Sage Grouse Adopt a Lek Monitoring in Montana | Apply Online

FAQs: Sage Grouse Adopt a Lek Monitoring in Montana (Funding Opportunity Number L11AS00164)

What is the "Sage Grouse Adopt a Lek Monitoring in Montana" opportunity?

It was a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) discretionary funding announcement focused on sage-grouse conservation monitoring work in Montana. The project centered on coordinating and managing a volunteer-based monitoring program tied to sage-grouse leks (breeding display grounds).

What does "Adopt a Lek" mean in this context?

Based on the announcement description, it refers to a volunteer-based program where volunteers monitor sage-grouse leks, with coordination handled by a lead organization to improve coverage and reduce duplication among groups.

What was the main purpose of the funding?

The purpose was to fund a single organization or entity to manage and coordinate a volunteer lek monitoring program in Montana, improving how monitoring is organized and expanding the overall data collected for management use.

Why was BLM funding a coordination-focused monitoring project?

The intent was practical: reduce duplicated monitoring efforts among different groups, improve field efficiency, and expand geographic and temporal coverage so lek monitoring data would be more complete and useful for management decisions.

Which agency offered this opportunity?

The opportunity was offered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

What was the Funding Opportunity Number?

The Funding Opportunity Number was L11AS00164.

What type of award was it?

The award mechanism was a cooperative agreement, meaning BLM expected to remain actively involved during the project rather than simply providing funds and stepping back.

What does a cooperative agreement imply for how the project would be run?

It generally implies active involvement from BLM during implementation. In this case, it suggests coordination and ongoing engagement between BLM and the recipient as the volunteer monitoring program was managed and carried out.

What was the activity category for this opportunity?

The activity category was Natural Resources, aligning the work with wildlife monitoring and habitat-related public land management priorities.

How many awards were anticipated?

One award was anticipated.

What was the estimated total funding amount?

The estimated total funding amount was $150,000.

What was the expected size of individual awards?

Individual award sizes were expected to range from $2,500 (floor) to $30,000 (ceiling).

How can there be a $150,000 estimated total if the award range tops out at $30,000?

The announcement indicates a substantial overall program funding estimate, while individual award actions were structured to be modest. This could indicate funds spread across tasks, phases, or subprojects under the program umbrella, as described in the opportunity summary.

Was cost sharing or matching required?

Yes. Cost sharing or matching was required under a challenge cost share approach.

What does "challenge cost share" mean here?

It signals that the recipient was expected to contribute non-federal match alongside federal funds. The summary notes that match can often include cash and eligible in-kind services (and possibly volunteer time if allowable), but the specific allowable match details would be defined in the full announcement.

Who was eligible to apply?

Eligibility was listed as unrestricted, meaning it was open to any type of entity, subject to any clarifications in the full listing on Grants.gov.

What kinds of organizations would typically fit "unrestricted eligibility" for a project like this?

The summary indicates it would generally allow applications from organizations capable of running a structured volunteer monitoring program and coordinating across multiple stakeholders, including non-profits, universities, tribes, local governments, and state agencies.

Where was the work intended to take place?

The monitoring program was focused on sage-grouse lek monitoring in Montana.

When was the opportunity posted?

It was posted and created on July 14, 2011.

What was the application closing date?

The original and current closing date was August 14, 2011.

Is this opportunity still open?

No. The opportunity was archived on September 14, 2011, which typically indicates the solicitation period ended and it was no longer accepting applications through the public portal.

Where was the announcement hosted?

The announcement was hosted through Grants.gov, with an additional information link directing users to that platform for the full application package and formal requirements.

What information would the full Grants.gov package have included?

The summary states the Grants.gov package would include the detailed scope, required deliverables, reporting expectations, and the formal rules governing the cooperative agreement and cost share requirements.

Who was the point of contact for questions?

The listed point of contact was Lori Anderson, Grants Management Officer at BLM.

How could applicants contact the point of contact?

Lori Anderson could be reached by phone at 406-896-5196 or by email at landerso@blm.gov.

What kind of work was this opportunity trying to support?

The work was focused on managing and coordinating volunteers to monitor sage-grouse leks, with the goal of improving efficiency, reducing duplicated efforts, and expanding monitoring coverage so the data could better support management decisions.