RTTUZYUW RUEWMCS0000 1081841-UUUU-RUCRNAV ZNR UUUUU R 171841Z APR 08 FM ASSTSECNAV IE WASHINGTON DC TO ALNAV BT UNCLAS ALNAV 029/08 MSGID/GENADMIN/ASSTSECNAV IE WASHINGTON DC/-/APR// SUBJ/DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY 2008 EARTH DAY MESSAGE// RMKS/1. ON APRIL 22, THE DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY WILL CELEBRATE THE 38TH ANNIVERSARY OF EARTH DAY. THIS YEAR EARTH DAY IS MADE ALL THE MORE SPECIAL BY A RECENT DEVELOPMENT THAT WILL ENABLE THE DEPARTMENT TO IMPROVE UPON AN ALREADY IMPRESSIVE RECORD OF ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP. 2. IT GIVES ME GREAT PLEASURE TO ANNOUNCE THE FIRST-EVER DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGY. DEVELOPED WITH INPUT FROM ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE DEPARTMENT, THE STRATEGY PROVIDES AN ENVIRONMENTAL VISION AND GOALS FOR ALL MEMBERS OF THE DEPARTMENT ? FROM SENIOR LEADERSHIP RIGHT DOWN TO OUR MOST JUNIOR MEMBERS. I ENCOURAGE YOU TO FAMILIARIZE YOURSELVES WITH THE STRATEGY, WHICH IS AVAILABLE ON THE DON ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS WEBSITE AT THE FOLLOWING LINK: HTTP://SECNAVPORTAL.DONHQ.NAVY.MIL/IE/ENVIRONMENT. 3. THE VISION OF THE STRATEGY IS ENCAPSULATED IN THE PHRASE SUSTAINING OUR ENVIRONMENT, PROTECTING OUR FREEDOM. AS MEMBERS OF THE WORLDS FINEST NAVY AND MARINE CORPS, WE MUST CONTINUE TO MAKE SURE THAT AS WE ACCOMPLISH OUR MILITARY MISSION, WE DO NOT NEGLECT OUR ENVIRONMENTAL MISSION. WHATEVER YOUR JOB, SPECIALTY, OR RANK, YOU ARE ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN DEFENDING THIS NATION. IT IS ONLY FITTING THAT YOU HELP TO PRESERVE AND SUSTAIN THAT WHICH YOU ARE DEFENDING. 4. I KNOW THAT WE ARE WELL ON OUR WAY TO FULFILLING THE VISION OF THE STRATEGY. RECENT VISITS I HAVE MADE TO DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY INSTALLATIONS AND FACILITIES AROUND THE GLOBE AND CONVERSATIONS WITH MEMBERS OF OUR OPERATING FORCES HAVE MADE IT CLEAR THAT WE ARE HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. FROM OUR ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERS AND PLANNERS, TO OUR JUNIOR SAILORS AND MARINES, THE DEPARTMENT POSSESSES SOME OF THE BEST ENVIRONMENTAL TALENT IN THE WORLD. I CONTINUE TO BE IMPRESSED BY YOUR DEDICATION TO OUR MILITARY AND OUR ENVIRONMENTAL MISSIONS. 5. PROOF OF THAT DEDICATION IS EVIDENT WHEN YOU CONSIDER HOW FAR THE DEPARTMENT HAS COME IN MANAGING OUR EFFECTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND REDUCING OUR OVERALL ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT. ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING HAS BECOME A CONSIDERATION IN ALL OF OUR MAJOR DECISIONS, AND AS A RESULT WE REMAIN ABLE TO COMPLETE OUR MILITARY MISSION WHILE SUSTAINING AND PROTECTING THE LAND, WATER, AND AIR WHERE WE TRAIN, OPERATE, AND LIVE. 6. SHIPS ARE BEING CONSTRUCTED USING PROCESSES AND MATERIALS THAT CREATE MINIMAL IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT FROM CRADLE TO GRAVE. WE CONTINUE TO ASSESS, EVALUATE, AND DOCUMENT THE ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF NEW SYSTEMS, WEAPONS, AND PLATFORMS AS THEY ARE DEVELOPED AND FIELDED TO THE FLEET. 7. OUR INSTALLATIONS ARE EMBRACING THE CONCEPT OF LOW-IMPACT DEVELOPMENT (LID), AND PUTTING THE DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY LID POLICY INTO PRACTICE, THEREBY REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF STORMWATER RUNOFF INTO INLAND AND OCEAN WATERS. 8. THE DEPARTMENT EMPLOYS WIND, SOLAR, AND GEOTHERMAL POWER GENERATION TECHNOLOGIES, REDUCING OUR NEED FOR ELECTRICITY GENERATED BY FOSSIL FUELS, LIMITING THE AMOUNT OF GREENHOUSE GASES INTRODUCTED TO THE ATMOSPHERE, AND ALLOWING MORE INSTALLATIONS TO COME CLOSER TO ENERGY SELF-SUFFICIENCY. 9. WE HAVE ENTERED INTO PARTNERSHIPS TO COUNTER THE PHENOMENON OF ENCROACHMENT AROUND OUR INSTALLATIONS, ALLOWING US TO TRAIN EFFECTIVELY WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY PROVIDING A SANCTUARY FOR THREATENED AND ENDANGERED SPECIES. 10. OUR NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGERS ENSURE CONTINUED PROTECTION OF OVER 150 UNIQUE, THREATENED, AND ENDANGERED SPECIES AND CONSERVATION OF THEIR HABITATS THROUGH PROACTIVE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF MANAGEMENT PLANS FOR OUR INSTALLATIONS AND FACILITIES. 11. WE CONTINUE TO OPERATE RESPONSIBLY AROUND THE WORLD, STRINGENTLY OBSERVING PROTECTIVE MEASURES THAT ALLOW US TO CARRY OUT OUR MISSION IN HARMONY WITH THE OCEAN ENVIRONMENT. THE NAVY REMAINS A LEADER IN MARINE MAMMAL RESEARCH, INVESTING OVER 25 MILLION IN FISCAL YEAR (FY) 2007 ALONE TO BETTER UNDERSTAND OUR OCEAN NEIGHBORS. 12. THE NAVY AND MARINE CORPS CONTINUE THEIR LEADERSHIP IN THE USE OF ALTERNATIVE FUELS AND ALTERNATIVE FUEL VEHICLES. AGGRESSIVE EFFORTS IN ACQUISITION AND INFRASTRUCTURE SUPPORT HAVE ALLOWED THE SERVICES TO REPLACE THE EQUIVALENT OF MORE THAN 1 MILLION GALLONS OF CONVENTIONAL PETROLEUM FUEL PRODUCTS WITH ALTERNATIVE FUELS IN FY 2007. THE DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY PETROLEUM REDUCTION AND ALTERNATIVE FUEL VEHICLE STRATEGY, WHICH WENT INTO EFFECT IN NOVEMBER 2007, PROVIDES A ROADMAP FOR CONTINUED EXCELLENCE IN INCREASING THE USE OF ALTERNATIVE FUELS AND WILL ALLOW DON TO CAPITALIZE ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND NATIONAL SECURITY BENEFITS THAT RESULT WHEN WE REDUCE OUR USE OF FOSSIL FUELS. 13. AS ALWAYS, THE STRENGTH OF OUR ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS RELY ON YOU, THE MEMBERS OF THE DEPARTMENT, AS YOU EXECUTE YOUR MILITARY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MISSIONS. OUR NAVY AND MARINE CORPS ENVIRONMENTAL ALL STARS ARE RECOGNIZED THROUGH THE ANNUAL SECRETARY OF THE NAVY ENVIRONMENTAL AWARDS. INFORMATION ON THE FY2007 AWARD WINNERS CAN BE VIEWED ON AN INTERACTIVE MAP AT THE FOLLOWING SITE: HTTP://WWW.NAVY.MIL/MEDIA/MULTIMEDIA/ENVIRONMENTAL/INDEX.HTML. THE CEREMONY TO RECOGNIZE THE WINNERS WILL TAKE PLACE AT THE NAVY MEMORIAL ON 3 JUNE 2008. 14. AN EARTH DAY EVENT CALENDAR WILL BE AVAILABLE SHORTLY ON THE DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS WEBSITE. I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE ACTIVITIES IN YOUR AREA. VISIT THE SITE AT HTTP://SECNAVPORTAL.DONHQ.NAVY.MIL/IE/ENVIRONMENT FOR MORE INFORMATION. 15. I REMAIN PROUD OF THE EFFORTS PUT FORTH BY ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE DEPARTMENT - OUR SAILORS, MARINES, AND CIVILIANS - AS YOU GO ABOUT THE TASK OF PROTECTING AND PRESERVING THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE PLACES YOU LIVE, WORK, AND TRAIN. AS ALWAYS, YOU ARE RAISING THE BAR FOR ENVIRONMENTAL EXCELLENCE. YOU TRULY EMBODY THE VISION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGY, SUSTAINING OUR ENVIRONMENT, PROTECTING OUR FREEDOM. 16. RELEASE AUTHORIZED BY THE HONORABLE BJ PENN, ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF THE NAVY (INSTALLATIONS AND ENVIRONMENT).// BT #0000 NNNN