Southeast Sentinel Landscapes
About
Sentinel landscapes are areas where conservation, working lands, and national defense interests converge. As part of the Sentinel Landscapes Partnership, designated sentinel landscapes are supported by the DOW's Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Program, and complementary natural resource and conservation programs administered by the Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) and Forest Service (USFS) and the Department of Interior’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Coordination among these programs provides military installations and other sentinel landscape partners with essential tools to protect irreplaceable training areas supporting our warfighters. The SERPPAS Sentinel Landscape work group, more specifically, includes designated landscapes where local partners are working collaboratively to strengthen military readiness, conserve natural resources, bolster agricultural and forestry economies, increase public access to outdoor recreation, and enhance landscape resilience across the Southeast. The SERPPAS Sentinel Landscapes work group connects current and future designated sentinel landscapes to address shared challenges, share learned lessons, and promote landscape-scale efforts across sentinel landscapes in the Southeast.
Strategic Objectives
- Coordinate with the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation (OLDCC) on promoting Compatible Land Use Planning efforts in the Southeast.
- Accelerate conservation of working lands through advocacy and support of greater funding for existing programs that acquire conservation easements over working landscapes.
- Encourage implementation of landowner engagement and outreach efforts across the sentinel landscapes to promote greater awareness of state and federal programs for landowners that advance sustainable land use practices and promote greater land conservation around military installations and ranges.
- Expand coordination and collaboration between all SERPPAS work groups to better integrate actions that complement and support regional efforts across the sentinel landscapes on Regional Species of Greatest Conservation Need (RSGCN), State Wildlife Action Plans, and wildlife corridors.
- Assist Sentinel Landscapes in the Southeast to assess their encroachment and hazard exposures and vulnerabilities and integrate resilience planning and adaptation into their landscape implementation.
- Use the SERPPAS network to share information, resources, and lessons learned from the designated Sentinel Landscapes to demonstrate the value and purpose of these partnerships supporting national defense.
Work Group Lead
For almost 21 years, Buck MacLaughlin served as a fighter pilot in the United States Air Force, retiring at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in 2012, completing his final active-duty assignment as Commander, Avon Park Air Force Range. After leaving active duty, Buck became an Air Force civilian employee, staying at the range as Range Operations Officer. Buck received a Bachelor of Science degree from the United States Air Force Academy, a Master of Aerospace Science and Technology degree from Embry Riddle University, and a Master of Military Operational Art/Science degree from Air University, Air Command and Staff College.
During his time at the range, Buck gained extensive experience working with the Department of War’s (DoW) Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Program, including building one of the Air Force’s most successful REPI programs, and leading the range to a Sentinel Landscape designation in 2016.
In 2025, Buck joined the Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute, working in support of the DoW to promote and enhance innovative conservation through Sentinel Landscapes.
Bruce Beard (Co-Lead)
Associate Director of PolicyTexas A&M Natural Resources Institute
bruce.beard@ag.tamu.edu
Bruce Beard was the Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute’s Associate Director for Policy and led NRI’s Military Land Sustainability Program. Bruce brings more than 30 years of federal land management and natural resource policy experience to NRI and is a nationally recognized advocate for Sentinel Landscapes.
Bruce served within the Executive Office of the President at the Office of Management and Budget in three Administrations, where he was a principal advisor on federal land management and natural resource policy issues. He was the OMB Branch Chief for the Interior Branch responsible for coordination of budget, legislation and regulatory issues affecting the Department of the Interior. At the Department of Defense, he was instrumental in establishing the Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Program, which he directed, and helped to initiate the Sentinel Landscapes Partnership between the Departments of Agriculture, Defense and the Interior.
Bruce earned his Bachelor of Science in wildlife and fisheries from Texas A&M University, and a Master of Public Affairs in environmental policy from Indiana University’s School of Public and Environmental Affairs. He received the 2011 Outstanding Alumni Award from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M and the 2012 Secretary of Defense Medal for Meritorious Civilian Service at the Department of Defense.
Resources
Documents
News
Announcing the 2026 Sentinel Landscape Designations and Release of the 2025 Accomplishments Report
6/8/26
The Sentinel Landscapes Partnership announced the 2026 Sentinel Landscape designations, the East Mississippi Sentinel Landscape and the Pikes Peak Sentinel Landscape in Colorado, as well as the release of its 2025 Accomplishments Report. Together, these milestones reaffirm the Partnership’s commitment to strengthening national defense, enhancing installation resilience, and advancing coordinated action among Federal, State, Local, Tribal, and private partners.
Comprised of the Department of War (DoW), the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the U.S. Department of the Interior, the Partnership integrates conservation and working-lands stewardship with national security priorities and the operational needs of defense installations. With the addition of Pikes Peak and East Mississippi, the network now includes 21 designated landscapes, marking over a decade of collaboration to safeguard critical training areas, promote compatible land use, and strengthen the resilience of defense communities. To learn more about Sentinel Landscapes, visit: https://sentinellandscapes.org/.
Anchored by Naval Air Station Meridian and home to Columbus Air Force Base, the East Mississippi Sentinel Landscape supports a critical portion of the nation’s pilot training enterprise through its extensive training routes, special-use airspace, and compatible rural lands. The East Mississippi Sentinel Landscape joins five other Sentinel Landscapes within the SERPPAS six-state region.
The 2025 Accomplishments Report underscores substantial progress in FY 2024, highlighting more than $1.75 billion in combined federal, state, local, and private investment to date, including $368 million secured in FY 2024 alone. These strategic investments play a critical role in supporting military readiness by protecting vital training corridors, mitigating encroachment pressures, and enhancing landscape resilience around priority installations. For more information on the 2025 Accomplishment Report, visit here.
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State Roadmaps Released by the South Atlantic Salt Marsh Initiative (SASMI)
4/1/26
Implementation teams led by a state-based organization and comprised of local, state, and federal partners worked together with communities and key stakeholder groups to develop action-oriented roadmaps for each of the SASMI states.
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Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Program released its 2026 Report to Congress
3/20/26
The Department of War’s Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Program released its 2026 Report to Congress, highlighting two decades of protecting mission-critical capabilities. From FY 2003–FY 2025, REPI leveraged $1.7 billion, alongside $1.5 billion in partner contributions, to safeguard more than 1.4 million acres across 41 states and territories.
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The Rebuilders: AFCEC NDR marks major construction milestones in 2025
1/27/26
The Air Force Civil Engineer Center’s Natural Disaster Recovery Division achieved major construction milestones in 2025, advancing more than 60 projects across Tyndall Air Force Base, Offutt AFB, and Joint Base Langley-Eustis. Efforts focused on rebuilding resilient, mission-ready infrastructure following significant natural disasters, including Hurricane Michael and historic flooding, while delivering key facilities such as operations centers, dormitories, and training complexes.
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National Coastal Resilience Fund
1/1/26
NFWF is funding two projects in the Northwest Florida Sentinel Landscape through its National Coastal Resilience Fund. Pensacola and Perdido Bays Estuary Program was awarded $1.38 million for final design and permitting of a major stream restoration on Carpenter Creek.
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Sentinel Landscape Partnership Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
1/1/26
The Sentinel Landscapes Federal Coordinating Committee (FCC) announced that the updated Sentinel Landscape Partnership Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been fully executed with signatures from leadership across all member agencies.
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Events & Webinars
- Georgia Association of Conservation Districts (GACD) Annual Meeting
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August 23 - 25, 2026
Young Harris, GA - 80th Annual SEAFWA Conference
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October 26 - 30, 2026
Nashville, TN - 16th Biennial Longleaf Conference
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October 27 - 30, 2026
Williamsburg, VA
SERPPAS Meetings
August 2026
- Fall 2026 SERPPAS Steering Committee Meeting
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August 19 - 20, 2026
Atlanta, GA