BLM-Arizona, AZ Strip District Cultural Resources Support | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the BLM-Arizona, AZ Strip District Cultural Resources Support opportunity?

It is a discretionary funding opportunity offered as a cooperative agreement by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (DOI-BLM). The purpose is to strengthen cultural resource work across the BLM Arizona Strip District by partnering with an outside organization to expand BLM capacity for cultural resource identification, documentation, evaluation, protection, interpretation, and public education.

Which BLM office or area does this project focus on?

The work focuses on the Arizona Strip District and is closely tied to the Arizona Strip Field Office planning framework, including its Resource Management Plans (RMPs).

What kinds of cultural resources are included?

The opportunity addresses archaeological, historical, and traditional cultural resources. It also emphasizes oral history collection to preserve firsthand accounts and strengthen cultural overviews and public understanding of local history.

Why is BLM seeking a partner for this work?

The announcement emphasizes that current inventories are incomplete in some places and that resources may be vulnerable to damage. By partnering with an outside organization, BLM aims to expand its ability to identify what exists on the landscape, evaluate condition and threats, and implement better-informed protection and stewardship actions.

How does this work relate to Resource Management Plans (RMPs)?

The project is intended to support and inform RMP-driven management decisions within the Arizona Strip Field Office planning framework. Improved cultural resource data helps BLM make defensible management and compliance decisions and plan stabilization and long-term preservation actions.

Does the project involve work in national monuments or special designations?

Yes. The work supports the protective purposes of Vermilion Cliffs and Grand Canyon-Parashant national monuments, as well as multiple Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACECs) that were designated specifically due to cultural resource sensitivity.

What are ACECs and why are they mentioned here?

The announcement references Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACECs) as locations designated because of cultural resource sensitivity. These areas are highlighted because cultural resources there may be at higher risk and may need stronger inventory, monitoring, and protection actions.

What types of activities are included in the project scope?

The scope is broad and includes both field-based and desk-based cultural resources activities. Examples described in the announcement include pedestrian surveys of selected areas, analysis, formal reporting, baseline documentation, monitoring of known sites, and oral history collection and processing.

What does "inventory" mean in this context?

Inventory includes activities such as pedestrian surveys of selected areas to identify and document cultural resources. The goal is to improve baseline information about where sites are located, what types of sites they are, and what impacts or threats they may be experiencing.

Will the work include monitoring of known sites?

Yes. The opportunity notes ongoing monitoring of known sites as part of building a clearer picture of site condition and threats and supporting stabilization and long-term preservation.

What kind of testing may be required?

Where needed, the partner may conduct testing aimed at determining eligibility for the National Register of Historic Places and assessing potential impacts. This supports defensible management and compliance decisions.

Is oral history a required part of the work?

Oral history is strongly emphasized. The project includes collecting and processing firsthand accounts from individuals with knowledge of the area, particularly to capture information before those memories are lost, and to use it to strengthen cultural overviews and public understanding.

What kinds of deliverables are anticipated?

Deliverables described include formal cultural resource reports, research documents that synthesize past work and report new findings, recommendations for future research and management actions, oral history products, and public-oriented education and interpretation materials such as presentations, programs, and publications.

How important is public education and interpretation in this opportunity?

Public-facing education and interpretation are presented as central deliverables, not optional add-ons. The partner may be asked to develop and deliver educational and interpretive presentations and programs, prepare archaeological/cultural/historical publications, and translate research results into accessible materials and experiences that build stewardship.

Does the opportunity support public participation in cultural resource work?

Yes. The announcement explicitly aims to create ways for the public to participate in or learn from cultural resource research, with the broader goal of increasing awareness, appreciation, and responsible behavior on public lands.

What outcomes is BLM expecting from the project?

The expected outcomes include improved completeness and quality of cultural resource data, better-informed management practices to protect at-risk sites, stronger capacity for stabilization and long-term preservation, and enhanced ability to communicate the significance of cultural resources to the public in ways that encourage stewardship.

Why does the announcement emphasize that "protection depends on understanding"?

The announcement highlights that many resources are at risk, especially where inventories are incomplete and where public land pressures are increasing (including in ACECs near growing communities). Better information about what exists, its condition, and threats helps managers choose effective actions to protect and preserve resources.

What type of award instrument is being used?

This opportunity uses a cooperative agreement. That means substantial involvement and coordination with BLM is expected, rather than a hands-off grant arrangement.

How much funding is available?

The opportunity lists an award ceiling of $200,000.

How many awards were anticipated?

The opportunity anticipated a single award.

When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?

It was posted on May 9, 2016, and had a closing date of September 1, 2016.

What is the CFDA number for this program?

The program is listed under CFDA 15.224.

Who was eligible to apply?

Eligibility was listed as unrestricted (open to any type of entity). At the same time, the announcement indicates a practical expectation that the recipient would have a mission and demonstrated capabilities aligned with cultural resource protection and Arizona Strip RMP-driven goals.

What kinds of organizational capabilities does this opportunity implicitly require?

Based on the described scope, the partner is expected to be able to support cultural resource inventory and documentation, analysis and reporting, monitoring, potential National Register eligibility testing and impact assessment, oral history collection and processing, and development of public education and interpretation products.

Does the opportunity focus only on archaeology?

No. Archaeological inventory, analysis, and reporting are major components, but the agreement also emphasizes oral history and includes broader historical and traditional cultural resources, along with education and interpretation deliverables.

How does this project address threats to cultural resources?

The announcement frames threats in terms of incomplete inventories and vulnerability to damage, especially in culturally sensitive areas and near growing communities. The project addresses these risks by improving baseline data, monitoring conditions, supporting eligibility and impact evaluations, and producing recommendations for stabilization, preservation, and stewardship-focused management actions.