Military Base Closures: Overview of Economic Recovery, Property Transfer, and Environmental Cleanup

The U.S. General Accounting Office report finds that the short-term impact of base closures can be very traumatic economically for affected communities, but long term recovery depends on successful redevelopment of the base and the strength of the regional and national economies. Of the 62 communities impacted by the first four rounds of major closures and realignments, 69 percent had unemployment rates lower than the national average in 2000.