Military Ecological Risk Assessment Framework (MERAF) for Assessment of Risks of Military Training and Testing to Natural Resources

摘要

This report provides the Department of Defense (DoD) with a framework based on a systematic, risk-based approach to assess impacts for management of natural resources in an ecosystem context. This risk assessment framework is consistent with, but extends beyond, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys (EPAs) ecological risk assessment framework, and specifically addresses DoD activities and management needs. Therefore, it is titled Military Ecological Risk Assessment Framework (MERAF) to convey this military focus. The intended users of this report include two broad categories: (1) DoD managers and (2) technical risk assessment specialists. Depending on the scope and scale of a specific assessment and on available in-house expertise, the technical aspects of a MERAF analysis might be conducted in-house or by contracted experts. In either case, the appropriate DoD managers must be responsible for defining the scope and problem formulation, overseeing the technical analysis, and evaluating and implementing the results.