Our Region

In 2013 the U.S. Departments of Agriculture (USDA), Defense (DOD) and the Interior (DOI) announced a new initiative─ the Sentinel Landscapes Partnership ─ through a Memorandum of Understanding.

Streaked horned lark nest. Credit: Rob Gilbert, JBLM Fish and Wildlife

close up of two butterflies back to back sitting on a green plant
Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly. Credit: Rob Gilbert, JBLM Fish and Wildlife

This partnership program is now a nationwide collaboration of federal, state, and local entities, and private landowners, dedicated to promoting natural resource sustainability in areas surrounding military installations. In Washington’s South Puget Sound Region, a coalition of federal, state, and local governments and non-government organizations have a long history of collaborating on prairie conservation, dating back to 1995. In 2013, this group was designated as the first Sentinel Landscape in the nation: the Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) Sentinel Landscape Partnership (Partnership).

JBLM is the third largest installation in the U.S. Army, encompassing 63,000 acres of military training area. The JBLM Sentinel Landscape supports most of the remaining prairie habitat in the South Puget Sound. For decades, prairies in the region have deteriorated due to rapid development and changing land use practices. Conversely, prairies have thrived on JBLM where development is minimal and periodic disturbance from fires caused by prescribed burning and military training activities have maintained prairie vegetation. This has resulted in many species relying on prairie habitat, including Endangered Species Act (ESA)-listed Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly (Euphydryas editha taylori) (TCB), Mazama pocket gopher (Thomomys mazama sp) (MPG), and streaked horned lark (Eremophila alpestris strigata) (SHL), residing on JBLM training lands. The presence of these unique species on the installation affects critical open training lands while creating mandatory and costly habitat management and population monitoring requirements.

For more than two decades, the JBLM Sentinel Landscape partners have focused on three strategic goals in supporting the military mission of JBLM:

  • Maintaining the South Puget Sound agricultural landscape.
  • Restoring lost native South Puget Sound prairie land.
  • Supporting and protecting native threatened and endangered species.