Photo By Don Veitch | JOINT BASE CAPE COD, Mass. - Jake McCumber, Program Manager, Massachusetts Army...... read more read more
JOINT BASE CAPE COD, Mass. — Camp Edwards, the Massachusetts National Guard’s premier training site, has been recognized as the 2024 Northeast Region Military Conservation Partner by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Col. John. S. Bagaglio, Camp Edwards Training Site Garrison Commander, accepted during a ceremony at Regional Training Institute here, November 22, 2024. The honor recognizes the installation’s outstanding dedication to conserving natural resources while ensuring vital military training operations.
“I could not be prouder of Jake McCumber and the entire Natural Resources Team” said Bagaglio. “They excel at managing and expanding the habitat of several listed species while enhancing compatible military training. The entire Natural Resources Team continues to be innovative and discover solutions that can only be described as a win-win for the National Guard, the environment, and the Camp Edwards Training Site neighbors and stakeholders.”
“This is the largest military base in New England and a very crucial training site for the National Guard Soldiers throughout the northeast. We specialize in mounted and dismounted maneuver, small arms ranges, aviation, and much more. Soldier training is the mission and driver for our landscape management and the conservation work we do here at Camp Edwards,“ said Jake McCumber, Program Manager, Massachusetts Army National Guard Natural Resources & Training Lands Program. “The training and conservation are mutually beneficial and here they are mutually dependent as well. The commitment to stewardship and partnership at every level is essential to the successes we have here and all of our hopes for the future.”
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Regional Military Conservation Partner award, established in 2021, recognizes military installations like Camp Edwards that demonstrate outstanding conservation achievements. This award underscores the Massachusetts National Guard’s ongoing efforts to balance military needs with environmental protection.
“Camp Edwards is a conservation leader, you’re a trusted partner and an inspiring example of how military lands play an important role in protecting both our national security and our national heritage,” said Wendi Weber, Northeast Regional Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “The Natural resources team here at Camp Edwards is a prime example of being innovative and collaborative, which are two of Fish and Wildlife's core values. You have advanced the conservation of rare habitats and species it is a testament to your efforts that the largest National Guard training area in the northeast is also home to numerous species that are facing steep declines elsewhere.”
“You can actually have conservation and environmental stewardship, certainly, environmental compliance and mission and training is 100% compatible,” said Rachel Jacobson, Assistant Secretary of the Army (Installations, Energy and Environment). “It can work and you here at Camp Edwards have set the standard.”
“When you talk about the team down here… It’s very clear they are passionate about the environment,” said Maj. Gen. Gary W. Keefe, The Adjutant General, Massachusetts National Guard. “They are exceptional in the work they do and are a huge part in why we have had such an incredible record of environmental conservation over the last three decades. To have them recognized at such a significant level is testament to their continued dedication to ensuring the training areas on Camp Edwards are also thriving habitats for so many diverse species found on the base.”
Located in the upper Cape Cod region, the 15,000-acre installation is the largest training area in the Northeast. Camp Edwards is home to 50 species that are protected under the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act. The wildlife habitat and training areas are expertly managed to be cohesively shared with thousands of Soldiers who come from all over the region to train.
Camp Edwards Natural Resources Office has set a high standard for conservation, especially in managing habitats for at-risk species like the New England Cottontail and the Eastern Whip-Poor-Will. Its proactive conservation actions, such as the management of a retired artillery range to serve as a sanctuary for the frosted elfin butterfly, highlight the installation’s dual commitment to preserving the environment and facilitating critical training activities.
“The presence of 50 state-listed species at Camp Edwards is just a hint of the biodiversity importance of these pine barrens and the training management here,” said McCumber.
The Training Site’s approach to conservation supports the military's training while also providing conservation benefits to wildlife resources, managing a retired artillery range to provide habitat for the frosted elfin butterfly, a species that are considered at-risk of steep declines, and using prescribed burns that maintains plant communities and creates safe training environments for soldiers. The use of prescribed burns that reduce hazardous fuel loads also allows Camp Edwards to decrease wildfire risk which can pose a potential danger to military activities and the surrounding community.
“I want to the thank U.S. Fish and Wildlife for recognizing Camp Edwards as the 2024 Northeast Region Military Conservation Partner,” said Bagaglio. “Too often, the public perceives military bases and facilities to be blind to environmental issues. This just isn’t the case, especially with Camp Edwards and the Massachusetts National Guard. We’re honored to be recognized for the outstanding work our environmental team does every day ensure our precious natural resources are safeguarded.”
| Date Taken: | 11.25.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 11.25.2024 11:26 |
| Story ID: | 486066 |
| Location: | MASSACHUSETTS, US |
| Web Views: | 168 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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