BLM-Alaska, Assessment Inventory and Monitoring (AIM) Implementation | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the title of this grant opportunity?

The opportunity is titled "BLM-Alaska, Assessment Inventory and Monitoring (AIM) Implementation."

What is the Funding Opportunity Number?

The Funding Opportunity Number is L16AS00063.

Which federal agency is offering this funding?

This is a U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (DOI-BLM) funding opportunity, specifically associated with BLM Alaska.

Is this a discretionary funding opportunity?

Yes. It is described as a DOI-BLM discretionary funding opportunity.

What type of award is expected under this opportunity?

The award is structured as a cooperative agreement.

What does it mean that this is a cooperative agreement?

A cooperative agreement typically indicates substantial involvement by the federal agency during the project. Based on the description provided, that involvement may include coordination on methods, data standards, site selection, field protocols, and/or reporting.

What is the main purpose of this grant?

The purpose is to support implementation of the BLM Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring (AIM) strategy in Alaska, with the goal of improving the quality and comparability of monitoring data to support better-informed land management decisions across large landscapes.

What is BLM's Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring (AIM) strategy?

AIM is BLM's standardized approach for collecting consistent, quantitative field information about renewable resources on public lands. It emphasizes measuring where resources occur (location and abundance), their current status (condition), and how they are changing over time (trend).

What kinds of resources or topics does AIM focus on?

Based on the description provided, AIM focuses on renewable resources on public lands and on producing consistent, quantitative field information that can be used to assess location and abundance, condition, and trend over time.

How does this opportunity relate to prior work in Alaska?

This opportunity builds on work that began in 2012, when BLM Alaska launched a five-year AIM Pilot Project in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A).

Where did the earlier AIM Pilot Project take place?

The earlier pilot project took place in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A).

What activities were part of the earlier AIM Pilot Project?

The pilot included several foundational monitoring-program activities: selecting and designing monitoring site locations, developing supplemental indicators beyond core AIM measures when needed, creating an environmental conceptual model connecting field indicators to ecological processes and management questions, collecting field data, and refining field protocols based on lessons learned.

What role did the Alaska Natural Heritage Program (ANHP) play in related work?

ANHP contributed a summary report describing methods and the characteristics of monitoring strata in the NPR-A, which helps define how the landscape is divided into meaningful ecological units for sampling and analysis.

What are "monitoring strata" in this context?

In this context, monitoring strata refer to how the landscape is divided into meaningful ecological units for sampling and analysis, as described in the ANHP summary report referenced in the opportunity background.

What kinds of projects does this cooperative agreement seem intended to support?

Based on the description, it is meant to continue or expand AIM implementation work in Alaska by supporting systematic field monitoring and the ongoing refinement of the AIM approach under Alaska conditions.

What is the funding activity category for this opportunity?

The funding activity category is Natural Resources.

What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?

The CFDA number listed is 15.231.

When was this opportunity posted and created?

It was posted and created on March 16, 2016.

What is the application closing date?

The application closing date is May 16, 2016.

What is the maximum award amount (ceiling)?

The maximum award amount (ceiling) is $500,000.

How many awards did BLM expect to make?

BLM expected to make one award.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning it was open to a wide range of applicant types as long as they met any conditions described in the full opportunity text.

What types of applicants would this opportunity typically be relevant to?

Based on the description provided, this kind of funding would typically be relevant to universities, research institutes, nonprofit conservation or science organizations, Alaska-based partners, and other entities capable of planning and executing standardized field monitoring and producing technically credible datasets and documentation consistent with BLM AIM requirements.

What are the expected outcomes or benefits of AIM implementation?

The expected benefit is improved quality and comparability of monitoring data so BLM can make better-informed land management decisions across large landscapes.

Does the opportunity specify particular technical elements that may be involved in the work?

Yes. The background describes technical elements that are typical of rigorous monitoring programs and were part of the earlier pilot work, including monitoring design and site selection, development of supplemental indicators, conceptual model development, field data collection, and refinement of field protocols.

Is the work described focused on Alaska public lands?

Yes. The opportunity is specifically for implementing the AIM strategy in Alaska and references work in the NPR-A.