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CAMP BULLIS SENTINEL LANDSCAPE CONSORTIUM
Airmen sweep a remote area at Joint Base San Antonio-Camp Bullis in a training exercise at the north Bexar County military post. (Courtesy David Terry/Joint Base San Antonio-Camp Bullis)
Sentinel Landscape program uses conservation to protect Camp Bullis, other military sites
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For more than 100 years, the U.S. Air Force’s Camp Bullis on San Antonio’s north side has been home to military training operations that took advantage of its more rural location.
Over time, homes, businesses and a booming population began to encroach on the camp and put at risk the military’s ability to succeed at its mission: effectively training today’s men and women who serve. Now with the help of the Sentinel Landscape designation, efforts are underway to help area landowners preserve nearly 1 million acres around the camp, protect water and wildlife, and reduce noise and light pollution. “The challenge is how do we work across this vast landscape to aggregate all of the various technical and natural resources in a way that supports landowners around Camp Bullis and supports the training mission,” said Daniel Oppenheimer, land program director with the Dripping Springs-based nonprofit Hill Country Alliance. “A lot of that comes back to protecting water, soil health through conservation, enhancing groundwater—those things will help to mitigate flash floods as well.” CONSERVATION AND PRESERVATION Camp Bullis is part of the Greater Joint Base San Antonio operations and supports training of military members who serve at any of San Antonio’s bases, including the north side’s JBSA-Randolph. The 27,990-acre military site houses state-of-the-art training and simulation equipment, firing ranges surrounded by open skies not clouded by light pollution, and an abundance of land for training maneuvers that are not affected by noise pollution. On Feb. 1, 2022, the federal government designated Camp Bullis and nearly 1 million acres around it a Sentinel Landscape. Securing this designation enables stakeholders—such as private landowners and conservation organizations—to leverage federal and state monies to fund initiatives to help meet five overarching goals, said Oppenheimer, who is coordinating communications and the efforts of 57 private- and public-sector groups that support conservation efforts and Camp Bullis. Those goals include promoting responsible development and land stewardship; maintaining and improving agricultural productivity, such as farming; addressing climate-related challenges, such as drought, flash flooding and wildfire risks; preserving and enhancing habitats to aid in the recovery of native and threatened wildlife species, including the golden-cheeked warbler; and supporting and expanding recreation opportunities, such as parks and trails. All the stakeholders aim to work together to conserve natural resources within the area and reduce risks that are the byproducts of development, such as light pollution and drainage runoff, Oppenheimer said. Such efforts will benefit surrounding properties, communities and ecosystems and strengthen military readiness at Camp Bullis, which is important because JBSA’s military activities contribute $31 billion yearly to Texas’ economy, Oppenheimer said. “If we want to have any success here to enhance natural resources through conservation, that means working with private landowners in a way that supports their goals, values and needs,” he said. “We also have an opportunity to engage developers and promote thoughtful practices that help us to steward natural resources.” EARNING THE DESIGNATION In early 2019, the Alamo Area Council of Governments, a San Antonio-based voluntary association of local governments and organizations, began spearheading a consortium to help safeguard Camp Bullis’ military mission. The group’s goal was to secure the Sentinel Landscape designation with community stakeholder support, which would in turn open the door to federal programs and financial support. AACOG Executive Director Diane Rath said when the group discovered the Sentinel Landscape program, officials realized it could be valuable in reinforcing Camp Bullis’ military activities. “This is a unique program as it has support from the military, conservationists and developers because it is voluntary and nonregulatory,” Rath said. Camp Bullis was the first Texas defense facility to receive a Sentinel Landscape designation, which covers nine other military sites nationwide. Local military leaders voiced support for the Sentinel Landscape designation. Army Brig. Gen. Russell Driggers, commander of JBSA and the 502nd Air Base Wing, said he appreciated those working to ensure Camp Bullis remains a reliable military training ground. “Thanks to the designation and the efforts of our partners, more resources will be available to willing landowners to help ensure military training operations can continue unimpeded,” Driggers said. PARTNERING WITH LANDOWNERS, DEVELOPERS Oppenheimer said Sentinel Landscape partners aim to identify the amount of money invested in agricultural productivity and natural resource conservation in the designated area as well as acreage enrolled in programs that help property owners with land stewardship efforts. Oppenheimer said this could include better animal grazing practices and soil health and infiltration; reducing erosion; and conservation easements, which are voluntary, legal pacts that permanently limit uses on a certain amount of land. Camp Bullis’ partners secured $5.1 million from one such funding source, the Defense Department’s Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration program, which helps local landowners with mutually beneficial land management practices and the implementation of conservation easements, Oppenheimer said. Separately, community partner Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute secured $8.5 million through the Agriculture Department’s Regional Conservation Partnership program, which Oppenheimer said will further help local landowners with conservation. “Farmers and ranchers make good neighbors to a military installation, helping safeguard the best training environments for our men and women in uniform,” said Roel Lopez, Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute director. Gilbert Gonzalez, CEO of the San Antonio Board of Realtors, said the Sentinel Landscape’s focus on compatible land use around Camp Bullis will boost voluntary landowner cooperation toward efficient development. “The Sentinel Landscape program is designed to complement residential real estate development and create natural amenities such as parks and open spaces that enhance the overall real estate value of the landscape,” Gonzalez said. BEING WATER WISE Oppenheimer said to counter byproducts of increasing land development around Camp Bullis, protecting groundwater sources and water supplies, and addressing drainage runoff and flood risks in and around the training facility is vital. Shaun Donovan, environmental sciences manager with the San Antonio River Authority, said Camp Bullis is prone to flash flooding due to the post’s proximity to the Salado Creek and Cibolo Creek watersheds, and it sits on the edge of the Edwards Aquifer contributing zone, where rainfall penetrates the land surface. The river authority is collecting public input to update area flood plain maps, which will require Federal Emergency Management Agency approval and will take affect within two years. Donovan said new maps may help to produce flood mitigation methods. |
In February 2022, the U.S. government designated about 1 million acres in and around Joint Base San Antonio-Camp Bullis a Sentinel Landscape, enabling 50-plus local organizations and agencies to work long-term toward upgrading land conservation.and drainage, among other things, to help enrich the north Bexar County post's training mission. (Courtesy Hill Country Alliance, Joint Base San Antonio/Community Impact)
Camp Bullis Sentinel Landscape partners meet on March 26, 2022, at Camp Bullis to assess land and drainage issues at the north Bexar County military training post. (Courtesy Daniel Oppenheimer/Hill Country Alliance)
Stakeholders involved in the Camp Bullis Sentinel Landscape are working long-term with multiple overarching goals. (Courtesy Hill Country Alliance, Joint Base San Antonio Sentinel Landscapes Partnership/Community Impact)
Flash flooding has swept away vehicles; inundated roads; and, in at least one case, caused a death at the post, JBSA officials said. Donovan said new area flood plain maps will be based on a higher frequency of severe rainfalls with “more significant storm impacts.” “We want Camp Bullis to have a long-term ability to stay a safe training facility,” Donovan said. Oppenheimer said area water organizations may help to further protect and replenish surface and groundwater water sources in concert with other stakeholders and holders of water rights. “Camp Bullis, like the rest of us, relies on groundwater and the Edwards Aquifer beneath our feet for drinking water,” Oppenheimer said. AIDING WILDLIFE, DARK SKIES Stakeholders also seek to fortify dark-sky programs and policies designed to help communities conserve energy, improve human health, and reduce artificial light’s effects on activities at Camp Bullis and in nature, said Britt Coleman, president of the Bexar Audubon Society, a nonprofit and area stakeholder that works to protect bird and other wildlife habitats. “If [Camp Bullis gets] too much light pollution, it ruins their night training abilities,” Coleman said. Coleman said he, other local environmentalists and some residents of the north side Cibolo Canyons neighborhood are worried that potential new nearby development could indirectly affect Camp Bullis. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is mulling a request by Starwood Land Residential Development Co., the Florida-based developer of Cibolo Canyons, to swap 63 acres of protected habitat for the endangered golden-cheeked warbler with an adjacent 144 acres owned by Starwood Land. Coleman said the 63 acres are prime, protected habitat for the golden-cheeked warbler, whereas the 144 acres are not ideal for the songbird. “The precedent of developer-initiated land swaps on conservation easements is dangerous,” Coleman also said. Starwood Land did not answer a request for remarks in this story. Coleman said he hopes the federal government opens a new public comment on Starwood Land’s land-swap proposal. There is neither a timetable for a decision nor details on the company’s designs on the undeveloped land. Doris Brown, a Cibolo Canyons resident who is helping to alert neighbors about the developer’s land swap proposal, said neighborhood residents share worries over how Starwood Land’s plans - if approved - could affect the golden-cheeked warbler’s habitat. But Brown also said the proposal feels like a bait-and-switch tactic. “People who built their home here were told nothing would ever be built on that [undeveloped] land,” Brown said. But Coleman said a land swap could disrupt the warbler habitat near Cibolo Canyons and force surviving birds toward 7,000 acres of warbler habitat at Camp Bullis. “When we think of Camp Bullis, we can’t think of the camp as an island, but rather all of the communities tied together with the military installation,” he said. |
Land Program Updates - Summer 2022
August 2022
While the soil is thirsty, the Land Program continues to saturate the region with educational resources and partnership-building. In the first half of the year, HCA engaged hundreds of landowners through a number of stewardship workshops on various issues, from regenerative grazing to land conservation.
Since 2021, HCA has led the Camp Bullis Sentinel Landscape (CBSL) Partnership, a new collaborative to enhance natural resource conservation, military readiness, and agricultural productivity in a multi-county area around Joint Base San Antonio-Camp Bullis. We were so excited to have the CBSL awarded in February, making us one of only ten nationally recognized Sentinel Landscapes in the country and the very first in Texas!
Now we’re getting to work bringing new funding to Texas to support private land stewardship and conservation, which will provide rippling benefits for private lands, Hill Country communities, Camp Bullis, and future generations.
Since 2021, HCA has led the Camp Bullis Sentinel Landscape (CBSL) Partnership, a new collaborative to enhance natural resource conservation, military readiness, and agricultural productivity in a multi-county area around Joint Base San Antonio-Camp Bullis. We were so excited to have the CBSL awarded in February, making us one of only ten nationally recognized Sentinel Landscapes in the country and the very first in Texas!
Now we’re getting to work bringing new funding to Texas to support private land stewardship and conservation, which will provide rippling benefits for private lands, Hill Country communities, Camp Bullis, and future generations.
Daniel Oppenheimer of the Hill Country Alliance looks over berms and native grasses during a tour of Camp Bullis, which was recently designated a Sentinel Landscape. The designation, part of a federal initiative called the Sentinel Landscape Partnership, will facilitate significant financial resources to protect military readiness and advance conservation and agricultural productivity.
Robin Jerstad /Contributor
Federal Recognition To Advance Conservation And Military Readiness Around Camp Bullis
Elena Bruess
March 14, 2022
March 14, 2022
On the west side of Camp Bullis, at the edge of the Dominion neighborhood, Rustin Tabor pulls his truck to the side of a winding road and walks a few feet into the wooded area that lines it.
Farther in, stretched across the dirt, is an entrance to a cave — a karst that leads deep under the forest to the Edwards Aquifer. A grate has been installed on the opening to prevent anyone from climbing down into it.
The cave, called Sharon Springs, is one of 112 on Camp Bullis, a military training reservation on the Northwest Side. There are 1,474 karst features throughout Camp Bullis, ranging from small cracks and crevices to slits in the earth, that deposit water into the recharge zone of the Edwards Aquifer.
“This one doesn’t seem springy right now,” said Tabor, natural resources manager for Joint Base San Antonio. “But if you come here during wet conditions, the water is actually pushing out of the ground.”
Safeguarding such caves is among many conservation efforts at Camp Bullis and its neighboring lands — nearly 1 million acres — that stand to get a huge boost from the area’s recent inclusion in a federal initiative aimed at protecting defense facilities from land uses that are incompatible with their military missions.
Farther in, stretched across the dirt, is an entrance to a cave — a karst that leads deep under the forest to the Edwards Aquifer. A grate has been installed on the opening to prevent anyone from climbing down into it.
The cave, called Sharon Springs, is one of 112 on Camp Bullis, a military training reservation on the Northwest Side. There are 1,474 karst features throughout Camp Bullis, ranging from small cracks and crevices to slits in the earth, that deposit water into the recharge zone of the Edwards Aquifer.
“This one doesn’t seem springy right now,” said Tabor, natural resources manager for Joint Base San Antonio. “But if you come here during wet conditions, the water is actually pushing out of the ground.”
Safeguarding such caves is among many conservation efforts at Camp Bullis and its neighboring lands — nearly 1 million acres — that stand to get a huge boost from the area’s recent inclusion in a federal initiative aimed at protecting defense facilities from land uses that are incompatible with their military missions.
Grasses and berms are used to slow erosion at Camp Bullis, which was recently designated a Sentinel Landscape. The designation, part of a federal initiative called the Sentinel Landscape Partnership, will facilitate significant financial resources to protect military readiness and advance conservation and agricultural productivity. Robin Jerstad /Contributor
Under the initiative, called the Sentinel Landscape Partnership, such areas can seek to be designated as sentinel landscapes, which can provide priority standing to tap certain sources of public and private funding. Camp Bullis received the designation this month, putting it in line for financing opportunities to strengthen military readiness, promote natural resource conservation and increase agricultural productivity.
The Sentinel Landscape Partnership was established in 2013 by the Agriculture, Defense and Interior departments. The partnership seeks to connect landowners with government assistance programs to fund land protection and restoration and to implement sustainable land management practices. The aim is that such practices can yield economic and ecological benefits while also protecting defense facilities from development that can hamper military activities, such as training and testing.
The Camp Bullis Sentinel Landscape is the first to receive this recognition in Texas and one of just a few in the United States. Nearly 40 local organizations have joined as partners, including the Hill Country Alliance, the Trinity Glenrose Groundwater Conservation District, the Edwards Aquifer Authority, the Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute and the Alamo Area Council of Governments. The sentinel landscape will encompass most of Kendall and Comal counties; parts of Bexar, Medina and Bandera counties; and small sections of Kerr and Blanco counties.
The Defense Department’s Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration Program, known as REPI, is also a major partner for the sentinel landscape by limiting development and land use conversion that could restrict military training and testing. Three segments in the entire area are designated opportunity spots for REPI.
“Agricultural productivity, conservation and military readiness are all tied together in terms of our relationship to the land,” said Daniel Oppenheimer, land program manager for the Hill Country Alliance. “That’s really what this partnership is about, bringing partners together and starting to understand where and how we can work together to bring new technical and financial resources that align with all the ground needs.”
STEMMING LIGHTS AND FLOODS
Thousands of military personnel train each year on the nearly 28,000 acres at Camp Bullis, part of Joint Base San Antonio. The base has 266 mission partners, and about 2,000 people train there every day.
Most of those are training as military medics. Every enlisted medical person in the U.S. military trains at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston, said Michael Waldrop, the installation support director at Camp Bullis. And they all undergo field components of their training in the natural areas on Camp Bullis.
“In a war zone, you’re usually out in areas like this nature,” Waldrop said. “We want it to be as realistic as possible, so we can’t have any urban elements. They do their urban training elsewhere.”
Development near Camp Bullis can lead to light pollution, loss of agricultural lands and flooding. Outdoor lighting around the northwestern area of San Antonio, from new subdivisions or traffic, can disrupt the natural atmosphere for training. The area south of Camp Bullis is already too heavily illuminated, but the central portion of the camp to the north is still suitable for night training.
But there is concern that lighting is increasing to the north, which is one of the fastest-growing areas in Texas, and not just among the military. Light pollution can also disrupt natural patterns for wildlife, such as bird migration; increase carbon dioxide in the atmosphere; and obscure the stars.
With this new designation, partners can work with developers to preserve dark night skies for military training, birds, natural resources and public health, Oppenheimer said. One solution is to provide funding for landowners and developers to focus their floodlights downward in their yards instead of reaching areas that don’t need to be illuminated.
Another issue the Sentinel Landscape Partnership can tackle is flooding in Camp Bullis, 30 percent of which lies in a flood plain, and the surrounding areas.
The Texas Hill Country is known as flash flood alley because of its shallow soils and the steady moisture and humidity that comes off the Gulf of Mexico, making the area vulnerable to massive dry spells and drought followed by catastrophic floods.
At Camp Bullis, flash flooding has washed trucks away, covered roads and fields, and even killed a handful of people who got stuck in the floodwaters.
One solution involves speaking with landowners and developers about their own goals and values, Oppenheimer said.
“We’re not coming in and telling people what to do,” he said. “We talk about different tools and strategies to get them aligned with their goals and their interests. They don’t want to lose all their soil. They don’t want to be susceptible to drought and flood. Then, based on that, we discuss ways they can retain more soil moisture, reduce erosion and enhance grass production on their property.”
One flood prevention technique is building berms to slow water and enable it to be absorbed into the soil, a practice that is especially helpful during heavy rain. A berm is a raised barrier separating areas and can be made from brush and tree limbs or a grassy strip. With funding through the sentinel partnership, landowners could receive resources to build such structures or hire contractors to help them prepare the land for flooding.
Around Camp Bullis, berms are around the entire area for flooding, some made with brush and others with dirt and grass. In some cases, the berms serve multiple purposes — as bullet catchers for military range practice along with flood prevention.
“It’s not just us,” Waldrop said. “It’s everyone.”
WATER AS A JOINT MISSION
Tabor’s work at Camp Bullis includes protecting the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone’s caves and karsts, along with closely monitoring wildlife on the property, especially creatures that depend on the property for survival.
Camp Bullis provides habitat for the endangered golden-cheeked warbler and aquifer-dependent species, such as the blind salamander, San Marcos salamander and Comal Springs riffle beetle. Three river systems — the Medina, the San Antonio and the Cibolo — run through the Camp Bullis Sentinel Landscape’s massive area.
The Sentinel Landscape Partnership was established in 2013 by the Agriculture, Defense and Interior departments. The partnership seeks to connect landowners with government assistance programs to fund land protection and restoration and to implement sustainable land management practices. The aim is that such practices can yield economic and ecological benefits while also protecting defense facilities from development that can hamper military activities, such as training and testing.
The Camp Bullis Sentinel Landscape is the first to receive this recognition in Texas and one of just a few in the United States. Nearly 40 local organizations have joined as partners, including the Hill Country Alliance, the Trinity Glenrose Groundwater Conservation District, the Edwards Aquifer Authority, the Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute and the Alamo Area Council of Governments. The sentinel landscape will encompass most of Kendall and Comal counties; parts of Bexar, Medina and Bandera counties; and small sections of Kerr and Blanco counties.
The Defense Department’s Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration Program, known as REPI, is also a major partner for the sentinel landscape by limiting development and land use conversion that could restrict military training and testing. Three segments in the entire area are designated opportunity spots for REPI.
“Agricultural productivity, conservation and military readiness are all tied together in terms of our relationship to the land,” said Daniel Oppenheimer, land program manager for the Hill Country Alliance. “That’s really what this partnership is about, bringing partners together and starting to understand where and how we can work together to bring new technical and financial resources that align with all the ground needs.”
STEMMING LIGHTS AND FLOODS
Thousands of military personnel train each year on the nearly 28,000 acres at Camp Bullis, part of Joint Base San Antonio. The base has 266 mission partners, and about 2,000 people train there every day.
Most of those are training as military medics. Every enlisted medical person in the U.S. military trains at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston, said Michael Waldrop, the installation support director at Camp Bullis. And they all undergo field components of their training in the natural areas on Camp Bullis.
“In a war zone, you’re usually out in areas like this nature,” Waldrop said. “We want it to be as realistic as possible, so we can’t have any urban elements. They do their urban training elsewhere.”
Development near Camp Bullis can lead to light pollution, loss of agricultural lands and flooding. Outdoor lighting around the northwestern area of San Antonio, from new subdivisions or traffic, can disrupt the natural atmosphere for training. The area south of Camp Bullis is already too heavily illuminated, but the central portion of the camp to the north is still suitable for night training.
But there is concern that lighting is increasing to the north, which is one of the fastest-growing areas in Texas, and not just among the military. Light pollution can also disrupt natural patterns for wildlife, such as bird migration; increase carbon dioxide in the atmosphere; and obscure the stars.
With this new designation, partners can work with developers to preserve dark night skies for military training, birds, natural resources and public health, Oppenheimer said. One solution is to provide funding for landowners and developers to focus their floodlights downward in their yards instead of reaching areas that don’t need to be illuminated.
Another issue the Sentinel Landscape Partnership can tackle is flooding in Camp Bullis, 30 percent of which lies in a flood plain, and the surrounding areas.
The Texas Hill Country is known as flash flood alley because of its shallow soils and the steady moisture and humidity that comes off the Gulf of Mexico, making the area vulnerable to massive dry spells and drought followed by catastrophic floods.
At Camp Bullis, flash flooding has washed trucks away, covered roads and fields, and even killed a handful of people who got stuck in the floodwaters.
One solution involves speaking with landowners and developers about their own goals and values, Oppenheimer said.
“We’re not coming in and telling people what to do,” he said. “We talk about different tools and strategies to get them aligned with their goals and their interests. They don’t want to lose all their soil. They don’t want to be susceptible to drought and flood. Then, based on that, we discuss ways they can retain more soil moisture, reduce erosion and enhance grass production on their property.”
One flood prevention technique is building berms to slow water and enable it to be absorbed into the soil, a practice that is especially helpful during heavy rain. A berm is a raised barrier separating areas and can be made from brush and tree limbs or a grassy strip. With funding through the sentinel partnership, landowners could receive resources to build such structures or hire contractors to help them prepare the land for flooding.
Around Camp Bullis, berms are around the entire area for flooding, some made with brush and others with dirt and grass. In some cases, the berms serve multiple purposes — as bullet catchers for military range practice along with flood prevention.
“It’s not just us,” Waldrop said. “It’s everyone.”
WATER AS A JOINT MISSION
Tabor’s work at Camp Bullis includes protecting the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone’s caves and karsts, along with closely monitoring wildlife on the property, especially creatures that depend on the property for survival.
Camp Bullis provides habitat for the endangered golden-cheeked warbler and aquifer-dependent species, such as the blind salamander, San Marcos salamander and Comal Springs riffle beetle. Three river systems — the Medina, the San Antonio and the Cibolo — run through the Camp Bullis Sentinel Landscape’s massive area.
Decomposing wood helps the ground to absorb more water at Camp Bullis, which was recently designated a Sentinel Landscape. The designation, part of a federal initiative called the Sentinel Landscape Partnership, will facilitate significant financial resources to protect military readiness and advance conservation and agricultural productivity.
Robin Jerstad /Contributor
Of the 28,000 acres at Camp Bullis, 4,000 are within the recharge zone. It is also at the convergence of the Trinity Aquifer and karst features along Cibolo Creek. Two aquifers — the Trinity and Edwards — meet under Camp Bullis and influence each other through the flow of groundwater.
All military personnel and others at Camp Bullis depend on water from the Trinity Aquifer and its relationship with the Edwards Aquifer. Compared to the Edwards, the Trinity recharges slowly and needs more time to refresh.
At the Trinity Glen Rose Groundwater Conservation District, Assistant General Manager Amanda Maloukis said a large part of the Sentinel Landscape Partnership’s mission is protecting, preserving and conserving groundwater resources.
“We can bring in educational pieces to the community, to those ranches and landowners, that really helps enhance their own personal conservation efforts,” she said. “We have rain barrel workshops, which can help people put less stress on the aquifer. We have these high-precipitation events, flooding events, and we’re catching that extra runoff in barrels, which can be used.”
Some of the funding could also be used for further research on groundwater dynamics. By better understanding how the aquifers work together and contribute to the greater ecosystem, organizations and agencies can better protect the water for future generations.
Development around Camp Bullis can bring more pressure to the area in terms of pollution, spills and runoff into both aquifers. Groundwater, Maloukis said, is not just for communities around Camp Bullis, but also for the military within the conservation district. It’s important for everyone involved to keep it clean, and with the new sentinel landscape designation, the hope is they’re heading in the right direction.
“All of this water is tied together in terms of our relationship to the land,” Oppenheimer said. “That’s what this is all about, bringing everyone together to see how all these pieces fit into a really complex puzzle.”
All military personnel and others at Camp Bullis depend on water from the Trinity Aquifer and its relationship with the Edwards Aquifer. Compared to the Edwards, the Trinity recharges slowly and needs more time to refresh.
At the Trinity Glen Rose Groundwater Conservation District, Assistant General Manager Amanda Maloukis said a large part of the Sentinel Landscape Partnership’s mission is protecting, preserving and conserving groundwater resources.
“We can bring in educational pieces to the community, to those ranches and landowners, that really helps enhance their own personal conservation efforts,” she said. “We have rain barrel workshops, which can help people put less stress on the aquifer. We have these high-precipitation events, flooding events, and we’re catching that extra runoff in barrels, which can be used.”
Some of the funding could also be used for further research on groundwater dynamics. By better understanding how the aquifers work together and contribute to the greater ecosystem, organizations and agencies can better protect the water for future generations.
Development around Camp Bullis can bring more pressure to the area in terms of pollution, spills and runoff into both aquifers. Groundwater, Maloukis said, is not just for communities around Camp Bullis, but also for the military within the conservation district. It’s important for everyone involved to keep it clean, and with the new sentinel landscape designation, the hope is they’re heading in the right direction.
“All of this water is tied together in terms of our relationship to the land,” Oppenheimer said. “That’s what this is all about, bringing everyone together to see how all these pieces fit into a really complex puzzle.”
The Lone Star State’s First Sentinel Landscape Designation: Camp Bullis Sentinel Landscape Consortium
The Camp Bullis Sentinel Landscape Consortium is a partnership focused on conserving natural resources, strengthening military readiness, and bolstering agricultural productivity around Joint Base San Antonio-Camp Bullis.
Camp Bullis is located in northern Bexar County on the Edwards Aquifer Recharge and Contributing Zones. Here, Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA) provides training opportunities for 266 mission partners; this includes supporting all Department of Defense (DoD) enlisted and officer medical training, military intelligence, special forces, pre-deployment, national, and international training requirements.
With rapid population growth emanating from San Antonio and the I-35 corridor, the Texas Hill Country and Camp Bullis Sentinel Landscape (CBSL) are facing a mounting number of challenges affecting the long-term resilience of the region’s natural resources. New development contributes to the loss of agricultural lands and increased ambient light pollution, impacting nighttime military training. Growing demands on existing water supply have led to the loss of spring flow and aquifer drawdowns, impacting drinking water supplies for Camp Bullis, rural landowners, towns, and cities.
These and other challenges have attracted a myriad of partners to come together to create a collective vision for how to invest in protecting the natural resources that define the region as it grows. Since 2021, HCA has coordinated this collaborative effort, engaging dozens of partner organizations to collaborate towards shared goals.
Collaborative work will especially focus on supporting private landowners with resources that align with their stewardship goals. Thoughtful land stewardship provides rippling benefits, not only for the private landowner, but for society and future generations. Good land stewardship enhances water quality and quantity, mitigates floods and drought, supports agricultural productivity, and improves wildlife habitat.
The Consortium will also work to address regional challenges and opportunities, including: reducing light pollution that impairs nighttime training capabilities at Camp Bullis; mitigating wildfire risks to the military installation and nearby communities; and expanding access to public recreation areas.
Learn more about the Camp Bullis Sentinel Landscape Consortium.
Camp Bullis is located in northern Bexar County on the Edwards Aquifer Recharge and Contributing Zones. Here, Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA) provides training opportunities for 266 mission partners; this includes supporting all Department of Defense (DoD) enlisted and officer medical training, military intelligence, special forces, pre-deployment, national, and international training requirements.
With rapid population growth emanating from San Antonio and the I-35 corridor, the Texas Hill Country and Camp Bullis Sentinel Landscape (CBSL) are facing a mounting number of challenges affecting the long-term resilience of the region’s natural resources. New development contributes to the loss of agricultural lands and increased ambient light pollution, impacting nighttime military training. Growing demands on existing water supply have led to the loss of spring flow and aquifer drawdowns, impacting drinking water supplies for Camp Bullis, rural landowners, towns, and cities.
These and other challenges have attracted a myriad of partners to come together to create a collective vision for how to invest in protecting the natural resources that define the region as it grows. Since 2021, HCA has coordinated this collaborative effort, engaging dozens of partner organizations to collaborate towards shared goals.
Collaborative work will especially focus on supporting private landowners with resources that align with their stewardship goals. Thoughtful land stewardship provides rippling benefits, not only for the private landowner, but for society and future generations. Good land stewardship enhances water quality and quantity, mitigates floods and drought, supports agricultural productivity, and improves wildlife habitat.
The Consortium will also work to address regional challenges and opportunities, including: reducing light pollution that impairs nighttime training capabilities at Camp Bullis; mitigating wildfire risks to the military installation and nearby communities; and expanding access to public recreation areas.
Learn more about the Camp Bullis Sentinel Landscape Consortium.
This map of land cover within the Camp Bullis Sentinel Landscape boundary shows largely undeveloped shrub and evergreen forests facing encroaching development from San Antonio.
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This map shows the boundary lines of the Sentinel Landscape designation surrounding Camp Bullis as it relates to the Edwards Aquifer, communities, and nearby military bases.
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About The Camp Bullis Sentinel Landscape Consortium
Video: A New Frontier in Public-Private Land Conservation and Stewardship.
In this 7-minute recording from the 2021 Hill Country Leadership Summit, HCA’s Land Program Manager Daniel Oppenheimer presents a new project to advance collaborative conservation in the southern Hill Country.
In this 7-minute recording from the 2021 Hill Country Leadership Summit, HCA’s Land Program Manager Daniel Oppenheimer presents a new project to advance collaborative conservation in the southern Hill Country.
CONSORTIUM PARTNERS
This work is made possible through ongoing collaboration between more than 30 partners, including Comal County Conservation Alliance, across the region. Consortium partners are divided into two categories – signatory partners are charter members that signed a memorandum; supporting organizations are part of the core team and have invested significant time in the project.
This work is made possible through ongoing collaboration between more than 30 partners, including Comal County Conservation Alliance, across the region. Consortium partners are divided into two categories – signatory partners are charter members that signed a memorandum; supporting organizations are part of the core team and have invested significant time in the project.
The Importance of Sentinel Landscape Consortiums
