a former oilfield, creating a buffer for flooding.
Counties Mark Five Years of Operation Green Light for Veterans
County buildings and landmarks light up in green November 4-11, showing support and highlighting resources available for veterans and their families
FAA-NACo Airport Land Use Compatibility
Wednesday, December 10, 2025 | 3:00 p.m. - 4:300 p.m. ET
Counties play a crucial role in our nation’s aviation system, owning and operating hundreds of airports across the country. And even in places where the county may not own the airport, county planning departments and development organizations work to maximize the value of this asset to the community’s economic and overall wellbeing. Join NACo and staff from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Office of Airports Planning and Programming to learn more about the FAA’s “Advisory Circular on Airport Land Use Compatibility Planning,” which will enable counties work smarter to integrate airports into broader planning efforts for land use, economic development and more. FAA staff will also be available to answer questions from county leaders about planning needs in their community and how the Advisory Circular can guide those efforts.
Speakers:
- Jacqueline Essick, Associate Director, Jacobsen|Daniels
- Amber McNair, Founder & Principal Investigator, AV McNair, LLC
- Michael (Mike) Hines, Manager of Airports Planning and Environmental Division, FAA
- Jean Wolfers-Lawrence, Manager of Environmental Planning Branch, FAA
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