Montana Challenge Cost Share Program | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

The Montana Challenge Cost Share Program (Funding Opportunity Number L12AS00070) was a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) discretionary funding opportunity designed to support natural resource projects in Montana through cooperative agreements. The basic idea of the program was to bring BLM together with outside partners in a 50/50 cost-share style partnership to complete high-priority work on public lands. The program emphasized practical, on-the-ground outcomes and collaborative project delivery, using partner capacity and resources alongside BLM involvement to get more accomplished than either party could typically do alone.

The scope of work described for this opportunity centered on several major categories of public land priorities. First, it supported habitat improvement projects, which generally means activities that maintain, restore, or enhance wildlife and fisheries habitat and overall ecosystem health. Second, it included comprehensive travel management work, which typically involves planning, signing, route designation, route inventory, and measures to reduce resource damage from vehicle use while still providing appropriate access. Third, it funded recreation projects, which can include improvements to trails, trailheads, visitor facilities, and related infrastructure that supports safe and sustainable public use. Finally, it covered cultural projects, which commonly relate to cultural resource identification, protection, interpretation, documentation, and stewardship actions tied to historic and archaeological values on public lands. Taken together, the opportunity aimed to fund projects that improve conditions on BLM-managed lands while balancing access, conservation, and cultural preservation.

From a funding perspective, the announcement projected an estimated total of $300,000 available and anticipated making about four awards. Individual awards were expected to range from a floor of $2,500 up to a ceiling of $60,000. The funding instrument was a cooperative agreement, which typically indicates that BLM expected to have substantial involvement during the performance of the project (for example, coordination, technical input, shared oversight, or joint implementation) rather than simply issuing a grant with minimal agency participation. The listed CFDA number was 15.238, Challenge Cost Share, reflecting the program authority and cataloging for federal assistance.

Eligibility was listed as unrestricted, meaning the competition was broadly open to many entity types, with the caveat that applicants still needed to follow any additional eligibility details contained in the full announcement. In practice, opportunities like this often attract proposals from local governments, tribes, nonprofits, universities, community groups, and other partners capable of delivering field projects, planning efforts, or public benefit work aligned with BLM priorities. Even though the program description highlights a 50/50 partnership model, the summary data field states "CostSharingOrMatchingRequirement: No," which suggests that a formal mandatory match may not have been required as a condition of applying, or that match expectations were addressed in the full announcement rather than in the standardized summary fields. In any case, the program identity and description make clear that leveraging partner contributions was central to how projects were structured.

In terms of timing, the opportunity was posted on April 17, 2012, and had an original and current closing date of May 11, 2012, with an archive date of June 1, 2012. Applicants were directed to the announcement materials and application package through the link provided in the posting. For assistance accessing the full announcement electronically, the contact listed was Lori Anderson, Grants Management Officer, Bureau of Land Management, phone 406-896-5196, email landerso@blm.gov.

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