UM, Army Strike Partnership to Manage 9 Military Installations Across the West

MISSOULA – The University of Montana’s Center for Integrated Research on the Environment and the U.S. Army have strengthened their partnership with a new 10-year agreement to provide resource management and environmental research on nine Army installations across the western U.S.

“This agreement will ensure the government’s management and diverse use of the Army’s multimillion acres of military lands within these bases are sustained in order to accomplish the Army’s mission into the future,” said William G. Kidd, director of G4 facilities and logistics, Installation Management Command of the U.S. Army.

The Regional Intergovernmental Service Agreement is the first of its kind to include multiple Army installations and areas of research and service. In the future, possibilities are open to expand the partnership to other Army installations as the capacity for research continues.

“This is the latest example of UM expanding our partnership and impact across the country,” said UM President Seth Bodnar, an Army veteran and member of the Montana Army National Guard. “This partnership with the Army will increase research opportunities for our students and faculty, as well as pave the way for future collaboration between UM and our military branches.”

Through this collaboration, CIRE will provide expertise and technical resources to perform research and services that include forestry and wildlife management, threatened and endangered species surveys, tribal consultations, archeological surveys and wildland fire planning and management. The center also will provide affiliated technical GIS support services and environmental project consultation.

“The agreement is designed to expand upon the natural resource management we already provide to multiple Midwest Air Force installations via a similar five-year cooperative agreement, the wildland fire management we provide for California Air Force bases and the wildlife management we provide at certain Marine Corps installations in California,” said Kevin Swinford, CIRE director and a 28-year veteran of managing environmental contracts and agreements for the Department of Defense.

“The opportunity to expand our outreach provides multiple new opportunities for research and hands-on field learning for our student and faculty partners across the university community,” he added.

CIRE’s research team is made up of UM professors and students who conduct field and task-based research in Montana, Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, Idaho, Colorado, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas.

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Contact: Dave Kuntz, director of strategic communications, 406-243-5659, dave.kuntz@umontana.edu.