Governor Bush Talks 'Green' With Department of Defense

GOVERNOR BUSH TALKS ‘GREEN' WITH DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

~Conference focuses on commitment to the nation's military, environmental protection~

Governor Jeb Bush today joined the nation's top military leaders in Tampa to reinforce Florida's commitment to environmental protection and national security at the Department of Defense's (DoD) 2005 Joint Services Environmental Management Conference. Thousands of representatives from local, state and federal agencies, together with military services and industry, convened at the four-day conference to discuss current trends and future solutions for natural resource protection
and enhancement.

"Florida has demonstrated a continued and bold commitment to the nation's defense mission, while at the same time protecting valuable natural resources," said Governor Bush. "Progressive partnerships between Florida and its military installations
are a model for sustaining the environment, increasing national security and strengthening our economy."

To strengthen national security and protect natural resources, Florida is preserving land around military installations through Florida Forever, the state's premier land acquisition program. To date, Florida has invested more than $700 million to preserve
483,000 acres around military bases. Florida plans to acquire an additional 662,000 acres to preserve wildlife habitat and reduce encroachment on military operations.

"The Department of Defense is proud to be holding this conference in a state with which we share a strong partnership in the environmental arena," said Michael W. Wynne, DoD Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics.
"Florida has been at the forefront of demonstrating the theme of this year's conference, ‘Sustaining the Mission and Our Environment,' with its resolute commitment to the environment and our nation's military."

Florida was the first state in the nation to partner with the Department of Defense for the dual purpose of environmental protection and national defense. Together with The Nature Conservancy, the State and military services are establishing the Northwest Florida Greenway, a vast expanse of conservation lands spanning six counties and following the flight path of military aircraft on training and testing exercises from the Gulf of Mexico to Eglin Air Force Base. The Panhandle is home to five U.S. Air Force and Navy installations and represents one of the largest open air military training areas in the United States.

Strategically important, the region is also a known biological "hot spot" ideal for preservation and recreation.

"Florida is a key partner in ensuring mission sustainability by helping sustain installation operations, and a leader in supporting our land, sea, air and space assets to help maintain the military readiness today and in the future through effective
management of our test and training ranges," said Wynne.

In addition to conserving land to buffer installations, military bases are pairing with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to achieve ecological protection and environmental compliance. Through compliance agreements, Florida's
environmental agency is providing bases with technical and regulatory assistance to use the latest innovations and prevent pollution at defense installations. With 21 military bases located across the state, military and defense-related industries are critical to Florida's economy. The state's third largest economic sector, the organizations generate more than $44 billion annually and employ hundreds of thousands of Floridians. Many members of the armed services stay in Florida when their tours of duty are over, contributing to Florida's highly skilled and educated workforce.

http://sun6.dms.state.fl.us/eog_new/eog/library/releases/2005/April/2005-04-12-green_dod.pdf