CESU BLM WO280, Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) Program Biological Assistance for Abandoned Mine Adit/Shaft Closures in the Western United States. | Apply Online

FAQs: CESU - BLM - WO280 (Abandoned Mine Lands Bat and Biological Support)

What is the CESU - BLM - WO280 grant opportunity?

CESU - BLM - WO280 is a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Cooperative Agreement offered under the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) framework. It is designed to support BLM's Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) Program by funding specialized biological assistance connected to the closure of abandoned mine adits and shafts across the western United States.

What problem is this funding trying to solve?

The opportunity targets a real-world conflict between public safety and wildlife conservation: many abandoned mine openings are dangerous hazards that need to be closed, but those same openings can serve as essential bat roosting and hibernation habitat, including for species of conservation concern. Permanent closure work often requires biological clearances first, and those assessments can become a bottleneck when specialized bat expertise and safe underground entry capability are not available at sufficient scale.

Why are bats a major focus of this opportunity?

The announcement emphasizes bat conservation as a core stewardship priority. It notes that abandoned mines provide critically important habitat for more than half of the 46 bat species in the United States, and it highlights the ecological roles bats play, including pollination, seed dispersal, and insect control (such as predation on night-flying insects that may be agricultural pests). BLM-managed lands in the West are also described as important bat habitat, including for endangered species.

How does this grant support both safety and conservation goals?

The funding is intended to help BLM reduce public safety risks from mine hazards while avoiding unnecessary harm to bat populations. It does this by supporting biological evaluations and recommendations that allow closure projects to move forward in a way that considers bat use of mine features, including the use of wildlife-compatible closure approaches when appropriate.

What kinds of locations and mine features are involved?

The work is tied to abandoned mine adits and shafts across the western United States. These openings may present significant public safety hazards and may also serve as bat roosting and hibernation habitat.

What types of activities or services does the opportunity envision?

The opportunity describes a broad set of activities aligned with AML closure decisions and improving closure implementation, including:

• Wildlife surveys at mine features (including bat-focused assessments)
• Written reports documenting bat use and other relevant biological conditions
• Consultation or on-the-ground assistance to design and implement wildlife-compatible closures
• Recommendations for closure approaches such as bat-compatible gates rather than complete sealing when appropriate
• Technical assistance, trainings, workshops, and other capacity-building support
• Research products (including papers) that improve the science base for managing mine habitat
• Public-facing education and outreach materials addressing abandoned mine safety and bat conservation

What are the expected deliverables or work products?

Deliverables mentioned in the announcement include wildlife survey reports, written documentation of biological conditions at mine features, applied research outputs (such as papers), education and outreach materials, and technical recommendations or assistance supporting bat-compatible closure decisions and implementation. The opportunity also calls out trainings, workshops, and technical assistance as explicit outputs.

How does the grant help with the "biological clearance" bottleneck?

The opportunity explains that permanent closure work can be delayed when biological clearances are required but agency staff do not have the time or niche expertise to complete a large volume of bat-focused assessments. This funding is intended to bring in qualified CESU partners to provide surge capacity and technical depth so biological evaluations and closure recommendations can be completed more efficiently.

What is meant by "wildlife-compatible" or "bat-compatible" closures?

The announcement provides an example of wildlife-compatible closure recommendations: using bat-compatible gates rather than complete sealing when appropriate. The overall intent is to reduce safety risk while maintaining or protecting important bat habitat where feasible.

Does the opportunity include training and capacity building?

Yes. The opportunity explicitly calls for technical assistance, trainings, and workshops. This signals an intent to build the skills and readiness of agency staff and partners to address bat-related issues throughout the AML workflow, from hazard identification through closure and monitoring.

Is research included, or is it only field support?

Research is included as an envisioned output. The announcement mentions research products such as papers that improve the science base for managing mine habitat, and it references a prior partnership that included a graduate research project examining bat habitat and radon concentrations at abandoned uranium mines.

Is public education and outreach part of the scope?

Yes. The opportunity lists public-facing education and outreach materials as desired outcomes, aimed at raising awareness of both abandoned mine safety and bat conservation.

Is there a precedent for this kind of partnership?

Yes. The announcement cites a prior five-year assistance agreement between BLM's Washington Office AML program and Bat Conservation International (BCI) from September 2009 to 2014, described as successful. It reports that 1,493 AML features were surveyed without accidents and that 170 features were recommended for bat-compatible gates, along with other management recommendations.

Does the work coordinate with other agencies or partners?

The description notes coordination with State AML programs and external partners, indicating the work may cross jurisdictions and benefit from a networked approach.

What type of award is this?

This was offered as a discretionary funding opportunity and awarded as a Cooperative Agreement under the CESU framework.

What is the funding opportunity number and program classification information?

The Funding Opportunity Number (FON) was L15AS00070. The opportunity was categorized under Natural Resources and listed CFDA 15.236 (Environmental Quality and Protection Resource Management).

How much funding was available?

The estimated total funding amount was $5,000,000. The award ceiling was $5,000,000 and the award floor was $100,000.

How many awards did BLM anticipate making?

BLM anticipated making one award.

Was cost sharing or matching required?

No cost sharing or matching requirement was stated in the provided description.

Who was eligible to apply?

Eligibility was limited to CESU members. While the posting listed eligible applicants as unrestricted in a general sense, it clarified that any CESU member may apply, meaning the applicant needed to be part of the CESU Network to be considered.

When was the opportunity posted and when were applications due?

The opportunity was posted on April 1, 2015. The application deadline was May 31, 2015 at 1700 (as referenced on the announcement cover sheet).

Is this opportunity still open?

No. The opportunity was archived on June 4, 2015.

Who was the point of contact for access issues or grants management questions?

The point of contact listed was Eddie W. Bell Jr., Grants Management Officer. Phone: 602-417-9268. Email: ebell@blm.gov.

What is the overall goal of this funding in plain terms?

The opportunity is best described as a targeted investment to speed up safe closure of abandoned mine hazards while protecting bat habitat, by funding specialized biological survey capacity, bat-compatible closure design assistance, and training/outreach that help apply consistent, science-based practices across the western United States.