BLM-New Mexico Native Plant Material Collection and Development | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the BLM-New Mexico Native Plant Material Collection and Development opportunity?

It is a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) cooperative agreement funding opportunity intended to expand the capacity of BLM New Mexico to carry out ongoing conservation and land management work on federal lands. The focus is practical, on-the-ground conservation, especially native plant materials development for restoration, ecosystem monitoring, and support for wildlife conservation efforts.

Which agency is offering this funding opportunity?

The opportunity was issued by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), specifically in support of BLM-managed lands and programs in New Mexico.

What type of award or funding instrument is used?

The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement. This typically indicates substantial collaboration and involvement with the agency during the project, rather than a more hands-off grant relationship.

Why is BLM seeking a partner for this work?

Because BLM manages large landscapes under a multiple-use mandate, it has recurring annual needs across plant conservation, botany, and wildlife programs. These needs often require partner support to complete field and technical tasks, particularly for restoration planning, seed collection and development, and monitoring activities.

What conservation problem is this opportunity trying to address?

The opportunity is motivated by increasing urgency around plant biodiversity loss, including the estimate mentioned in the notice that roughly 40 percent of U.S. flora could be at risk of extinction by 2050. It also responds to practical restoration challenges, such as quickly stabilizing disturbed areas and preventing invasive species spread.

How does the National Seed Strategy relate to this opportunity?

The project is structured around the goals of the 2016 National Seed Strategy, which emphasizes restoring native plant communities at landscape scales. The strategy guides priorities such as identifying seed needs, improving availability of genetically appropriate seed, advancing seed production and restoration methods, developing decision-support tools, and strengthening communication about seed needs and best practices.

What does "native plant materials development" mean in this context?

In the context of this opportunity, it refers to the full cycle of work needed to support restoration: identifying priority seed needs; collecting native seed; documenting and managing seed information; supporting seed increase or multiplication when appropriate; and ensuring materials and information are usable for land managers making time-sensitive restoration decisions.

Why is seed availability such a major theme in this announcement?

The notice emphasizes that restoration success depends on having the right seed available at the right time and location. In real-world emergencies such as wildfire or flooding, land managers may need to reseed or replant large acreages quickly to reduce erosion and prevent nonnative invasive plants from taking over. Native seed supply can be expensive, logistically challenging, and difficult to forecast.

What kinds of disturbances or events does this work help address?

The notice highlights disturbances such as wildfire and flooding, along with other impacts that may require rapid revegetation to stabilize soils and reduce the risk of invasive plant dominance.

What are the main goals or pillars of work under this opportunity?

The opportunity is organized around National Seed Strategy goals: (1) identifying priority seed needs and improving reliable availability of genetically appropriate native seed; (2) conducting research that improves the ability to supply genetically appropriate seed and advances native seed production and restoration methods; (3) developing decision-support tools so managers can make timely, informed seeding choices; and (4) improving internal and external communication so information about seed needs, availability, and best practices is shared effectively.

Does the opportunity support only seed collection, or more than that?

More than seed collection. The announcement describes a partner role across the native plant materials development cycle, including field work, applied research, decision-support tools, and communication strategies that make information and materials useful for land management decisions.

How is pollinator decline addressed in this grant opportunity?

Pollinator decline is a key theme. The announcement connects pollinator losses to risks for sustainable food production and supply, and it positions this work as supporting pollinator communities through collection of plant species beneficial to pollinators, pollinator-friendly restoration activities, and monitoring focused on both rare plants and pollinators.

What types of pollinator-related activities could be included?

Based on the notice, potential activities may include selecting and collecting plant materials that provide nectar, pollen, or habitat value; implementing pollinator-friendly restoration; and monitoring outcomes for rare plants and pollinators.

What is the Seeds of Success (SOS) program and how does it fit here?

Seeds of Success (SOS) is a program initiated through a cooperative agreement in 2000, originally involving collaboration with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (Millennium Seed Bank). SOS procedures are now incorporated into BLM's national Native Plant Materials Development Program. SOS aims to build a national collection of high-quality, accurately identified, well-documented native plant seeds to support off-site conservation and provide a foundation for research and potential seed increase to support restoration and land rehabilitation.

Is SOS work explicitly included as eligible or relevant work under this opportunity?

Yes. The announcement explicitly includes SOS-related work, native plant materials development activities, pollinator restoration, and monitoring of rare plants and pollinators.

What disciplines or project types does the announcement mention?

The notice describes a broad range of natural resource project types connected to native plant conservation and restoration science, including biology, botany, ecology, soil science, wildlife biology, population biology, plant genetics, and assessments of threatened or endangered species and habitats.

Where will the work take place?

The work is intended to support conservation and land management on BLM-managed federal lands in New Mexico.

Is this a competitive discretionary funding opportunity?

Yes. It is described as a discretionary funding opportunity issued by BLM.

Who is eligible to apply?

The opportunity was open to unrestricted applicants, subject to any additional eligibility clarifications that may be included in the full announcement.

What is the opportunity number and program listing?

The opportunity number is L16AS00195. It is associated with CFDA 15.231 (natural resources).

When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?

The posting date was July 6, 2016. The original closing date was September 6, 2016.

How many awards were anticipated and what was the maximum award amount?

The anticipated award structure was one award with a ceiling of up to $1,000,000. This suggests a single coordinated partnership rather than multiple smaller awards.

What does the "single award" structure imply about the intended project approach?

It implies BLM intended a relatively substantial partnership capable of delivering coordinated native plant materials and conservation outcomes, rather than funding multiple disconnected projects.

What kinds of outcomes is BLM ultimately trying to enable through this agreement?

Based on the notice, the intended outcomes include stronger capacity to identify seed needs, collect and develop genetically appropriate native plant materials, support restoration decisions through tools and applied research, improve information sharing, and monitor ecosystems, rare plants, and pollinators to sustain native ecosystems on BLM-managed lands in New Mexico.