Using floor sweep compound carefully reduces the amount of floor sweep
required to clean up oil spills.
Using less harmful products reduces the toxicity of the waste generated.
Using soap and water instead of harmful solvents reduces the amount of harmful
(2) Reuse. Reusing products reduces the amount of trash that must be taken to commercial
landfills. Instead of throwing things away, reuse them. For example:
Use both sides of notepaper before throwing it away.
Select products that have refillable containers.
Collect and reuse rags in the arms room or the motor pool.
(3) Recycle. Prevent pollution by recycling. Many products the Army uses can be recycled.
These include paper, aluminum cans, radiators, batteries, pavement, and scrap metal. The installation
can often sell recyclable materials and raise funds for things like recreation facilities.
d. Conservation. Included in the conservation pillar are two different types of resource
management--conservation and preservation. Conservation focuses on responsibly using land to
ensure long-term, natural resource productivity. Preservation, which focuses on resource protection,
is essential for ensuring the future integrity of valuable national resources. The Army exercises
numerous preservation techniques and programs. These programs are exercised in concert with
programs of the Soil Conservation Service, the Fish and Wildlife Service, and other federal and state
agencies. All are devoted to land use and conservation, training area maintenance, and preservation
of natural resources and historic and cultural sites. Preservation is needed to ensure the future
integrity of valuable national resources such as species' habitats and historical and cultural sites. As
stewards of natural and cultural resources, the Army practices preservation.
1-4. Stewardship. Along with the Army training on a vast amount of acreage, comes the
responsibility of stewardship--safeguarding and enhancing our vital resources. The Army must
guarantee the continuing usefulness of land by protecting the environment from the effects of current
and future training operations.
a. The following environmental elements could potentially be affected through Army training
and operations:
(1) Forests. The Army is responsible for approximately one million acres of timberland.
These forests provide realistic training environments and are a valuable source of wildlife habitat.
Over 100 installations have programs for land use, conservation, and maintenance to keep training
areas healthy.
(2) Natural bodies of water and wetlands. Many Army installations include wetlands. In
recent years, we have learned just how crucial wetlands are to the nation's environment. They are
highly sensitive and productive areas that provide breeding, rearing, and feeding grounds for fish and
wildlife.
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