The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s Engineering With Nature® (EWN®) program has received the 2025 Outstanding Environmental Planning Project Award from the American Planning Association’s Federal Planning Division for its project, Natural Infrastructure for Mission Readiness at U.S. Navy and Marine Corps Installations.
The award recognizes the project’s collaborative approach to integrating natural and hybrid infrastructure into military installation planning to strengthen mission readiness and resilience while addressing environmental risks from natural hazards.
About the Publication
- Explore natural & hybrid infrastructure for mission readiness
- 8 installation workshops
- 30+ potential projects identified
- 13 Navy and Marine Corps installations
- Strategies for flooding, drought, wildfire, erosion & water resources
The project brought together military leaders, planners, engineers, scientists, academics, and other stakeholders through workshops at eight Navy and Marine Corps installations in the Southeast and Hawaii. Participants identified vulnerabilities and explored opportunities to use natural and hybrid infrastructure to address challenges including flooding, drought, wildfire, erosion, and water resource management.
The broader effort has identified more than 30 potential projects across 13 Navy and Marine Corps installations, with pilot projects underway at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina, and Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California. These projects demonstrate how nature-based and hybrid approaches can complement traditional infrastructure while reducing natural hazard risks and supporting long-term operational effectiveness.
