About

Designated in 2013, the Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) Sentinel Landscape was the first federally recognized sentinel landscape. It is anchored by one of the largest installations in the U.S. Army, JBLM, which is home to over 295,000 soldiers, civilians, dependents, and retirees. JBLM encompasses 63,000 acres of military training area, including over 7,000 acres of impact area, 86 ranges and mortar points, 13 drop zones, and two airfields.

In addition, the sentinel landscape supports the majority of the South Puget Sound’s remaining prairie habitat. For decades, prairie lands in the region have deteriorated due to rapid development and increased demand on natural resources. Conversely, the ecosystem has thrived on JBLM where development is minimal, and periodic fires caused by prescribed burning and military training activities have maintained healthy vegetation. This has resulted in many species that rely on the prairie habitat, including the Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly, Mazama pocket gopher, and streaked horned lark seeking refuge on JBLM training lands.

The JBLM Sentinel Landscape partners collaborate to maintain the South Puget Sound agricultural landscape, protect and restore native South Puget Sound prairies, and advance recovery and management of threatened and endangered species. These actions support the military mission of JBLM by: 1) addressing regulatory, administrative, and procedural barriers to increase training flexibility; 2) working with off-installation community members to help on-installation planners meet future mission requirements and training needs; and 3) protecting open space, much of which is in agricultural production, through voluntary coordination with local landowners.