Opportunity Information: Apply for BOR LC 16 N024
Apply for BOR LC 16 N024
- The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Salton Sea Management Program Avian Habitat Study" 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 Aug 24, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 06, 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 $25,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Salton Sea Management Program Avian Habitat Study is a Bureau of Reclamation (U.S. Department of the Interior) discretionary grant opportunity focused on protecting and planning for bird habitat at the Salton Sea, a major ecological site that supports more than 400 bird species and serves as a key stop on the Pacific Flyway. The opportunity is framed as a "Notice of Intent to Award Only," meaning it is not a broadly competed solicitation in the usual sense; instead, it signals the agency's intent to make a single award to a specific recipient for a defined scope of work. In this case, the work is closely tied to the Audubon Society's expertise and prior success conducting similar habitat-related efforts at Owens Lake in California.
The core problem the grant addresses is the Salton Sea's ongoing and projected decline. As the Sea continues to shrink over the coming decades, the region is expected to experience major loss of open-water and wetland habitat, sharply increasing salinity (projected to triple), and the collapse of fish populations once salinity becomes too high. These ecological changes also carry public health and environmental justice implications because exposed lakebed and changing conditions can contribute to airborne dust and toxic contaminants, worsening local air quality. Against that backdrop, the opportunity supports planning and science work intended to guide practical, long-term management decisions aimed at sustaining a smaller but stable and functional Salton Sea ecosystem.
The main purpose of the funded project is to establish and map "baseline" habitat conditions at the Salton Sea so that future restoration and management actions can be evaluated against a clear reference point. The project is intended to provide decision-ready information for major stakeholders, including the Bureau of Reclamation and the State of California, and it responds to an identified need from California's Natural Resources Agency leadership focused on Salton Sea policy. The baseline concept is important because it creates a measurable target: instead of managing with vague goals, the program can set restoration objectives that maintain or replicate habitat conditions that are known to support bird populations over time.
To accomplish this, the recipient will work with key stakeholders to select a baseline year, or a range of years, that will serve as the reference period for habitat conditions. From there, the project will develop habitat suitability indices or models tailored to different suites of species (often organized as species guilds, meaning groups of birds that use similar habitat types or resources). The models and metrics are expected to be science-based, tied to the conditions birds and their food sources actually need, and grounded in measurable variables such as salinity, water depth, and other habitat attributes. The grant description also emphasizes that the metrics should be peer-reviewed, which signals a preference for transparency, credibility, and alignment with accepted scientific practice.
A notable feature of this opportunity is that it explicitly draws on the Owens Lake approach as a proven model. Owens Lake experienced severe ecological loss and serious air quality impacts after major water diversions, and Audubon previously applied methodology there to address habitat issues under challenging environmental conditions. The Salton Sea project is positioned as a parallel effort: use mapping, modeling, and baseline definition to inform a feasible plan that balances ecological habitat needs with realistic constraints, with the idea that baseline habitats can ultimately become formal restoration goals.
Administratively, the opportunity is listed under Funding Opportunity Number BOR LC 16 N024, under CFDA 15.517, and it is categorized as an environmental grant. Eligibility is limited to nonprofit organizations with IRS 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education). The award ceiling is $25,000, with one expected award, reflecting the narrow, targeted nature of the "award only" notice. The opportunity was created on August 24, 2016, with an original closing date of September 6, 2016. Overall, the grant supports foundational science and planning work meant to anchor future restoration decisions in measurable habitat requirements, with the ultimate goal of maintaining bird-supporting habitat as the Salton Sea changes.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - Salton Sea Management Program Avian Habitat Study
What is the Salton Sea Management Program Avian Habitat Study grant?
This is a Bureau of Reclamation (U.S. Department of the Interior) discretionary grant opportunity supporting science and planning work to protect and plan for bird habitat at the Salton Sea. The project focuses on establishing and mapping baseline habitat conditions so future management and restoration actions can be measured against a clear reference point.
Who is offering this grant opportunity?
The grant opportunity is offered by the Bureau of Reclamation, which is part of the U.S. Department of the Interior.
What does "Notice of Intent to Award Only" mean?
"Notice of Intent to Award Only" indicates the opportunity is not a broadly competed solicitation. Instead, it signals the agency's intent to make a single award to a specific recipient for a defined scope of work, rather than inviting open competition in the usual way.
Is this a competitive funding opportunity?
Based on the description, it is not broadly competed. The agency indicates an intent to make one award to a specific recipient for a defined scope.
How many awards are expected?
One award is expected.
What is the maximum award amount?
The award ceiling is $25,000.
What is the funding opportunity number?
The Funding Opportunity Number is BOR LC 16 N024.
What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?
The opportunity is listed under CFDA 15.517.
How is this grant categorized?
It is categorized as an environmental grant.
Who is eligible to receive this grant?
Eligibility is limited to nonprofit organizations with IRS 501(c)(3) status, excluding institutions of higher education.
Are colleges and universities eligible?
No. The eligibility statement excludes institutions of higher education.
What problem is this grant trying to address at the Salton Sea?
The grant addresses the Salton Sea's ongoing and projected decline, including major loss of open-water and wetland habitat as the Sea shrinks, sharply increasing salinity (projected to triple), and the collapse of fish populations once salinity becomes too high. The opportunity also recognizes related public health and environmental justice concerns tied to exposed lakebed, airborne dust, and toxic contaminants that can worsen local air quality.
Why is the Salton Sea important for birds?
The Salton Sea is described as a major ecological site supporting more than 400 bird species and serving as a key stop on the Pacific Flyway.
What is the main purpose of the funded project?
The primary purpose is to establish and map baseline habitat conditions at the Salton Sea. This baseline is meant to serve as a reference point so future restoration and management actions can be evaluated against measurable, defined conditions.
What does "baseline habitat conditions" mean in this project?
Baseline habitat conditions refer to a selected reference period (a baseline year or a range of years) that defines the habitat state used for comparison. The intent is to create a measurable target so restoration objectives can maintain or replicate habitat conditions known to support bird populations over time.
How will the project choose the baseline year (or years)?
The recipient is expected to work with key stakeholders to select a baseline year or a range of years that will serve as the reference period for habitat conditions.
What types of scientific tools or outputs are expected from the project?
The project is expected to develop habitat suitability indices or models tailored to different suites of species, often organized as species guilds (groups of birds that use similar habitat types or resources). The work also includes mapping and baseline definition intended to support long-term management decisions.
What are species guilds, as used in this grant description?
Species guilds are groups of bird species that use similar habitat types or resources. The project anticipates developing models and metrics for these grouped suites of species.
What kinds of habitat variables will the models and metrics use?
The metrics are expected to be grounded in measurable variables such as salinity, water depth, and other habitat attributes tied to the conditions birds and their food sources need.
Does the grant require peer review of the metrics?
The description emphasizes that the metrics should be peer-reviewed, signaling a preference for transparency, credibility, and alignment with accepted scientific practice.
Who are the main stakeholders expected to use the project results?
The project is intended to provide decision-ready information for major stakeholders, including the Bureau of Reclamation and the State of California. It also responds to an identified need from California's Natural Resources Agency leadership focused on Salton Sea policy.
How will the project support future restoration and management decisions?
By creating a clear baseline and developing science-based suitability models and measurable metrics, the project is designed to anchor restoration objectives in defined habitat requirements. This helps future actions be evaluated against a reference point rather than vague goals.
Why does the opportunity reference Owens Lake?
The opportunity explicitly draws on the Owens Lake approach as a proven model. Owens Lake experienced severe ecological loss and serious air quality impacts after major water diversions, and Audubon previously applied methodology there to address habitat issues under challenging environmental conditions. The Salton Sea effort is positioned as a parallel mapping, modeling, and baseline-definition project.
Is the work tied to a specific organization?
Yes. The notice indicates intent to make a single award to a specific recipient, and it states the work is closely tied to the Audubon Society's expertise and prior success conducting similar habitat-related efforts at Owens Lake in California.
What is the broader long-term goal described for the Salton Sea?
The longer-term goal is to guide practical management decisions aimed at sustaining a smaller but stable and functional Salton Sea ecosystem, with bird-supporting habitat maintained as conditions change over time.
When was this opportunity created and when did it close?
The opportunity was created on August 24, 2016, with an original closing date of September 6, 2016.
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