Protecting safety and occupational health of military and civilian personnel on military installations and people in nearby
communities is a shared goal of the military and local governments. Safety considerations should be applied when making
land use decisions, protecting mission security from outside threats, and when monitoring general safety factors pertaining
to everyday community activities, on and off base.
The below examples show how installations and communities can work together to ensure the health and safety of military personnel
and civilians through a variety of land use controls and educational resources.
Relevant Compatibility Factors: Safety
Zones, Anti-terrorism/Force Protection, Public and Military Base Safety
Best Practices in Maryland
- Aberdeen Proving Ground Boater's Guide
- Prince George's County Military Installation Overlay Zone
The location and nature of testing and training activities at Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG) have led to regulating boating
and fishing activities in the Chesapeake Bay abutting APG. The
APG Boaters Guide, published in 2019, informs the boating
community about the restrictions and maps where boating and fishing activities are controlled, based on when certain
APG training and testing operations are being conducted. The guide also describes how boaters can contact APG Patrol
vessels by radio and provides a schedule of water access restrictions. Using tools and resources such as this guide can
help educate and improve the public's understanding of military operations and facilitate improved relationship between
an installation and adjacent local governments.
Prince Georges County and Joint Base Andrews (JBA) developed a local ordinance that addresses compatible land uses based
on noise contours and safety areas -- accident potential zones and clear zones -- required to ensure safe aircraft operations
and the safety of the surrounding community. The safety-related portions of the local ordinance include restrictions
on the heights of buildings, prohibitions on new development, and restrictions on re-development or zoning changes in
those safety areas. The adoption of the overlay is a result of decades of collaboration between federal, regionals, and
county stakeholders. Find more information in the
Prince George's County Military Installation Overlay Zone case
study.
