BLM OR/WA Wildlife Conservation of Special Status Species | L17AS00178

Opportunity Information: Apply for L17AS00178

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) grant opportunity titled "BLM OR/WA Wildlife Conservation of Special Status Species" is a discretionary funding program designed to support wildlife conservation work on BLM-managed public lands in Oregon and Washington. The central goal is to conserve Special Status wildlife species, including BLM Sensitive species and other wildlife of concern, by improving what is known about these species, identifying and reducing threats, protecting important sites, and restoring or enhancing habitats that are rare, vulnerable, or degraded. In practice, the program is focused on turning conservation needs into on-the-ground actions and usable decision-support information that helps BLM manage landscapes in ways that sustain at-risk wildlife over time.

The opportunity is structured as a cooperative agreement, which typically means projects are expected to involve active collaboration with BLM staff rather than being entirely independent research. Funding is tied to natural resources work (CFDA 15.231), and eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning a wide range of applicants can apply (for example, universities, nonprofits, tribes, state agencies, local governments, or other qualified organizations), as long as the proposed work matches the program purpose and is relevant to BLM lands in Oregon and Washington.

BLM is looking for projects that help it understand what is putting pressure on Sensitive and other priority wildlife species and then implement conservation measures that address those pressures. The scope of eligible work is broad and covers the full conservation cycle from information gathering to management implementation. Typical projects include field inventories and surveys to document where species occur and how abundant they are, along with threat assessments that evaluate risks to populations or habitats. Applicants may also propose monitoring and evaluation work, such as repeated surveys or habitat condition tracking, to measure trends and determine whether management actions are working.

In addition to survey and monitoring efforts, the program supports studies that identify factors influencing Special Status wildlife populations, such as habitat quality, fragmentation, disturbance, invasive species, disease, predation pressures, hydrology changes, fire regimes, or climate-related shifts. It also encourages the production of conservation assessments and other planning or technical documents that BLM can use for decision-making and compliance, as well as analytical efforts like habitat modeling and risk assessment modeling that help predict where important habitat occurs, where conflicts or threats are highest, and where conservation investments will be most effective.

On-the-ground habitat work is also an explicit fit. This includes habitat improvement, restoration, or maintenance, either as studies that test approaches or as implementation projects that carry out proven methods. Examples could include restoring native plant communities, improving wetland or riparian function, removing or managing invasive species, modifying or protecting key habitat features, or managing human use impacts where they affect sensitive wildlife. The opportunity also allows for public-facing and capacity-building components, such as developing interpretive programs, displays, education products, or training materials that support conservation outcomes and promote better stewardship.

BLM also highlights interest in innovative management practices. That can include demonstration projects that test new techniques for protecting or managing Special Status species and their habitats, particularly where a method could be replicated across multiple field offices or landscapes. Overall, competitive proposals under this opportunity would be expected to clearly link the proposed activities to measurable conservation benefits for target species on BLM-administered lands, address identified threats, and produce deliverables that directly support management actions or future conservation planning.

For this specific funding notice (Opportunity Number L17AS00178), the original closing date was November 7, 2017. The award ceiling was listed at $90,000, with an expectation of two awards. The opportunity was created on June 19, 2017, indicating it was a time-limited solicitation for that funding cycle.

• The Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BLM OR/WA Wildlife Conservation of Special Status Species" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.231.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-06-19.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-11-07. (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 $90,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 2 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

Apply for L17AS00178

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