Natural Resources Plan
Maxwell AFB is not required to maintain an integrated Natural Resource
Management Plan, but is required to maintain a Natural Resource Plan (NRP)
as a designated Category II installation. Category II installations lack
significant natural resources and have limited natural resource land base,
and as such are not required to develop a traditional integrated natural
resources management plan. The main goals of the NRP are to promote the
protection of natural resources at Maxwell AFB, to integrate all aspects of
the management of natural resources, to maintain goals for the
management of natural resources that are consistent with the military
mission, and to ensure that there is no net loss in the capability of land
within the installation to support the military mission The NRP provides
management direction for environmental and natural resource programs at
Maxwell AFB and Gunter Annex, and identifies activities that promote
conservation and rehabilitation of natural resources. Maxwell AFB’s NRP
was last updated in 2015.
The NRP was created to ensure long range habitat protection and natural
resource management at the installation. The NRP outlines various natural
resources including threatened and endangered species and important
habitat, management of noxious weeds, wildlife and riparian management,
water resources, interagency responsibilities and coordination efforts, and
the overall management plan for natural resources at Maxwell AFB and
Gunter Annex to ensure no loss of capability for training exercises. The plan
utilizes a no‐net‐loss approach to protect habitat and natural resource
quality. The NRP is reviewed annually by the installation natural resources
planner, and management programs and actions are updated as necessary.
Memorandum of Understanding Between the Cities of Millbrook,
Montgomery, and Prattville, the Counties of Autauga, Elmore, and
Montgomery and Maxwell Air Force Base for Zoning and Land Use
Change Notifications
Pursuant to the Military Land Use Planning Act, the memorandum of
understanding (MOU) establishes provisions for notification and
coordination of proposed zoning changes, comprehensive master plans, or
land development regulations that could impact military operations. The
MOU would require notification from the participating jurisdictions of zoning
and land use changes to the military with in five nautical miles of
Maxwell AFB’s runway centerline and two miles from the Gunter Annex
boundary. The MOU would also require local governments to give a 30‐day
notice to the military of proposed land use and zoning changes prior to any
public hearings or final decisions being rendered.
A review of the MOU has identified the following concerns related to
military compatibility:
4.3.
Does not include all potential land use actions including
transportation and utility expansion; and
Does not provide phone numbers and email addresses for all points of
contact.
State of Alabama Plans and Programs
The state tools provide further assistance and protection of land uses in the
State of Alabama. The tools authorize or mandate local counties and cities
to provide for the protection of the state’s valuable industries including the
DOD and agriculture. In addition, the state’s plans and programs require
communities and developers to protect and preserve the state’s natural
resources, including land and water, by establishing further regulatory
measures to ensure the natural environment is preserved and protected
from over‐ consumptive practices.
The following state tools were analyzed:
June 2017
Background Report
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