We want to preserve the natural habitat. So we are embarked on an effort of range stewardship, whether it is air, sea or land ranges. The Pentagon says it is paying more attention to the way its training affects the environment and is taking steps to mitigate its impact. At Fort Benning, Ga., where troops enter their initial stages of infantry training, there is a significant woodpecker population. A map, showing the woodpeckers' nesting areas in red, looks as if it were painted with a sponge, one officer said.
Every tree is a nesting area, it seems.
It is at Fort Benning that soldiers are taught how to retreat, or to dig in and stand firm for a fight. But they can't practice digging fox holes just anywhere. Fox holes, like latrines, can be dug only in certain areas so as not to damage the environment. We have to remove the hardwood undergrowth that encroaches on the habitat. We even have fish and wildlife people on the installation.