Little Rock Air Force Base 

Since 1992 there have been three Air Installation Compatible Use Zone (AICUZ) studies prepared by the Air Force, with subsequent studies prepared in 2003 and2011. These internal focused studies were prepared to provide the base with information on the compatibility of its operations with land use patterns in the surrounding communities. While internally-driven, the AICUZ studies did provide recommendations for changes in land use and development policy to the base’s host communities. 

One of the outcomes of the earlier AICUZ studies was the enactment of a state statute in 1995 that mandated certain compatible use regulations be implemented by municipalities around Little Rock Air Force Base. The statute, known as A.C.A. § 14-56-426,subsequently led the cities of Jacksonville and Sherwood to adopt land use regulations intended to improve compatibility with operations at the base. This act was further amended in 2005 and 2017 to improve the effectiveness of the legislation.

In 2019, led by the City of Jacksonville, Little Rock Air Force Base’s host communities initiated the first community-driven compatible use planning process for the region. The Compatible Use Study process was funded by a grant from the Department of Defense’s Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation (OLDCC), and included community representation on the advisory committee from four counties (Pulaski, Lonoke White, and Faulkner) and seven municipalities (Jacksonville, Sherwood, Cabot, North Little Rock, Ward, Austin, and Lake Maumelle) that host the installation’s primary training and operational areas. This study, which was completed in 2021, made a number of recommendations for the communities to consider to protect the compatibility of local growth policies with ongoing training and operations occurring at our local installations. 

In 2022, the participating communities once again initiated a regional process to begin implementing the highest priority recommendations of the 2021 Compatible Use Study. With funding again secured through OLDCC, the communities collaborated to develop new compatible use regulations for implementation at the local level, along with several additional small area planning studies, the development of public outreach tools, and other measures to enhance community awareness and improve compatibility outcomes.

Community partners in the Compatible Use Study implementation effort once again included the counties of Pulaski, Lonoke, White, and Faulkner; and the municipalities of Jacksonville, Sherwood, Cabot, North Little Rock, Ward, Austin, and Lake Maumelle. This study was completed in 2023 and documents related to the study can be found under the Library of Materials tab.