A $4 million federal grant Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration Program award that will be matched by more than twice that amount from other agencies and organizations. The grant was awarded to Fort Huachuca to protect it from encroaching development and reduce water use.
“This award is exciting news for Fort Huachuca, for Sierra Vista and for all of Southern Arizona and I thank Rep. Barber for his work to protect the fort,” said Kevin Peterson, president of a group formed to support the missions and the soldiers of the fort; the Fort Huachuca 50. “This program will help protect the important missions of the fort while also leading to a reduction in water use and land development in the sensitive area between the fort and the Las Cienegas National Conservation Area, an essential riparian corridor.”
The funds will be used to permanently restrict development on 5,900 acres of ranchland, creating a buffer that protects more than 160,000 annual air operations and reduces proliferation of electromagnetic interference for 800 square miles of air space, according to Congressman Ron Barber’s office.
Maintaining a “clean” electromagnetic spectrum near the fort is essential for continued operation of the Electronic Providing Ground, where many types of communications and other equipment are tested for all branches of the military.
The funding also will prevent the development of up to 1,400 new wells, ensuring availability of scarce groundwater resources for the fort, the surrounding community and the local native grassland habitat.
The fort and Sierra Vista have been strong partners in reducing groundwater use so the San Pedro River continues to flow.
Working with the fort to reduce land and water development between the fort and the Las Cienegas National Conservation Area will be the Arizona Land and Water Trust, Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs, U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Bureau of Land Management and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
Since he took office more than two years ago, Barber has been working quietly prevent cuts to the base. Last week, Barber praised the work of Sierra Vista Mayor Rick Mueller, who has been a leader in community efforts to push back against possible personnel cuts at the fort. Barber also thanked Tom Finnegan, who is a principal of the Western Regional Partnership for helping secure the award for Fort Huachuca.
The REPI funding may play a role in the long-term future of the fort. In examining the number of military and civilian employees at 30 of its installations, the Army developed a “worst-case” scenario to evaluate the environmental and socioeconomic impacts of the possible personnel cuts.
The worst case scenario the Army is assessing for Fort Huachuca would be a cut of 2,700 military and civilian personnel.