10.13 AntiTerrorism / Force Protection Considerations

use trees to obscure sight lines

The presence of vegetation on an installation can have both beneficial and detrimental impacts on security.  The selection and placement of landscape plant material on Army installations is an integral element in the provision of protective measures to reduce the threat of terrorism. 

Proper selection and placement of trees and shrubs can be utilized to provide visual screening without creating concealment for covert activity.  The landscape architect responsible for tree placement should work closely with installation force protection experts to design a landscape plan that provides visual screening without compromising antiterrorism measures. 

The plant material must allow building occupants to see out, but must not allow outside forces to monitor interior activity.  The landscape architect should incorporate the following aspects into the design:

• Avoid conditions within 10 meters (33 feet) of inhabited structures that permit concealment of aggressors or obscure the view of objects or packages 150-millimeters (6 inches) in height or larger from the view of security personnel.  This results in the placement of shrubs and trees that are loose rather than dense in growth habit and possess multiple small stems rather than a single trunk that will obscure a 150 mm (6 inch) package.

• Vegetation groupings provide reduction of blast effect.

• Plant material selection and placement shall minimize potential hiding places for bombs and aggressors.

• Provide vegetation screens for play areas and outdoor recreation areas to obscure from off-installation view.

• Use trees to obscure sight lines of on-installation buildings from off-installation buildings.   

Landscape Design Standards