S.Amdt. 2110

1. Adds SEC. 2864. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE ACTIONS TO ADDRESS ENCROACHMENT OF MILITARY INSTALLATIONS at the end of title XXVIII

   Adds a section

   Inserted: SEC. 2864. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE ACTIONS TO ADDRESS ENCROACHMENT OF MILITARY INSTALLATIONS.

   Inserted: (a) Findings.--In light of the initial report of the Department of Defense submitted pursuant to section 2684a(g) of title 10, United States Code, and of the RAND Corporation report entitled "The Thin Green Line: An Assessment of DoD's Readiness and Environmental Protection Initiative to Buffer Installation Encroachment", Congress makes the following findings:

   Inserted: (1) Development and loss of habitat in the vicinity of, or in areas ecologically related to, military installations, ranges, and airspace pose a continuing and significant threat to the readiness of the Armed Forces.

   Inserted: (2) The Range Sustainability Program (RSP) of the Department of Defense, and in particular the Readiness and Environmental Protection Initiative (REPI) involving agreements pursuant to section 2684a of title 10, United States Code, have been effective in addressing this threat to readiness with regard to a number of important installations, ranges, and airspace.

   Inserted: (3) Increasing and appropriate emphasis is being given to regional, landscape-scale efforts such as the Southeast Regional Partnership for Planning and Sustainability (SERPPAS) and the Western Regional Partnership (WRP).

   Inserted: (4) The opportunities to take effective action to protect installations, ranges, and airspace from encroachment is in many cases transient, and delay in taking action will result in either higher costs or permanent loss of the opportunity effectively to address encroachment.

   Inserted: (5) With the exception of the Air Force, the military departments are working to fully integrate the authority provided by section 2684a of title 10, United States Code, into their programs to address encroachment.

   Inserted: (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the Department of Defense should--

   Inserted: (1) develop additional policy guidance on the further implementation of the Range and Environmental Protection Initiative (REPI), to include additional emphasis on protecting biodiversity and on further refining procedures;

   Inserted: (2) continue to give emphasis to regional, landscape-scale partnerships and initiatives such as the Southeastern Regional Partnership for Planning and Sustainability (SERPPAS) and the Western Regional Partnership (WRP);

   Inserted: (3) give greater emphasis to effective cooperation and collaboration on matters of mutual concern with other Federal agencies charged with managing Federal land;

   Inserted: (4) ensure that the Department of the Air Force takes full advantages of the authorities provided by section 2684a of title 10, United States Code, in addressing encroachment adversely affecting, or threatening to adversely affect, the installations, ranges, and military airspace of the Air Force; and

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   Inserted: (5) provide significant additional resources to the program, to include dedicated staffing at the installation level and additional emphasis on outreach programs at all levels.

   Inserted: (c) Reporting Requirements.--

   Inserted: (1) Recommendations for proposed legislation.--The Secretary of Defense shall include with the budget justification materials submitted to Congress in support of the budget of the President for fiscal year 2009 (as submitted with the budget of the President under section 1105 of title 31, United States Code)--

   Inserted: (A) recommendations for proposed legislation to address the issues highlighted by the Department of Defense in Chapter 6 of the initial report submitted to Congress under section 2684a(g) of title 10, United States Code; or

   Inserted: (B) an explanation of the reasons for not recommending any such legislation.

   Inserted: (2) Reporting of certain actions taken.--The Secretary of Defense shall include information on actions taken to address the matters addressed under subsection (b) in the report submitted to Congress by not later than March 1, 2008, under section 2684a(g) of title 10, United States Code.

   Original wording

   At the end of title XXVIII, add the following:

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As printed