FY24 Bureau of Land Management Headquarters (HQ) National Conservation Lands-Management Studies Support Program
DOI-BLM
Status:
Active
November 6, 2023
Posted:
Deadline:
February 1, 2024
Funding
350000
Program:
5000
Award Floor:
Ceiling:
40000
Match Required?
No
Eligibility
All
States:
Entity Types:
State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public & State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations, Nonprofits (with 501(c)(3) status), Nonprofits (without 501(c)(3) status)
The BLM is unique in its mission of managing the public lands for multiple use and sustained
yield of resources, including conservation. Approximately 35 million acres of BLM land is
recognized for outstanding conservation values as designated for special management by acts of
Congress or Presidential Proclamations.
The BLM manages these special areas to maintain and enhance their conservation values with
the goal to conserve, protect, and restore these important landscapes and their outstanding
cultural, ecological, and scientific values. These areas range from broad Alaskan tundra to red
rock deserts and from deep river canyons to rugged ocean coastlines and include some of
America’s finest natural and cultural treasures.
The National Conservation Lands include the following unit designations:
• National Monuments and National Conservation Areas;
Page 3 of 26
• Wilderness/Wilderness Study Areas;
• National Wild and Scenic Rivers;
• National Scenic and Historic Trails;
• California Desert National Conservation Lands; and
• Other similar Congressional designations such as Outstanding Natural Areas, National
Scenic Areas, and Cooperative Management Areas
Natural, Scientific, and Cultural Benefits - The National Conservation Lands protect a myriad
of rare species, diverse habitats and ecosystems, dark environments, iconic land forms, historic
properties, and cultural resources. These designated lands help ensure that the Nation’s
extraordinary natural resources and cultural heritage will be sustained for present and future
generations to enjoy. Scientific resources span unique paleontological and geological records of
deep time, extraordinary opportunities to learn from biodiversity, traditional landscapes and
cultural sites. National Conservation Lands are also laboratories for identifying the best
management practices for application the broader spectrum of public lands.
Recreation Benefits - The National Conservation Lands conserve diverse landscapes for the
public to explore and enjoy and host more than one-fourth of all recreation on BLM lands. These
lands provide physical and psychological benefits through opportunities for outdoor recreation of
all kinds, from stargazing to wildlife watching, rock climbing to hunting and fishing, hiking and
skiing to bicycling, boating and off-highway vehicle riding. The BLM manages units that
include over 2,700 recreation sites and 22 visitor centers and serves approximately 14 million
visitors annually.
Public Benefits – National Conservation Lands benefit the communities which live, work,
recreate, and learn from the lands and resources in their midst. Management studies may benefit
the public with increased understanding of climate change for more effective application of
conservation principles. The lands and resources promote benefits to the public with
opportunities to understand natural systems, geomorphology, and diurnal processes, as well as
social systems including unique human-land relationships through history, traditional uses, and
contemporary working landscapes. Management of Federal lands and waters in a manner that
seeks to protect the treaty, religious, subsistence, and cultural interests of federally recognized
Indian Tribes is consistent with the nation-to-nation relationship between the United States and
federally recognized Indian Tribes; and such management fulfills the United States’ unique trust
obligation to federally recognized Indian Tribes and their citizens. In addition, demonstrated
engagement of the public in the production of knowledge strengthens the values for which
National Conservation Lands were designated.
Objectives:
The National Conservation Lands financially support studies aimed at increasing our
understanding of the resources present on BLM lands and the effectiveness of BLM’s resource
management decisions. The program seeks to develop and maintain strong partnerships with
State, local, university, tribal, and non-profit stakeholders in shared conservation stewardship by
engaging partners in conducting management-focused research on the National Conservation
Lands. Results from these studies on National Conservation Lands will inform management
strategies utilized throughout BLM as well as other land management entities.
The Management Studies Support Program for National Conservation Lands will utilize
partnerships with University, State, local, tribal, and non-profit entities to gather the best
Page 4 of 26
available data and synthesize information to support BLM’s land management decision
processes and co-stewardship initiatives.
Legislative and Policy Priorities:
The Management Studies Support Program for National Conservation lands aligns with the
Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 which states that BLM can cooperate with
partners on investigations, studies, and experiments involving the management and protection of
public lands. Sec. 307. [43 U.S.C. 1737] (a) The Secretary may conduct investigations, studies,
and experiments, on his own initiative or in cooperation with others, involving the management,
protection, development, acquisition, and conveying of the public lands.
Projects must assist BLM in meeting one or more priorities in each of the following categories:
• Biden-Harris Administration priorities including tackling climate change and advancing
racial equity and civil rights. https://www.whitehouse.gov/priorities/ and
https://www.federalregister.gov/presidential-documents/executive-orders/joe-biden/2021
• Department of the Interior’s priorities to conserve and restore our lands and waters,
increase environmental protections, pursue environmental justice, and honor our nationto-nation relationship with Tribes. https://www.doi.gov/ourpriorities
• BLM's priorities for the specific National Conservation Lands area affected. State or local
BLM staff contacts can provide additional detail regarding local resource management
plans, unit science plans, and priorities (see “Related Documents” files at the grants.gov
site listing this NOFO for contact details).
Program Expected Outcomes:
The National Conservation Lands program requires specific performance goals and outcomes to
be accomplished. Proposals must identify how the project incorporates at least one of the
following themes:
• Management-Driven Research: On-the-ground research that provides information that
can directly inform a pertinent and pressing management question.
• Community/Citizen Science: On-the-ground research that engages citizens (volunteers)
as assistants in data collection, compilation, or data analysis to improve BLM’s
management of the National Conservation Lands, advance evidence-informed decisionmaking, while benefiting society. If applicable, please also identify if the project
qualifies as Citizen Science (defined as: a form of open collaboration in which
individuals or organizations participate voluntarily in the scientific process in various
ways, including-(A) enabling the formulation of research questions; (B) creating and
refining project design; (C) conducting scientific experiments; (D) collecting and
analyzing data; (E) interpreting the results of data; (F) developing technologies and
applications; (G) making discoveries; and (H) solving problems. [15 USC 3724]).
• Tribal Co-Stewardship: management studies which explore opportunities for, evaluate,
or seek to re-invigorate co-stewardship activities with Tribal entities (as consistent with
Joint Secretary’s Order 3403 [SO 3403] and BLM Permanent Instruction Memorandum
2022-011) and including but not limited to application of Indigenous Knowledge
(https://www.whitehouse.gov/ostp/ostps-teams/climate-and-environment/indigenousknowledge/).
Page 5 of 26
The project proposal must identify specific deliverables or outcomes to be accomplished (e.g.,
reports, peer-reviewed articles, GIS files, outreach tools). At a minimum, deliverables must
include:
• Annual progress reports;
• A final report, suitable for distribution to BLM staff; and
• A manager’s summary, suitable for broad public distribution (less than one-page report
that helps inform manager's decisions).
All proposed projects submitted under this funding opportunity must state a benefit to the public.
Funding Opportunity GoalsManagement-Driven Research: On the ground research that provides
information that can directly inform a pertinent and pressing management question at units of
BLMs National Conservation Lands.Community/Citizen Science: On the ground research that
engages citizens (volunteers) as assistants in data collection, compilation, or analysis to improve
BLM's management, advance evidence-informed decision-making, while benefiting
society.Tribal Co-Stewardship: studies which explore opportunities for, evaluate, or seek to reinvigorate co-stewardship activities with Tribal entities, including but not limited to application
of Indigenous Knowledge.