The American public has entrusted the Department of Defense (DoD) with nearly 27 million acres of lands to accomplish its mission. To the surprise of many, DoD's landscapes are home to a significant and diverse array of species, including those of amphibians and reptiles. Here, we discuss more than 14 years of implementation of DoD PARC’s goals and the Strategic Plan for Amphibian and Reptile Conservation and Management on Department of Defense Lands. We will present updates about our network’s significant recent accomplishments and will discuss future projects, deliverables, and opportunities. Please join us to learn more about DoD PARC and our path forward for continued support of the military mission and herpetofauna management and conservation on DoD lands. Intended to also serve partially as an introduction to the "Military Lands" session, several other DoD Natural Resources Management partnerships will also be briefly discussed.

Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB), located in northern Santa Barbara County, California, is one of the very few military installations in the U.S. which is home to western monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) overwintering sites. The monarch butterfly is currently a candidate species for listing under the Endangered Species Act, and it is therefore crucial to understand which overwintering sites are used by monarchs, and what management is needed at those sites. In 2022 and 2023, we increased our overwintering monarch monitoring efforts, conducted standardized habitat assessments, and began searching for new overwintering sites. We also partnered with multiple organizations to bring monarch and monarch habitat focused research projects to VSFB. In 2022 we monitored 28 overwintering sites, and in 2023 we monitored 36 sites (including 3 newly discovered sites). We also conducted habitat assessments at 27 sites. These efforts have allowed us to identify the most important overwintering sites on VSFB and draft mission-compliant habitat management actions for those sites (including habitat restoration/enhancement).

Jessica Griffiths is a wildlife biologist for Colorado State University's Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands (CEMML), working at Vandenberg Space Force Base. Her primary areas of interest are birds and monarch butterflies, and she is especially involved in monitoring and managing monarch overwintering habitat at Vandenberg. In addition to her natural resource monitoring and management work, she also trains and manages over 30 volunteers who conduct outreach and monitoring on base.

The northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris, NES) is a well-studied marine mammal known for engaging in long foraging migrations at sea. Adult male NES follow pathways along the coast towards Alaska and adult female NES follow pathways to open ocean. However, there is little to no information about newly weaned NES pup foraging behavior. This lack of knowledge is significant because NES have a mortality rate of >50% in the first year. This project aims to better understand the migratory pathways of NES during this critical life stage. We deployed satellite tags on newly weaned NES pups at Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB, est. 2016, n=10) and San Nicolas Island (SNI, est. 1949, n=5). We hypothesized that weaned NES pups would [1] prioritize near-site foraging areas and thus migrate shorter distances compared to adults, [2] exhibit no sexual divergence in their pathways, and [3] have pathways that differ between the two breeding sites. Examining these migratory pathways and comparing them between rookeries and years provides insight into important foraging grounds for this life stage, differences between breeding sites, and environmental influences on migration, which will inform the conservation and management of this species.

Katie Saenger is a master's student in Dr. Heather Liwanag’s Vertebrate Integrative Physiology Lab at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo where she is studying at-sea movement behavior of northern elephant seal (NES) weaned pups. Katie received her undergraduate degree from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo in Marine Sciences, where she studied topics ranging from rockfish growth rates to NES breeding behavior. In addition to her master's work, Katie works as a biologist for SWCA Environmental Consultants and as a field lead for her lab's long-term NES population monitoring program.

This study, centered on the removal of a dam at Beale Air Force Base (AFB), CA, investigates wildlife diversity, habitat response, and the integration of Process-Based Restoration (PBR) concepts. The dam removal, a pivotal environmental intervention, aimed at restoring natural riverine ecosystems and enhancing biodiversity through PBR techniques. Using a comprehensive monitoring approach, we employ standardized field surveys to quantify changes in wildlife diversity post-dam removal. Concurrently, we assess habitat responses, including vegetation composition and hydrological patterns, to understand the ecosystem's adaptive capacity within the framework of PBR. Integrating GIS and remote sensing technologies, our analysis extends to landscape-scale changes, emphasizing the interconnectedness of habitat alterations and wildlife utilization. Preliminary findings highlight positive shifts in wildlife diversity, affirming the ecological benefits of dam removal and the application of PBR concepts. Additionally, observed changes in habitat structure contribute valuable insights into ecosystem resilience, crucial for understanding the success of PBR initiatives. This research not only advances our comprehension of dam removal's ecological consequences but also provides critical information for future restoration projects, emphasizing the integral role of PBR in achieving sustainable habitat restoration and fostering wildlife diversity.

With over 25 years of experience as a biologist, Matt Berry serves as a Restoration Ecologist at the Sierra Streams Institute in Nevada City and is a Research Fellow with the US Forest Service. In his role as a project manager, he leads Restoration Ecology initiatives, working collaboratively on watershed health research. As the institute's point-of-contact for restoration matters, Mr. Berry analyzes vegetation, hydrologic, and wildlife data, utilizing process-based restoration techniques like Beaver Dam Analogs (BDAs). His commitment to eco-friendly practices influences environmental conservation in the Sierra Nevada region.

Scientific analysis of headstart effectiveness has generated powerful basic biology that applies to augmenting tortoise populations that are on the cusp of minimum viable densities. Committing to evaluating headstart effectiveness requires long-term commitments of resources for long-lived, late-maturing species like desert tortoises, but enables assessments of fundamental vital rates, growth rates, and variables influencing them, to enhance effectiveness of headstart techniques. These programs also provide opportunities for serendipitous findings in basic and applied biology. The tortoise headstart program for the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms California, has successfully produced 475 hatchlings and released 234 juveniles with hard shells, which improve resistance to predators such as common ravens. More releases will ensue. Headstarting has improved stock of juveniles (ten years old) to ten times that would occur in the wild, and released tortoises are being monitored for their survival, growth and long-term success post release.

Brian Henen completed his dissertation on desert tortoise physiological ecology in 1994, and studied the reproductive nutrition of desert tortoises as a Smithsonian Institution Post-Doctoral Fellow from 1996 to 1999. During this time he also studied the egg production, physiology and ecology of Central Asian Tortoises in Uzbekistan. At the University of the Western Cape, South Africa, he studied the ecology, reproduction, and health of southern African tortoises as a Post-doctoral Fellow of the Royal Society of London. Subsequently he worked for the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, overseeing many aspect of desert tortoise management, ranging from headstarting and health assessments to translocation and the DoI-DoD Initiative, Recovery and Sustainment Partnership for Desert Tortoises. Much of the research and management of tortoises focuses on conservation, as many chelonian species are threatened or endangered. Brian has served on the IUCN Species Specialist Group for Tortoises and Fresh Water Turtles since 2006, and published 50 peer-reviewed scientific papers and two book chapters.

San Clemente Island (SCI) is part of the Navy’s Southern California Range Complex, the most heavily used range complex in the eastern Pacific and only continental US range supporting ship to shore, air to ground, and ground troop training. It hosts Endangered Species Act (ESA) listed taxa, candidate agreement taxa, and rare endemics. In 2023, the Navy achieved the largest delisting in ESA history. The SCI lotus, SCI paintbrush, SCI larkspur, SCI bush-mallow, and San Clemente Bell’s Sparrow, listed in 1977, were delisted on the 50th anniversary of ESA. Bell’s Sparrow is one of nine birds delisted due to recovery in the Continental US and only 10 plants had been delisted due to recovery before 2023. Adaptive monitoring documented recovery and supported Species Status Assessments, a critical step in delisting. This achievement demonstrates proactive management of robust populations is the effective way to manage species on DoD lands. The Navy will continue monitoring through the Post Delisting Monitoring Plan period and management under a pending Delisting Conservation Agreement, providing continued protection without ESA process constraints. SCI has increased military training while delisting multiple species providing a blueprint for conservation success on military lands.

Melissa Booker is the US Navy's Wildlife Biologist and Natural Resources Program Manager at San Clemente Island. She has worked with species recovery at San Clemente Island for 19 years.