Responding to Change: Communities and BRAC - Military Base Realignment and Closure Local Impacts and Response, Organization, Outreach, Redevelopment Planning, Property Disposal, Plan Implementation

This report has been professionally converted for accurate flowing-text e-book format reproduction. The Office of Economic Adjustment was created to assist communities affected by DoD actions, including base realignments and closures or "BRAC." The changes created by BRAC affect many communities that have warmly embraced nearby military installations for many years. As the primary resource for communities in need, OEA takes great care to work with these communities, with the respect that they have earned to help them to capably respond to BRAC actions. OEA assistance is tailored, as no two communities are alike and the local response is never routine. Our experience demonstrates that economic recovery does not occur without decisive and effective local leadership, and a genuine partnership between the Military Departments and the affected communities. To assist you in gaining perspective OEA prepared this publication which contains practical advice for local and State officials responding to the community changes caused by BRAC.

An increase in military activity may challenge a community's capacity to absorb an influx of personnel and may place excessive demands on some off-base community services and facilities. Experience suggests that off-base housing scarcity and school overcrowding are areas of shared community and military concern. The community and the military alike must strive to maintain and improve the quality of life for local residents, including the new military personnel and their dependents. In the case of downsizing, civilian reuse of a former military installation may be one of the greatest challenges a community will face. Communities have capably responded to this challenge over the most recent rounds of base closure, from 1988 through 1995. In fact, for the more than 70 local redevelopment efforts that report on their progress annually, redevelopment activity through October 31, 2004, has resulted in the creation of 110,000 jobs, or 85 percent of the 130,000 civilian jobs lost as a result of the BRAC actions.

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