Defense Coastal/Estuarine Research Program (DCERP) Strategic Plan

Critical military training and testing on lands along the nation's coastal and estuarine shorelines are increasingly placed at risk because of development pressures in surrounding areas, impairments due to other anthropogenic disturbances, and increasing requirements for compliance with environmental regulations. The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) intends to enhance and sustain its training and testing assets and to optimize its stewardship of natural resources through the development and application of an ecosystem-based management approach on DoD facilities. To accomplish the above goal, the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) launched the Defense Coastal/Estuarine Research Program (DCERP) at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune (MCBCL) in North Carolina. MCBCL provides an ideal platform for DCERP because it integrates coastal barrier, estuarine, coastal wetland, and terrestrial ecosystems, all within the boundaries of DoD properties.