(Photo courtesy of U.S. Air Force)

Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson.

Arizona’s military operations account for a $9 billion economic impact on the state. That’s one of the reasons people are working to make sure bases are protected from encroachment.

This summer the Sonoran Institute released a report on encroachment. Ian Dowdy, director of the Institute’s Sun Corridor Legacy Program, was one of its authors.

Arizona isn’t the only state thinking about this. States are competing to keep their bases open, especially when the Defense Department looks to close some.

For that perspective, we turn to Jim Reed, group director for the Environment, Energy & Transportation Program at the National Conference of State Legislatures.