The US Army has determined that it is essential to national security that it expands its National Training Center at Fort Irwin near Barstow, California. Environmental groups oppose this action because it will impact critical habitat of the threatened desert tortoise and other groups oppose it because it will impact their use of the desert. Thus, the Army "Green Suits" faced a conflict between their charge of national defense, the need to protect the tortoise, and private interests. The Army has had a long-term program of tortoise protection on Fort Irwin but could not give up its "Mission" in the name of the tortoise. Therefore, a new approach was needed to bring together the active military officers and the regulatory and scientific community to find a practical solution to this conundrum. After two years of a consensus building process a solution was reached and has been enacted into law.