BLM-WO, Adobe Town HMA Wild Horse GPS Collar Study Support | Apply Online

FAQs: BLM-WO, Adobe Town HMA Wild Horse GPS Collar Study Support (L16AS00125)

What is the purpose of this grant opportunity?

The purpose is to improve understanding of wild horse movement patterns and habitat use in and around the Adobe Town Herd Management Area (HMA) in Wyoming by supporting capture, GPS radio-collaring, and subsequent tracking and analysis. The intent is to produce defensible, management-relevant information about where horses go, when they move, and which habitats they use across a complex landscape that includes both public and private lands.

Who is the awarding agency?

The awarding agency is the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

What is the official title and funding opportunity number?

The title is "BLM-WO, Adobe Town HMA Wild Horse GPS Collar Study Support" and the Funding Opportunity Number is L16AS00125.

What type of funding instrument is being used?

The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement. This indicates the BLM expects substantial involvement in the project, such as coordination, permitting, protocol development, and/or joint planning.

Is this a discretionary opportunity?

Yes. The opportunity is described as a discretionary cooperative agreement.

What is the program/activity category and CFDA number?

The activity category is Natural Resources and the CFDA number listed is 15.229.

Where will the work take place?

The work is centered on the Adobe Town Herd Management Area (HMA) in Wyoming and surrounding areas influenced by seasonal movements, including locations near the Colorado state line and across mixed land ownership patterns (including federal parcels intermingled with private and other non-federal lands).

Why is Adobe Town a focus area for this study?

Adobe Town presents complicated management conditions because wild horses can move across the nearby Colorado state line, outside the HMA boundary, and onto privately owned lands. The region also includes checkerboard land ownership patterns that make it difficult to understand and manage horse distribution, especially after periodic gather operations.

What problem is this project trying to address?

The project addresses the fact that wild horses and burros do not remain within administrative boundaries. Their seasonal movements can reduce the accuracy of annual spring aerial population surveys when animals move in or out of the HMA, and their distribution across public and private parcels can create management challenges for multiple landowners and interests.

What are the main project activities supported by the grant?

The project is intended to support collaborative, on-the-ground work to capture wild horses, fit selected animals with GPS radio collars, and track their locations over time. The work also includes analyzing the resulting data to produce findings relevant to BLM and other landowners.

What are the expected study objectives?

The objectives are research-focused and include GPS-collar based analysis of (1) movement patterns, including seasonal movements, and (2) habitat selection. The study is expected to translate location data into management-relevant conclusions about timing, routes, distribution, and habitat preferences.

What boundaries or landscape features should the movement analysis consider?

Applicants are expected to analyze seasonal movements in relation to key boundaries, including the Colorado state boundary, the HMA boundary, and the patchwork of land ownership types across the landscape.

What habitat features must be included in the habitat-use analysis?

The habitat-use evaluation should address seasonal habitat use with specific attention to water sources and riparian areas, at minimum.

Is the project only about collecting GPS points?

No. The expectation is not only to collect GPS locations but also to interpret them to produce defensible findings that help inform management decisions about horse movement, distribution, and habitat preferences.

How does this study support public benefits and land management needs?

The notice ties the study to BLM land management responsibilities and concerns about excess wild horse numbers relative to Appropriate Management Levels. It states that horse populations and habitat use can affect rangeland health, livestock grazing, highway safety, and habitat for threatened, endangered, and sensitive species. Improved movement and habitat-use information is framed as a way to improve decision-making and coordination across public and private rangelands.

How is this related to gathers and population management?

Adobe Town is identified as an area where periodic removals (gathers) occur to reduce populations, yet managers still lack good information about how frequently horses move from the solid block of BLM-administered lands onto surrounding checkerboard public and private lands, particularly following gather operations.

How many awards were anticipated?

The opportunity anticipated a single award.

What is the maximum funding amount (award ceiling)?

The award ceiling was $40,000.

Is cost sharing required?

No. Cost sharing is not mandatory.

Does cost sharing affect selection?

Yes. While not required, the BLM encourages applicants to bring a substantial cost-sharing commitment, and proposed partner contributions are considered during award selection.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning proposals were open to a wide range of entity types (subject to any eligibility clarifications in the full announcement text).

Were specific organizations mentioned as potential partners?

Yes. The notice states that BLM had been discussing potential financial involvement with the University of Wyoming and the Wyoming Department of Agriculture. However, proposals from any qualified applicant were eligible.

What happens if the award goes to a CESU partner?

If the award is made to a Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Unit (CESU) partner, the resulting agreement would incorporate the terms and conditions of the relevant CESU master agreement.

What is the posting date and application deadline?

The posting date was May 23, 2016, and the application closing date was July 22, 2016.

Why are land ownership patterns important for this study?

The Adobe Town area includes checkerboard land ownership, where federal parcels are intermingled with private and other non-federal lands. This makes it difficult to determine where horses are seasonally distributed, how often they cross onto private lands, and how they use habitats that span multiple ownership types.

What outcomes are expected from the study?

The expected outcome is defensible movement and habitat-use information describing where horses travel, the timing and routes of seasonal movements, how movements relate to boundaries and ownership patterns, and how horses use habitats (including water and riparian areas). These results are intended to support improved coordination and decision-making for rangeland management on both public and private lands.