Montana/Dakotas Wildlife Resource Management | L20AS00076

Opportunity Information: Apply for L20AS00076

The Montana/Dakotas Wildlife Resource Management grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number L20AS00076) is a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) cooperative agreement program under the U.S. Department of the Interior focused on conserving and improving wildlife and wildlife habitat on BLM-administered public lands in Montana and the Dakotas. The overall purpose is to help maintain self-sustaining wildlife populations and preserve a natural abundance and diversity of species for long-term public benefit, including hunting, wildlife viewing, and broader ecosystem health. Because BLM lands in this region contain highly diverse and important habitat supporting mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates, the program emphasizes active habitat stewardship, practical on-the-ground improvements, and data-driven management that can be used both by BLM and its partners.

A central theme of the opportunity is partnership. BLM expects to work closely with State wildlife agencies, Tribes, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, other federal agencies, local communities, industry stakeholders where relevant, and nongovernmental conservation organizations. Projects are meant to reflect shared conservation stewardship, where expertise, labor, and funding are often combined to produce larger, landscape-scale outcomes than BLM could achieve alone. The program also highlights modern geospatial technologies and consistent datasets as a key tool for improving efficiency, transparency, and coordination, particularly when wildlife information needs to feed into permitting (such as energy development and grazing), land use planning, and long-term habitat assessments.

The grant prioritizes work that directly expands or supports hunting and other forms of wildlife enjoyment by improving habitat and reducing threats to species. Expected project activities include restoring or enhancing habitat acres; implementing targeted conservation improvements such as water developments and wildlife-friendly fence modifications; conducting monitoring and inventory of wildlife populations and habitats; assessing habitat conditions against resource management plan goals; and delivering outreach and education that builds public understanding of wildlife stewardship on public lands. BLM also specifically encourages efforts that protect, preserve, and restore wildlife populations in coordination with state agencies and the Fish and Wildlife Service, improve the completeness and accuracy of information on wildlife distribution and abundance, engage citizen scientists and students in monitoring or directed research, and collect data to identify and evaluate threats to BLM-dependent wildlife populations. Another stated outcome is strengthening how BLM integrates new research and wildlife data into day-to-day decision-making, moving from isolated project knowledge to information that can guide management across larger areas.

From a public benefit standpoint, the opportunity is designed to concentrate investments in landscape resiliency and connectivity, especially in high-value areas such as big game winter range, migration corridors, and other seasonal habitats. It aligns with multiple Secretarial Orders that emphasize conservation stewardship and outdoor recreation, greater sage-grouse conservation, coordination with states and tribes on hunting and fishing opportunities, protection and improvement of big game migration corridors, and expanded wildlife viewing and birding opportunities. In practice, that means projects that support sage-grouse habitat monitoring and restoration, improve habitat quality and connectivity in priority landscapes, contribute to travel and transportation planning where it affects habitat, and build capacity through partnership development and training. The program also places importance on identifying and restoring priority habitats using native plants and approaches that increase resilience to stressors like drought, invasive species, wildfire, extreme weather, and disease or insect outbreaks.

Data and planning support are treated as major deliverables, not an afterthought. The BLM emphasizes converting wildlife data into regional geospatial coverages, ensuring consistent methods for mapping and delineating occupied habitat, and producing decision-support tools that can be shared across jurisdictions to address species conservation issues that do not stop at administrative boundaries. This includes providing current and accurate information to state partners and the public, increasing transparency around where restoration actions are targeted, and helping ensure that commitments made in land use plans for assessment and monitoring are met. The opportunity also supports environmental education efforts that explain BLMs role in maintaining viable wildlife populations and healthy habitat, reinforcing the idea that wildlife resources are a public resource and that actions benefiting wildlife serve a clear public purpose.

Administratively, this is a discretionary funding opportunity offered as a cooperative agreement under CFDA 15.247 (Natural Resources). Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning any applicant type may apply as long as they meet any additional eligibility conditions described in the full announcement. The opportunity was originally open from April 8, 2020 to June 8, 2020, with two submission rounds (Round One due May 7, 2020 and Round Two due June 8, 2020, both at 4:30 PM Eastern). The announced award ceiling was $700,000, with an expectation of approximately 10 awards. Overall, the program is best understood as a flexible but outcomes-focused funding source for partners who can deliver tangible habitat improvements, credible monitoring and geospatial data products, and collaborative projects that improve wildlife conservation while also supporting recreation access and sustainable public land management in the Montana and Dakotas BLM landscapes.

• The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Montana/Dakotas Wildlife Resource Management" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.247.
• This funding opportunity was created on Apr 08, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 08, 2020 Open from April 8, 2020 to June 8, 2020, 430 PM EST Round One Applications are Due May 7, 2020, 430 PM EST Round Two Applications are Due June 8, 2020, 430 PM EST. (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 $700,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

Apply for L20AS00076

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: