Actual Encroachment v. Perceived Encroachment: A Case Study of Fort Jackson, South Carolina

Joshua Alex McDuffie, University of South Carolina

Abstract

The problem of encroachment on military training lands has accelerated throughout the latter part of the 20th and early 21st century. A lack of planning and a proliferation of low density developments on the urban fringe have contributed to increased pressure on military training lands. Residents who are bothered by military training activity and complain may cause a reduction in training or the loss of training lands. To combat this problem, and to try to minimize future encroachment, the Department of Defense has created several programs which attempt to utilize education, zoning, partnerships and conservation to prevent incompatible development. This study examined current methods of modeling encroachment, and through the use of a survey, geographic information systems and statistical procedures, was able to model the nuisance perceptions of residents living around Fort Jackson, South Carolina. By identifying specific locations and conditions that cause residents to perceive nuisances, it will be possible to specifically target the mitigation and prevention measures in the Department of Defense's encroachment toolkit, and to more economically apply resources to combat the problem. This study concluded that mitigation techniques such as compatible use buffers or military compatible zoning should be focused around the noisiest locations such as flight lines, firing points and impact areas, and that applying these techniques to a broader area around an installation's boundary are not likely to result in significant additional prevention of encroachment.