The Defense Supply Center Richmond sits on more than 600 acres and is an installation with a long history of environmental conservation and agricultural care. The U.S. Army bought the Virginia property in 1941, and, through decades of military changes, sought to maintain its landscape.

The Vegetation Plan we created for DSCR provides specific guidance for the use of new and replacement vegetation that promotes the sustainability and future development of the installation. The plant materials specified in the Vegetation Plan provide aesthetic appeal while also promoting the preservation of fauna and flora, micro-climate modification, erosion control and sequestering carbon. Providing sustainable landscapes plays a crucial role in helping DSCR meet its environmental goals. Proper plant selection can improve the environmental conditions of facilities, increase energy efficiency, provide natural techniques to handle stormwater runoff, conserve water with the use of native species and cut overall maintenance budgets by reusing materials such as wood chips and reducing lawns.

The Vegetation Plan provides actionable guidance to alter existing landscape practices. It shows measurable results by minimizing maintenance and operations through the use of a standard plant palette, central-control irrigation systems, better organized landscape development and a greater use of drought-resistant native plant material. Incremental changes to landscape practices can lessen the environmental impact of future development, strengthen resilience to natural hazards and events, reduce the dependence on pesticides and reduce gas emissions from land management practices.

The previous master planning documents complement the Vegetation Plan, including the Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan and the Installation Planning Standards. Together, these planning documents provide a comprehensive resource for installation planners to make knowledgeable and sustainable decisions for DSCR.   

The Vegetation Plan will have a long-lasting impact for the more than 3,000 employees at DSCR and future generations. It is the first all-encompassing guide to detail native-to-Virginia plants that will preserve DSCR's land and its long-standing commitment to environmental sustainability.