BLM-CO Assisted Succession and Assessment in Burn Scars | Apply Online

FAQs: BLM-CO Assisted Succession and Assessment in Burn Scars (L16AS00205)

What is the official title of this grant opportunity?

The official title is "BLM-CO Assisted Succession and Assessment in Burn Scars."

What is the Funding Opportunity Number?

The Funding Opportunity Number (FON) is L16AS00205.

Which agency issued this opportunity?

This opportunity was issued by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), specifically through the BLM Colorado State Office.

Is this a grant or a cooperative agreement?

It was offered as a cooperative agreement (a discretionary funding opportunity). The description indicates BLM expected to be actively involved in shaping or supporting the work as it happens, rather than providing a fully hands-off award.

What activity category does this opportunity fall under?

The opportunity falls under the Natural Resources activity category.

What CFDA number is associated with this program?

The associated CFDA number is 15.231.

When was the opportunity created?

The opportunity was created on June 20, 2016.

What was the original application closing date?

The original closing date was August 19, 2016.

How many awards did BLM anticipate making?

BLM anticipated making one award.

What was the maximum funding amount available?

The award ceiling (maximum funding amount) was $30,500.

What is the main purpose of this project?

The main purpose is to understand and improve post-disturbance forest recovery in the western United States, particularly in areas affected by logging practices and subsequent slash pile burning, and to generate information that helps land managers make restoration more effective and ecologically appropriate.

What specific disturbance is this opportunity focused on?

The focus is on slash pile burn scars created after logging and fuel treatment activities where slash piles are burned, sometimes resulting in high-heat impacts to soils and vegetation recovery.

Why are slash pile burn scars considered a restoration challenge?

The opportunity describes that intense heat from burning slash piles can damage soils, disrupt natural regeneration and successional pathways, and create conditions where non-native invasive plants can quickly colonize and dominate. This can prevent tree seedlings from establishing and leave persistent gaps in the forest floor.

How do invasive plants relate to burn scars in this opportunity?

The opportunity notes that non-native invasive plants may rapidly colonize burn scar areas and dominate those patches, which can interfere with native regeneration (including tree seedling establishment) and alter longer-term recovery.

Does the opportunity mention risks associated with using seed mixes after disturbance?

Yes. It notes that seed mixes used after disturbance can sometimes produce dense grass cover that blankets the soil surface. This can reduce light and space for a wider range of native plants to return, lowering plant diversity and altering the trajectory of succession.

What types of work did BLM intend to support with this funding?

BLM intended to support field-based assessment and applied research, including on-the-ground information gathering and studies focused on what happens in and around slash pile burn scars and how those impacts influence plant community recovery over time.

What are the stated goals of the project?

The stated goals include improving processes for native plant restoration, directly addressing the consequences of slash pile burning, and developing or refining techniques for rehabilitating soils damaged by high-heat burns.

What are examples of practical tasks that could fit the scope described?

Based on the description, example tasks could include monitoring vegetation response, comparing different restoration or revegetation approaches, evaluating invasive species pressure, and testing soil rehabilitation methods aimed at reestablishing conditions favorable to native regeneration and long-term forest resilience.

Is this opportunity focused on research, on-the-ground restoration, or both?

The description emphasizes field-based assessment and applied research aimed at improving restoration effectiveness. It is framed as producing actionable findings that inform and improve restoration practices, including soil rehabilitation and native plant restoration processes.

Where is the intended management relevance for the project?

The opportunity is described as intended to produce actionable findings for BLM land management in Colorado, with broader relevance to western forest restoration challenges.

Is eligibility limited to certain applicant types?

Eligibility was listed as unrestricted, meaning it was broadly open to a wide range of applicant types, as long as applicants met any conditions described in the full announcement under additional eligibility guidance.

What makes this opportunity "small" or targeted?

The opportunity anticipated a single award with a maximum funding amount of $30,500, and it targeted a specific management and restoration problem: assisted succession and assessment in slash pile burn scars.

What is meant by "assisted succession" in the context provided?

Within the context provided, "assisted succession" refers to helping guide or improve the natural recovery pathway of plant communities after disturbance, particularly where burn scars, invasive species pressure, soil damage, or dense seeded grass cover may otherwise shift succession away from diverse native recovery.

What restoration issues is BLM trying to prevent or reduce through this project?

The opportunity highlights unintended consequences of fuel reduction and post-disturbance actions, including soil damage from high-heat burning, disrupted regeneration, invasive plant dominance, persistent gaps in forest cover, reduced light/space for native plants due to dense grass cover from seed mixes, lowered plant diversity, and altered successional trajectories.