Opportunity Information: Apply for BOR MP 16 N015
Apply for BOR MP 16 N015
- The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Hemlock Project" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.517.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jul 20, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 29, 2016. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $300,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Hemlock Project is a Bureau of Reclamation discretionary grant opportunity focused on a growing problem in the Sierra Nevada: decades of intensive fire management have left many forests much denser than they were under more natural fire regimes. That increased density has led to heavy fuel buildup in many watersheds, and when those high fuel loads meet today s warmer, drier conditions, the result is a higher likelihood of severe, fast moving wildfires. The opportunity is built around the idea that selective thinning and other science-based forest restoration approaches can reduce stand density to more sustainable levels, improving wildfire resilience while also changing how water moves through these mountain watersheds.
A central theme of the project is that forest structure does not just affect fire behavior; it also affects the water cycle in several measurable ways. The description highlights three main hydrologic pathways influenced by thinning. First, reducing tree density can lower evapotranspiration, meaning less water is returned to the atmosphere through evaporation and plant water use, and more of the precipitation has a chance to become runoff. Second, thinning can shift the timing of snowmelt and runoff. Third, it can increase how much snow actually accumulates on the forest floor. In dense stands, snow can be intercepted and held in the canopy where it is more likely to sublimate or melt and evaporate. A more open canopy can allow more snowfall to reach the ground. At the same time, the project notes that how openings are created matters: strategic spacing can limit early season sunlight on the snowpack and slow melt, effectively extending snow storage and delaying runoff into later parts of the season.
The purpose and objective of the Hemlock Project are to quantitatively evaluate how different forest stand structures influence wildfire resilience, water yield, and broader water cycle behavior specifically in the snow rain transition zone. That zone is particularly important because small changes in temperature and storm patterns can flip precipitation between rain and snow, which strongly affects runoff timing, flood risk, and late season water availability. The project plans to do this through a combination of field based catchment measurements, hydrologic monitoring, and integration of observations using hydrologic modeling followed by assessment. A major deliverable implied in the description is a set of data driven tools and methods that can identify vegetation densities and stand structures that best balance hydrologic benefits and wildfire resilience.
A notable applied outcome is that the project is designed to support real management decisions in watersheds that matter for California s major water supply systems, including areas serving the Central Valley Project and the State Water Project. The opportunity description points to preliminary estimates suggesting that optimizing forest density across Sierra watersheds could yield roughly 1 million acre feet of additional runoff in average water years, framing the work as potentially significant not only for ecosystem resilience but also for downstream water supply.
From an implementation standpoint, the project was described as being in the permitting and hydrologic data acquisition planning phase at the time of the announcement. UC Merced was scheduled to install a fairly robust monitoring network during the summer and fall, including two complete weather stations, three clusters that monitor soil moisture, soil metric potential, and snow conditions, plus four water stage recorders to track stream or channel response. This monitoring infrastructure indicates the grant is oriented toward rigorous, instrumented watershed science that can support model calibration and defensible estimates of how thinning treatments translate into changes in snowpack dynamics, evapotranspiration, and runoff.
Administratively, the opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number BOR MP 16 N015; CFDA 15.517) was offered by the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation as a grant with an award ceiling of 300,000 dollars and an expectation of one award. Eligibility was limited to public and state controlled institutions of higher education. The posting date was July 20, 2016 with an original closing date of July 29, 2016, indicating a narrow application window for a targeted research effort tied to Sierra Nevada watershed and forest management priorities.
Hemlock Project Grant Opportunity FAQs
What is the Hemlock Project grant opportunity?
The Hemlock Project is a Bureau of Reclamation discretionary grant opportunity focused on studying how science-based forest restoration (including selective thinning) in the Sierra Nevada can improve wildfire resilience and influence water movement through mountain watersheds.
Which agency is offering this funding opportunity?
The opportunity was offered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) for this grant?
The Funding Opportunity Number listed is BOR MP 16 N015.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA number provided is 15.517.
What problem is the Hemlock Project trying to address?
The project targets a growing issue in the Sierra Nevada: decades of intensive fire management have increased forest density beyond levels typical under more natural fire regimes. This has contributed to heavy fuel buildup. Combined with warmer, drier conditions, these fuel loads increase the likelihood of severe, fast-moving wildfires.
How does the project connect forest management to water resources?
The opportunity is built around the idea that forest stand structure affects both fire behavior and the watershed water cycle. By reducing stand density through selective thinning and related restoration approaches, the project expects changes in evapotranspiration, snow accumulation, snowmelt timing, and runoff behavior.
What are the main hydrologic pathways the project says are influenced by thinning?
The description highlights three primary pathways:
- Reduced evapotranspiration: Fewer trees can mean less water returned to the atmosphere via evaporation and plant water use, leaving more precipitation available to become runoff.
- Changes in snowmelt and runoff timing: Thinning can shift when snow melts and when runoff occurs.
- Increased snow accumulation on the forest floor: A more open canopy can allow more snowfall to reach the ground rather than being intercepted in the canopy, where it is more likely to sublimate or melt and evaporate.
Why does canopy opening and spacing matter for snowpack?
The opportunity notes that it is not only the amount of thinning that matters, but also how openings are created. Strategic spacing can limit early-season sunlight on the snowpack, slowing melt. This can extend snow storage and delay runoff later into the season.
What is the purpose and objective of the Hemlock Project?
The purpose is to quantitatively evaluate how different forest stand structures influence wildfire resilience, water yield, and broader water-cycle behavior, with a focus on the snow-rain transition zone.
What is the snow-rain transition zone, and why is it important in this project?
The snow-rain transition zone is an area where small changes in temperature and storm patterns can shift precipitation between rain and snow. This matters because rain versus snow strongly affects runoff timing, flood risk, and late-season water availability. The project is specifically focused on understanding stand-structure effects in this sensitive zone.
What approach or methods does the project plan to use?
The description indicates a combined approach of field-based catchment measurements, hydrologic monitoring, and integration of observations through hydrologic modeling, followed by assessment.
What deliverables or outcomes are implied by the opportunity description?
A major implied deliverable is a set of data-driven tools and methods to identify vegetation densities and stand structures that best balance hydrologic benefits (such as water yield and snowpack behavior) with wildfire resilience.
How is this project intended to support real-world management decisions?
The project is designed to inform management in watersheds important to California's major water supply systems, including areas serving the Central Valley Project and the State Water Project.
Does the opportunity provide any estimate of potential water-supply benefits?
Yes. The description references preliminary estimates suggesting that optimizing forest density across Sierra watersheds could yield roughly 1 million acre-feet of additional runoff in average water years.
What phase was the project in at the time of the announcement?
At the time of the announcement, the project was described as being in the permitting and hydrologic data acquisition planning phase.
What monitoring infrastructure was planned as part of implementation?
The opportunity describes plans for a robust monitoring network, scheduled for installation in the summer and fall, including:
- Two complete weather stations
- Three monitoring clusters for soil moisture, soil metric potential, and snow conditions
- Four water stage recorders to track stream or channel response
What does the planned monitoring network suggest about the nature of the work?
The monitoring infrastructure described suggests the grant is oriented toward rigorous, instrumented watershed science capable of supporting hydrologic model calibration and defensible estimates of how thinning treatments affect snowpack dynamics, evapotranspiration, and runoff.
What type of award is being offered?
The opportunity was offered as a grant.
What is the maximum (ceiling) award amount?
The award ceiling listed is $300,000.
How many awards were expected?
The description indicates an expectation of one award.
Who was eligible to apply for this opportunity?
Eligibility was limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education.
When was the opportunity posted?
The posting date was July 20, 2016.
What was the original closing date for applications?
The original closing date was July 29, 2016.
What does the closing date suggest about the application window?
Based on the posted and closing dates, the application window was narrow, indicating a targeted research effort tied to specific Sierra Nevada watershed and forest management priorities.
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