Recovery Act High Desert District Rawlins Field Office WLCI Muddy Creek Enhancements | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

The Recovery Act High Desert District Rawlins Field Office WLCI Muddy Creek Enhancements opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number L10AS00114) is a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) cooperative agreement focused on restoring and strengthening habitat conditions in the Muddy Creek watershed. This watershed is described as an important ecological area that supports BLM sensitive fish and bird species, multiple big game species, and also contributes to habitat needs for fish species listed under the Endangered Species Act farther downstream in the Yampa and Colorado River systems. The grant frames Muddy Creek as a place where land use and environmental stressors have combined to degrade riparian function and stream health, making it a priority for fisheries, rangeland, and watershed restoration work.

The main problem the project is trying to address is reduced riparian and channel stability due to long-term pressures such as livestock grazing, drought, and energy development, including the surface disturbance that often comes with associated infrastructure. These factors can accelerate erosion, simplify stream channels, reduce vegetative cover, and weaken the ability of the stream corridor to hold water and sediment. When riparian vegetation is sparse or dominated by a limited set of age classes, streams tend to warm more quickly, banks slump more easily, and aquatic habitat quality declines. The opportunity positions shrub and woody plant recovery as a practical, on-the-ground way to improve watershed function and wildlife outcomes.

The project objective is straightforward: increase the health and resilience of shrub communities in both riparian and nearby upland areas to improve habitat and hydrologic performance. In riparian zones, the plan is to plant dogwood, water birch, golden currant, and willow seedlings. These species are commonly used in streamside restoration because they can stabilize banks with their root systems, provide shade that helps moderate water temperatures, and add structural complexity that benefits fish and aquatic insects. In addition, more robust riparian shrubs can improve soil and water holding capacity, meaning the floodplain and stream margins can better retain moisture, support vegetation through dry periods, and reduce the severity of runoff-driven erosion events. For upland habitat enhancement, the project calls for planting serviceberry and chokecherry saplings, which are valuable for wildlife because they provide browse, cover, and seasonal fruit resources for birds and mammals.

In terms of expected benefits, the project is framed as a public resource enhancement effort that would improve wildlife and fisheries habitat by increasing the abundance, diversity, and age class distribution of woody riparian and mountain shrubs across the Muddy Creek watershed. Emphasizing age class distribution signals an intent not just to plant vegetation, but to rebuild a sustainable shrub community with young plants coming in behind older stands, which is important for long-term habitat stability. The anticipated ecological outcomes include better conditions for resident and migratory songbirds, improved cover and thermal protection for aquatic species, and more stable stream temperatures that can be critical for temperature-sensitive fish downstream.

Administratively, this funding opportunity is categorized as a Recovery Act project under CFDA 15.231 (Fish, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Resource Management). It was posted May 28, 2010, with an application closing date of June 10, 2010, and the project performance period was planned from June 2010 through May 2012. The total funding amount is listed as 8,000, with an award floor and ceiling both set at 8,000, indicating the agency anticipated a single award at a fixed amount (Expected Awards: 1). No cost sharing or matching requirement is specified.

A key detail is that the announcement explicitly states it is not a request for applications. Instead, it serves as public notice of BLM's intent to fund specific project activities without full and open competition because the intended recipient has unique qualifications. The justification provided is that UCEPC has a similar climate to the Rawlins Field Office project area and exclusively grows 100 native plants used for restoration and reclamation, implying the recipient can supply appropriate locally adapted native plant materials that improve the likelihood of successful establishment. Although the eligibility field is labeled "Unrestricted," the noncompetitive notice clarifies that this particular funding action was intended for a specific qualified entity rather than a typical open competitive grant round.

For additional access or assistance, the listing provides a grants management contact: Ilze J. Karklins Powers, Grants Management Officer, at 307-775-6293 and ipowers@blm.gov.

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