Deadline: 6-Jul-21
The Department of the Interior and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) are pleased to announce the Montana/Dakotas Plant Conservation and Restoration Management Program to provide leadership in identifying, maintaining, and restoring Western native plant communities on public lands.
The Montana/Dakotas BLM has opportunities to work with partner organizations to accomplish goals of the BLM Plant Conservation and Restoration Program that include, but are not limited to, such things as:
- Support habitat management efforts to restore keystone wildlife and pollinator habitats and increase on-the-ground project work to reduce the threats to sage grouse, and other sensitive species in high priority habitats.
- Work with growers to continue to develop genetically appropriate native plant material for use in habitat restoration and reclamation.
- Support studies to improve the effectiveness of conservation restoration efforts to include, but not be limited to, plant ecological and ecophysiological studies, seed bank persistence, plant propagation and development of agronomic production practices, and trait and/or seed source evaluations as well as seeding treatment and tool development via partners, State Offices and Eco-regional Plant Conservation and Restoration Programs.
- Support pollinator studies and projects that increase the knowledge and nexus to the importance of native plant communities and pollinators to restoration durability and ecological function.
- Monitor, protect, increase understanding and restore habitat that supports more than 1,700 rare plant species, more than 400 of which are found exclusively on BLM lands.
- Work with partners to implement priority species conservation actions.
- Assist BLM programs such as Fuels and Emergency Stabilization and Restoration in restoring public lands and integrating more widespread use of native plant materials. The BLM manages these resources and other vegetation management activities in cooperation with states, tribes, other federal agencies, and non-governmental organizations.
- Expand public education programs and outreach to include, but not be limited to, development of information bulletins, handbooks, webinars, and apps, that also increase the Citizen Science nexus with BLM and partners.
Program Strategic Goals
- Restoring or improving wildlife habitat or reducing threats to habitat or species;
- Developing genetically appropriate native plant material for use in habitat restoration;
- Inventory and prioritization of plant populations;
- Implementing and assessing restoration efforts through monitoring;
- Collaborating with farmers and conservationists to increase BLM Stock and Foundation seed amounts to use on larger Seed Increase IDIQ contracts so that commercial availability of genetically diverse, locally sourced seed for restoration, rehabilitation and reclamation projects is increased at a larger and provenance specific scale;
- Initiating or refining Source Identified Seed Certification programs via partnerships with state seed certifying agencies;
- Inventorying, monitoring and restoring rare plant species and their associated communities to include development of conservation strategies/plans that include best management strategies and reporting on the condition and trend of rare plant species and their habitat;
- Increasing and improving pollinator habitat;
- Expanding public education programs and outreach; and
- Database creation, and management and analyses, including geospatial, collaborative web service or support and training.
Funding Information
- Estimated Total Funding: $ 250,000
- Maximum Award: $ 100,000
- Minimum Award: $ 5,000
- Anticipated Number of Awards: 3
Eligibility Criteria
- State governments
- County governments
- City or township governments
- Special district governments
- Independent school districts
- Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
- Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
- Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
- Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
- Private institutions of higher education
- Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
- Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=333399
