The United States Army was
awarded in April for a serious commitment to environmentally-friendly
actions. The Department of Defense awarded three army bases in New York,
Minnesota and Germany for “recognizing progress in environmental quality,
natural resources conservatism and cultural resources management,”
according to the U.S. Army Environmental Command.
In New York, Fort Drum was
recognized and awarded the Cultural Resources Management Team
award for skillfully protecting sites of archaeological significance
in the midst of daily operations. The Minnesota-based Camp Ripley Maneuver
and Training Center was recognized for its dedication to environmental
conservation, winning the “Natural Resources Conservation at a Large
Installation” award. The Germany-based site, U.S. Army Garrison Bamberg,
was honored with the award for “Environmental Quality at an Overseas
Installation,” for a cutting-edge program soldiers used to encourage
sustainability and minimize environmental damage and excess waste. (Sadly, none had enough star power to make the prime-time Oscar broadcast.)
Officials from all three of
the award-winning institutions praised the bases, knocking down any
assertions that the military and conservation don’t go together,
particularly as some of the same army installations are making innovations
in sustainable technologies.
"Camp Ripley has brought conservation
of scale to the local community as recognized by other local units of
government… by working locally with Camp Ripley, our effectiveness
as conservation organizations is enhanced," said Todd Holman, Central Minnesota director of The Nature
Conservancy. "We consider it a privilege
to work with the outstanding environmental resource professionals at
Camp Ripley.”
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