Opportunity Information: Apply for L16AS00217
Apply for L16AS00217
- The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BLM CA Evaluate/Model Impacts of Roads, Washes, and Fences to Desert Tortoise Population Viability" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.231.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jun 24, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 24, 2016. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $500,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
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Opportunity Summary:
The funding opportunity titled "BLM CA Evaluate/Model Impacts of Roads, Washes, and Fences to Desert Tortoise Population Viability" is a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) grant focused on understanding and reducing human-caused impacts on the desert tortoise in the Desert Southwest, particularly in areas influenced by large-scale renewable energy development. The central issue behind the grant is that utility-scale solar projects, along with the infrastructure that tends to accompany them, can fragment habitat and increase direct mortality risks for desert tortoises, a species listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act since 1990. The opportunity is framed around a practical management need: as BLM continues approving renewable energy development on public lands, it must also identify ways to avoid creating new impacts, and to mitigate existing impacts in ways that measurably support tortoise recovery and long-term population viability.
A core emphasis of the project is evaluating and modeling how specific landscape features and human-built structures affect tortoise populations. The title highlights three key elements: roads, washes, and fences. Roads are a well-known source of wildlife mortality and habitat fragmentation, and they can also degrade nearby habitat through edge effects, noise, altered movement patterns, and increased human access. Washes, which are natural drainage features common in desert environments, can act as movement corridors or barriers depending on their shape and conditions, and they may interact with roads and other developments in ways that influence tortoise distribution and survival. Fences, particularly roadside tortoise fencing, are treated as a mitigation tool that may reduce roadkill and help "recapture" habitat close to roadways that has become depauperate (low in tortoise presence) due to chronic disturbance and mortality. In other words, the grant is aimed at determining whether fencing and related management actions meaningfully improve conditions for tortoises near roads and within impacted habitats, and how those improvements translate into population-level outcomes.
The award is structured as a cooperative agreement, meaning BLM expected to have substantial involvement in the project rather than simply issuing funds and receiving a final report. The opportunity falls under the Natural Resources funding activity category and is associated with CFDA (now commonly referred to as Assistance Listing) number 15.231. Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, implying a wide range of applicants could apply (such as universities, nonprofits, and other qualified entities), subject to any additional eligibility details that may have been provided in the full announcement. The funding ceiling for the single expected award was up to $500,000, with BLM anticipating one awardee. The opportunity was posted June 24, 2016, with an original closing date of August 24, 2016.
Overall, this grant opportunity is best understood as an applied conservation science project tied directly to land management decisions in the context of renewable energy buildout on public lands. It seeks to generate defensible analyses and predictive models that can guide where roads and fencing should be placed, how existing infrastructure affects tortoise populations, and whether mitigation actions like roadside fencing can reduce mortality and restore functional habitat adjacent to roadways. The intended outcome is actionable information that helps BLM balance renewable energy development with legal and policy obligations to protect a threatened species and improve its chances of recovery.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the title of this funding opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "BLM CA Evaluate/Model Impacts of Roads, Washes, and Fences to Desert Tortoise Population Viability."
Which agency is offering this grant?
This opportunity is offered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
What is the main purpose of the project?
The project focuses on understanding and reducing human-caused impacts to the desert tortoise in the Desert Southwest by evaluating and modeling how roads, washes, and fences affect tortoise population viability.
Why is BLM seeking this work now?
The need is tied to ongoing large-scale renewable energy development on public lands. As BLM continues approving utility-scale solar and associated infrastructure, it must avoid creating new impacts and address existing impacts in ways that measurably support desert tortoise recovery and long-term viability.
What species is the project focused on?
The work centers on the desert tortoise, which has been listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act since 1990.
What geographic area does this opportunity emphasize?
The opportunity emphasizes the Desert Southwest, especially areas influenced by large-scale renewable energy development.
What kinds of impacts is the grant trying to address?
The grant is aimed at impacts associated with human development that can fragment habitat and increase direct mortality risks for desert tortoises, including the effects of roads and the broader infrastructure that tends to accompany utility-scale solar development.
Why are roads specifically highlighted in the project?
Roads are highlighted because they are a well-known source of wildlife mortality and habitat fragmentation. They can also degrade nearby habitat through edge effects, noise, altered movement patterns, and increased human access.
What are "washes," and why do they matter for desert tortoises?
Washes are natural drainage features common in desert environments. They can function as movement corridors or barriers depending on their shape and conditions, and they may interact with roads and other developments in ways that influence tortoise distribution and survival.
How do fences fit into the project?
Fences, particularly roadside tortoise fencing, are discussed as a mitigation tool. The project is meant to evaluate whether fencing and related management actions reduce roadkill and help restore or "recapture" habitat near roadways that has become depauperate due to chronic disturbance and mortality.
What does "depauperate habitat" mean in the context of this opportunity?
In this context, depauperate habitat refers to areas close to roadways that have low tortoise presence, often linked to ongoing disturbance and mortality.
What types of outputs is BLM looking for?
The opportunity is framed around producing defensible analyses and predictive models that can guide management decisions, such as where roads and fencing should be placed, how existing infrastructure affects tortoise populations, and whether mitigation actions improve outcomes at the population level.
Is this opportunity more research-focused or management-focused?
It is best described as applied conservation science tied directly to land management decisions, with an emphasis on actionable information that supports real-world planning, mitigation, and species recovery.
How does this project relate to renewable energy development?
The project is positioned within the context of renewable energy buildout on public lands, particularly utility-scale solar. It is intended to help BLM balance renewable energy development with obligations to protect a threatened species and improve recovery prospects.
What kind of award instrument is used?
The award is structured as a cooperative agreement.
What does it mean that the award is a cooperative agreement?
A cooperative agreement indicates BLM expected to have substantial involvement in the project, rather than simply providing funds and receiving a final report.
What is the funding activity category for this opportunity?
The funding activity category is Natural Resources.
What is the Assistance Listing (CFDA) number associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is associated with CFDA (Assistance Listing) number 15.231.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, suggesting a wide range of applicants could apply (such as universities, nonprofits, and other qualified entities), subject to any additional eligibility details that may have been included in the full announcement.
How much funding is available?
The funding ceiling for the single expected award was up to $500,000.
How many awards did BLM anticipate making?
BLM anticipated making one award.
When was the opportunity posted?
The opportunity was posted on June 24, 2016.
What was the original application closing date?
The original closing date was August 24, 2016.
What is the intended long-term outcome of this work?
The intended outcome is actionable, defensible information that helps BLM avoid creating new impacts, improve mitigation of existing impacts, and support desert tortoise recovery and long-term population viability while managing renewable energy development on public lands.
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Applicants also applied for:
Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (L16AS00217) also looked into and applied for these:
| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| BLM CA Evaluate Mohave Ground Squirrel (MGS) Populations and Their Viability Apply for L16AS00219 Funding Number: L16AS00219 Agency: Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management Category: Natural Resources Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| Migratory Bird Monitoring, Assessment and Conservation Apply for F16AS00303 Funding Number: F16AS00303 Agency: Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service Category: Natural Resources Funding Amount: $63,500 |
| BLM-Alaska, Recreation Capacity Building Partnership Apply for L16AS00207 Funding Number: L16AS00207 Agency: Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management Category: Natural Resources Funding Amount: $1,500,000 |
| Miller Creek Trail Improvement Project Apply for NPSNOIYELL1600902 Funding Number: NPSNOIYELL1600902 Agency: Department of the Interior, National Park Service Category: Natural Resources Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Endangered Species Conservation, Recovery Implementation Funds Apply for F16AS00309 Funding Number: F16AS00309 Agency: Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service Category: Natural Resources Funding Amount: $150,000 |
| BLM OR-WA Plant Conservation, Vale District Apply for L16AS00146 Funding Number: L16AS00146 Agency: Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management Category: Natural Resources Funding Amount: $18,000 |
| BLM OR/WA - Cooperative Research, Oregon, Washington and the Intermountain region (between the Rockies and the Cascades) Apply for L16AS00220 Funding Number: L16AS00220 Agency: Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management Category: Natural Resources Funding Amount: $100,000 |
| Develop Citizen Science Monitoring Program for Local Avifauna Apply for P16AS00284 Funding Number: P16AS00284 Agency: Department of the Interior, National Park Service Category: Natural Resources Funding Amount: $28,000 |
| NOTICE OF INTENT: Guadalupe Mountains National Park Trail Rehabilitation Apply for P16AS00275 Funding Number: P16AS00275 Agency: Department of the Interior, National Park Service Category: Natural Resources Funding Amount: $154,077 |
| Assessing Big Sagebrush Seedling Inoculation with Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) Apply for L16AS00209 Funding Number: L16AS00209 Agency: Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management Category: Natural Resources Funding Amount: $25,000 |
| Great Basin Ranger Corp Apply for P16AS00297 Funding Number: P16AS00297 Agency: Department of the Interior, National Park Service Category: Natural Resources Funding Amount: $50,000 |
| Visitor Facility Enhancements, Refuges and Wildlife Apply for F16AS00292 Funding Number: F16AS00292 Agency: Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service Category: Natural Resources Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| BLM-CO Assisted Succession and Assessment in Burn Scars Apply for L16AS00205 Funding Number: L16AS00205 Agency: Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management Category: Natural Resources Funding Amount: $30,500 |
| Notice of Intent: Catalog and Digitize Southern Arizona Group Cultural Resource Records Apply for P16AS00289 Funding Number: P16AS00289 Agency: Department of the Interior, National Park Service Category: Natural Resources Funding Amount: $77,197 |
| BLM-MT Development and Coordination of Wild Turkey and Upland Game Habitat and Public Land Access Coordination Apply for L16AS00170 Funding Number: L16AS00170 Agency: Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management Category: Natural Resources Funding Amount: $15,000 |
| Watershed restoration on the Valles Caldera National Preserve Apply for NPSNOIVALL1601011 Funding Number: NPSNOIVALL1601011 Agency: Department of the Interior, National Park Service Category: Natural Resources Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| BLM OR-WA Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail Maintenance, Monitoring, and Outreach, Spokane District Apply for L16AS00227 Funding Number: L16AS00227 Agency: Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management Category: Natural Resources Funding Amount: $6,000 |
| Notice of Intent to Award Apply for BOR LC 16 N016 Funding Number: BOR LC 16 N016 Agency: Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation Category: Natural Resources Funding Amount: $100,000 |
| GCDAMP Tribal Participation Apply for BOR UC 16 N014 Funding Number: BOR UC 16 N014 Agency: Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation Category: Natural Resources Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| BLM OR-WA Vegetation Mapping Utilizing Remote Sensing, Burns Apply for L16AS00225 Funding Number: L16AS00225 Agency: Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management Category: Natural Resources Funding Amount: $167,000 |
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