AZ BLM, Abandoned Mine Bat and Hazard Mitigation and Surveys | Apply Online

FAQs: AZ BLM Abandoned Mine Bat and Hazard Mitigation and Surveys (Funding Opportunity Number L14AS00106)

What is this grant opportunity?

This opportunity is a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) cooperative agreement focused on abandoned mine land (AML) work in Arizona. It supports projects that reduce public safety hazards at abandoned mine features while also protecting and maintaining important wildlife habitat, especially for bats and owls.

What problem is the program trying to solve?

Abandoned mine features can be dangerous to the public (for example, open shafts, unstable entrances, or hidden drops). At the same time, many of those same mine openings and structures can serve as roosting or nesting habitat for wildlife. The program is designed to address both issues together rather than treating them as competing priorities.

What types of sites are involved?

The work centers on abandoned mine land (AML) features in Arizona, including mine openings and related structures that pose hazards and may also be used by wildlife.

Which wildlife species are specifically emphasized?

The announcement especially emphasizes bats and owls. The broader goal is to maintain habitat availability and function for sensitive species associated with abandoned mine features.

What kinds of activities might a project include?

Based on the description, projects may include field surveys to determine whether bats or owls are using a mine opening, consideration of seasonal timing to avoid disturbing critical roosting periods, and selection/installation of mitigation methods that prevent unsafe human access while preserving wildlife use. The announcement also mentions assistance with installing mitigation devices such as bat-compatible gates or other engineered closures.

How does the program balance public safety and wildlife protection?

The intent is to reduce hazards without eliminating or degrading wildlife use of mine features. That includes identifying whether wildlife are present, planning around sensitive periods, and using closure or gating techniques that prevent human entry but still allow bats to pass through and continue using the site.

Is this a standard grant or a cooperative agreement?

It is described as a cooperative agreement. The announcement emphasizes hands-on collaboration and relationship-building between BLM and outside organizations, with partners working side by side with BLM staff rather than completing stand-alone work independently.

What is meant by "hands-on collaboration" in this opportunity?

The cooperative agreement structure is intended to support projects where partners bring specialized expertise and work directly with BLM staff in the field and through training. A key expectation is that partner experts help BLM employees learn to identify bat habitat at abandoned mine features, assess risks, and choose mitigation approaches that address both safety and wildlife needs.

What are the training and capacity-building goals?

The opportunity highlights objectives tied to long-term capacity building, including: giving BLM direct access to experts who can train staff on current identification methods and mitigation techniques for bat habitat associated with AML features; collaboratively developing mitigation strategies that account for both public safety and wildlife benefits; and providing practical field assistance (including installation of mitigation devices) so BLM staff are trained well enough to perform similar work in the future.

Does the program only fund closures, or does it also fund surveys?

It supports both mitigation and surveys. The description references field surveys to confirm wildlife use and also references hazard mitigation actions such as installing bat-compatible gates or other engineered closures.

What is the Assistance Listing (CFDA) number for this opportunity?

The opportunity is listed under CFDA/Assistance Listing 15.231, Fish, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Resource Management.

How much funding was available?

BLM anticipated making about two awards with an estimated total funding amount of $1,500,000.

What was the expected range of award amounts?

Individual awards could range from a minimum (floor) of $50,000 up to a maximum (ceiling) of $1,500,000.

Was cost sharing or matching required?

No. The announcement states there was no cost sharing or matching requirement, meaning applicants were not required to bring non-federal dollars to be considered.

Who was eligible to apply?

Eligibility was listed as unrestricted, effectively open to any applicant type, subject to any further clarifications in the full announcement.

How were applications required to be submitted?

Proposals were required to be submitted electronically through Grants.gov.

What was the application deadline?

The hard deadline was June 20, 2014 at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time. Applications submitted after that time were not eligible for award consideration.

When was the opportunity posted and when was it archived?

The announcement was posted May 9, 2014, and archived June 26, 2014.

Who was the contact person for questions about the announcement?

The listed contact was Eddie W. Bell Jr. at the Bureau of Land Management.

What contact details were provided?

Phone: 602-417-9268. Email: ebell@blm.gov.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number?

The Funding Opportunity Number is L14AS00106.

What geographic area does the program focus on?

The opportunity focuses on abandoned mine land sites in Arizona.

What is the broader intent beyond completing work during the grant period?

The description emphasizes strengthening BLM's in-house ability to manage abandoned mines in a way that remains protective of wildlife over the long term, not only completing a set of closures or surveys during the grant period.