Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Desert Southwest CESU | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

This grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number G14AS00096), offered by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) through the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) network in the Desert Southwest CESU, is focused on supporting a collaborative research project that examines how fire history and climate have interacted across the landscape in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains near Santa Fe, New Mexico. The central purpose is to work jointly with USGS scientists to reconstruct and interpret landscape-scale patterns of past fire activity and relate those patterns to climate variability and warming trends, with the practical goal of improving understanding of present and future wildfire risk in a complex and highly valued mountainous region.

The scientific and management problem driving the project is that a century of fire exclusion (suppression and reduced natural burning) combined with rising temperatures has contributed to larger and more severe wildfires across the western United States. In the Santa Fe area, this concern is especially urgent because the Sangre de Cristo Mountains include a steep, roughly 6000-foot elevation gradient that supports multiple vegetation types and fire regimes, and the landscape also contains a tight mix of wildland-urban interface development, wilderness areas, and critical municipal water supplies. That combination means fire behavior and fire impacts cannot be considered in isolation; a severe fire has the potential to threaten homes and communities as well as degrade water quality and disrupt water delivery for the City of Santa Fe.

The opportunity highlights that existing fire-history case studies in and around the region suggest different historical fire patterns depending on elevation. Lower and mid-elevation forests appear to have experienced frequent, relatively low-severity fires in the past, which helped keep forests more open. With the last century of suppression, those forests have become denser and more fuel-rich, increasing their susceptibility to high-severity crown fires. Meanwhile, there is also evidence that higher-elevation forests historically experienced extensive high-severity fire. If similarly severe high-elevation fires were to occur today within the municipal watershed (or across the broader landscape), the consequences could be severe, including major impacts to the municipal water supply and increased risks to life and property in expanding interface areas.

A key motivation for the research is the growing concern about how fires might spread across the landscape between watersheds, vegetation types, and different topographic settings. Recent smaller fires have raised questions about whether ignitions in one area could more readily move into adjacent watersheds or cross boundaries between fire regimes than previously assumed. The announcement notes that there is currently little information on landscape-scale fire connectivity in this region, such as the probability that an ignition in a neighboring watershed could spread into the Santa Fe Municipal watershed. Filling that gap is positioned as essential for practical decision-making, including targeting fire hazard reduction treatments, planning to protect watersheds, and conducting climate change vulnerability assessments for montane forests in northern New Mexico.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement, which signals substantial involvement and collaboration with USGS staff rather than a hands-off grant. It is categorized under Science and Technology and other Research and Development and is tied to CFDA (now Assistance Listing) 15.808, USGS Research and Data Collection. The opportunity anticipated a single award, with an estimated total funding amount of $50,000, and it indicated no cost sharing or matching requirement. Eligibility is limited to CESU partners (with the specific interpretation referenced in the announcement’s eligibility notes), reflecting the CESU model of partnering with designated institutions to deliver applied research that directly supports federal science and management needs.

Key dates in the original posting show it was posted June 12, 2014, with an application deadline of June 27, 2014, and later archived on September 12, 2014. For applicants at the time, the full announcement and submission details were available through Grants.gov, and the listed point of contact for access issues was Faith Graves at the USGS (703-648-7356, fgraves@usgs.gov).

Browse more opportunities from the same agency: Geological Survey

Browse more opportunities from the same category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development

Next opportunity: Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Rocky Mountain CESU

Previous opportunity: Upper Tanana Community Harvest Assessment

USGrants.org Applicant Portal:

Are you interested in learning about about how to apply for this government funding opportunity? You can create a free applicant account and receive instant access to our applicant portal that many business owners like you have benefited from.

Apply for G14AS00096

 

[Watch] how do funding administrators access proposals?

Applicants also applied for:

Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (G14AS00096) also looked into and applied for these:

 

Grant application guides and resources

It is always free to apply for government grants. However the process may be very complex depending on the funding opportunity you are applying for. Let us help you!

Apply for Grants

 

 

Premium leads for funding administrators, grant writers, and loan issuers

Thousands of people visit our website for their funding needs every day. When a user creates a grant proposal and files for submission, we pass the information on to funding administrators, grant writers, and government loan issuers.

If you manage government grant programs, provide grant writing services, or issue personal or government loans, we can help you reach your audience.

Subscribe to Leads

 

Request more information:

Would you like to learn more about this funding opportunity, similar opportunities to "G14AS00096", eligibility, application service, and/or application tips? Submit an inquiry below:

Don't forget to subscribe to our grant alerts mailing list to receive weekly alerts on new and updated grant funding opportunities like this one in your email.