American Pronghorn Habitat Connectivity, Wupatki National Monument, Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, Grand Canyon National Park | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the name of this grant opportunity?

The opportunity is titled "American Pronghorn Habitat Connectivity, Wupatki National Monument, Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, Grand Canyon National Park."

What problem is this project trying to solve?

The project focuses on reversing long-term declines in Arizona pronghorn by improving their ability to move across a heavily fragmented landscape in northern Arizona. The opportunity explains that accelerated land development in roughly the past three decades has broken habitat into disconnected blocks, and pronghorn are especially sensitive to barriers that prevent movement between those blocks.

Why is habitat connectivity especially important for pronghorn?

According to the announcement, pronghorn struggle to cross typical range fences and are even less willing to cross major roads and highways. These barriers can effectively cut populations off from one another, limiting natural movement across the landscape.

What role do roads and highways play in pronghorn population separation?

The opportunity highlights that major roads and highways can create strong barrier effects. In the project area, transportation corridors are associated with the formation of distinct pronghorn subpopulations within habitat blocks created by those corridors.

Why is U.S. Highway 89 (US 89) a central concern in this project?

US 89 near Wupatki National Monument is described as a documented movement barrier for local pronghorn. Telemetry research dating back to 1992 repeatedly showed limited pronghorn movement across the highway, and more recent genetic work supports long-term separation associated with US 89 and other major highways on the plateau.

What evidence does the opportunity cite to support the idea that US 89 limits pronghorn movement?

The announcement references telemetry research beginning in 1992 that repeatedly documented the barrier effect of US 89 on pronghorn movement. It also notes that genetic work demonstrates long-term separation, with highways on the plateau associated with distinct subpopulations inside habitat blocks created by transportation corridors.

Why does separation into subpopulations matter for long-term pronghorn health?

The opportunity indicates that reduced mixing between groups can limit access to seasonal resources and may reduce resilience when conditions change. Long-term separation can therefore have implications for population health and persistence over time.

How does climate change factor into this grant opportunity?

Climate change is described as a multiplier of risk. The opportunity notes that warming conditions may force pronghorn to travel farther to find dependable summer forage and water, making landscape connectivity even more critical than it was historically.

Who is providing the funding for this opportunity?

Funding is provided by the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service (NPS), under a discretionary cooperative agreement.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) and CFDA number listed?

The announcement lists Funding Opportunity Number P16AS00341 and CFDA 15.944.

What is the activity category for this opportunity?

The activity category is Natural Resources.

Is this a grant or a cooperative agreement, and what does that imply?

It is described as a cooperative agreement. The opportunity notes that this structure signals the NPS expected to be actively involved alongside the recipient and project partners, rather than issuing a hands-off grant.

What is the total funding amount available?

The total award ceiling listed is $38,600.

How many awards does the opportunity expect to make?

The opportunity indicates an expectation of a single award.

When was the opportunity created and when did it close?

The opportunity was created on July 14, 2016, with an original closing date of July 24, 2016.

Who is eligible to apply based on the information provided?

Eligibility is described broadly as "Others," with additional clarification referenced in the full announcement.

What geographic area does the project focus on?

The work is focused in northern Arizona and references key areas including Wupatki National Monument, Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, and Grand Canyon National Park. It also emphasizes connectivity across the Coconino Plateau.

How large is the habitat area the project aims to reconnect?

The stated on-the-ground goal is to reconnect roughly 2,700 square miles of American pronghorn habitat across the Coconino Plateau.

What kinds of partners are involved in the broader effort described?

The opportunity describes a large, multi-partner effort spanning federal and state agencies, private ranches, and non-profit organizations.

Is the project described as a new pilot or part of an ongoing program?

The announcement implies the award supports an ongoing, coordinated program. It notes that landscape-scale planning and broad implementation of modification projects began in 2011.

How will the project measure whether connectivity improvements are working?

The opportunity states that new pronghorn telemetry data would be collected and compared against earlier "control" movement data from 2007 to 2010, allowing evaluation of pronghorn responses after specific connectivity treatments are installed.

What are the key study objectives mentioned in the announcement?

Objectives include testing the effectiveness of different modification strategies, developing valid design specifications for pronghorn-friendly highway and range fences, assessing pronghorn habitat use in areas where juniper reduction has occurred, and prioritizing the most important habitat connectivity areas and corridors with attention to climate-driven change scenarios.

What kinds of barriers are specifically mentioned as targets for modification?

The opportunity specifically mentions typical range fences and major roads/highways as barriers that pronghorn struggle to cross, and it emphasizes developing pronghorn-friendly designs for highway and range fences.

What is meant by developing "design specifications" in this context?

Based on the announcement, the project aims to produce practical, valid design guidance for pronghorn-friendly highway and range fences. The intent is to turn applied research findings into specifications that can guide future connectivity work.

Why does the project include work related to juniper reduction?

The opportunity includes an objective to assess how pronghorn use habitat in areas where juniper reduction has occurred. The announcement notes this is a vegetation management action that can change visibility, forage availability, and movement patterns.

How will the project decide which corridors and connectivity areas are most important?

The opportunity states that a major objective is to prioritize the most important habitat connectivity areas and corridors, with explicit emphasis on routes that improve mobility and resilience under climate-driven habitat change scenarios.

Does the opportunity address future conditions, not just current pronghorn movement?

Yes. The announcement emphasizes planning for climate-driven habitat change scenarios and notes the project is considering where pronghorn are likely to need to move as temperatures rise, water availability shifts, and seasonal range quality changes.

Is a pronghorn crossing structure across US 89 part of the expected outcomes?

The opportunity strongly implies a deliverable involving direct support for planning a dedicated pronghorn passage across US 89 near Wupatki National Monument.

Why is the US 89 passage described as significant?

The announcement notes it could be the first pronghorn-specific crossing structure of its kind in Arizona, highlighting the novelty of the effort in the state and the expectation that findings will inform real infrastructure decisions.

Are the results intended to be useful beyond the immediate project area?

Yes. The opportunity states that results are intended to be transferable and useful for planning additional pronghorn habitat connectivity actions across the region, including under fine-scale climate warming scenarios where corridors and design needs may shift over time.