Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan – US Army Garrison Fort Devens

Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan – US Army Garrison Fort Devens

Bluestone developed an Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan (INRMP) for use as a programmatic management tool at the FBI Quantico Complex. The NRMP included a discussion of the following topics: area description, threatened and endangered species, wetlands management, forestry management, outdoor recreation, and grounds management. Bluestone reviewed historical natural resources information for the FBI Quantico Complex, Marine Corps Base Quantico (where available), and publicly available data from regulatory agencies regarding natural resources in the FBI Quantico Complex vicinity and guidance on minimizing impact on those resources. The goal of the NRMP was to implement a natural resources management program that reflects the principles of ecosystem management; seek to maintain or increase the level of biodiversity of native species; protect forest resources from unacceptable damage and degradation and manage the resources in a responsible manner; prevent the degradation of water quality, protect aquatic habitats, and identify and restore degraded habitats; protect soil resources from erosion and destabilization through prevention and restoration efforts; protect and preserve cultural resources in accordance with state and federal laws, and the NRMP; provide special protection and management that lead to the recovery of threatened and endangered species and protects species of special concern; and protect species identified as state or locally rare, but without legal protection status, to the extent practical without undue restrictions on operations.

In addition, Bluestone created standard operating procedures (SOP) FBI can use to enforce resource protection onsite. These were included in fact sheets that summarized and addressed the following most critical natural resources at FBI Quantico Complex: endangered and threatened species, wetlands, and stormwater. The fact sheets also include means for coordination between the FBI Environmental Office, MCBQ main base, and applicable state and federal agencies. Bluestone also developed a separate training presentation to address wetland management and permitting requirements at the FBI Quantico Complex.