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.Apply for L20AS00076
- 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.
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Montana/Dakotas Wildlife Resource Management (BLM) Grant FAQs
What is the Montana/Dakotas Wildlife Resource Management grant opportunity?
This is a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) cooperative agreement funding opportunity 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.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) for this program?
The Funding Opportunity Number is L20AS00076.
What is the main purpose of the program?
The program is intended to help maintain self-sustaining wildlife populations and preserve a natural abundance and diversity of species for long-term public benefit. This includes benefits such as hunting, wildlife viewing, and broader ecosystem health.
Which geographic area does this opportunity cover?
The opportunity targets BLM-administered public lands in Montana and the Dakotas.
What types of species and habitats does the program focus on?
The program recognizes that BLM lands in the region support diverse and important habitat for mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates, and supports conservation and improvement of those habitats.
What kinds of projects are prioritized?
Priority is given to work that expands or supports hunting and other forms of wildlife enjoyment by improving habitat and reducing threats to species. The program emphasizes active habitat stewardship, practical on-the-ground improvements, and data-driven management.
What are examples of expected project activities?
Expected activities include restoring or enhancing habitat acres; implementing conservation improvements such as water developments and wildlife-friendly fence modifications; monitoring and inventory of wildlife populations and habitats; assessing habitat conditions against resource management plan goals; and outreach and education that builds public understanding of wildlife stewardship on public lands.
Does the program support monitoring, inventory, and research-oriented work?
Yes. The opportunity encourages monitoring and inventory of wildlife and habitats, improving the completeness and accuracy of information on wildlife distribution and abundance, engaging citizen scientists and students in monitoring or directed research, and collecting data to identify and evaluate threats to BLM-dependent wildlife populations.
How important are partnerships for this program?
Partnership is a central theme. 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 to achieve landscape-scale outcomes.
What role do geospatial technologies and datasets play in this opportunity?
The program highlights modern geospatial technologies and consistent datasets as key tools for improving efficiency, transparency, and coordination. It emphasizes converting wildlife data into regional geospatial coverages, consistent methods for mapping and delineating occupied habitat, and decision-support tools that can be shared across jurisdictions.
How is the information produced by projects expected to be used?
BLM emphasizes that wildlife information should support permitting (such as energy development and grazing), land use planning, and long-term habitat assessments, and should strengthen how BLM integrates research and new wildlife data into day-to-day decision-making across larger areas.
Does this opportunity focus on landscape resiliency and connectivity?
Yes. 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.
Are sage-grouse-related projects included in the program priorities?
Yes. The opportunity references alignment with Secretarial Orders that include greater sage-grouse conservation, and it mentions projects that support sage-grouse habitat monitoring and restoration.
What types of stressors or threats does the program aim to address?
The program emphasizes approaches that increase habitat resilience to stressors such as drought, invasive species, wildfire, extreme weather, and disease or insect outbreaks.
Does the program include native plant restoration approaches?
Yes. The program places importance on identifying and restoring priority habitats using native plants and approaches that increase resilience.
Does the grant support outreach or environmental education?
Yes. The opportunity includes outreach and education and supports environmental education efforts explaining BLM's role in maintaining viable wildlife populations and healthy habitat, emphasizing wildlife resources as a public resource and wildlife benefits as a clear public purpose.
What are "data and planning" deliverables under this opportunity?
Data and planning support are treated as major deliverables. This includes producing regional geospatial coverages, using consistent mapping methods, creating decision-support tools shareable across jurisdictions, providing current and accurate information to state partners and the public, increasing transparency on targeted restoration actions, and supporting commitments in land use plans for assessment and monitoring.
Is this funding opportunity discretionary or mandatory?
This is a discretionary funding opportunity.
What type of award instrument is used?
The program is offered as a cooperative agreement.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is listed under CFDA 15.247 (Natural Resources).
Who is eligible to apply?
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.
When was the application period open?
The opportunity was originally open from April 8, 2020 to June 8, 2020.
Were there multiple submission rounds?
Yes. There were two submission rounds: Round One due May 7, 2020 and Round Two due June 8, 2020.
What time were submissions due on the deadline dates?
Both rounds were due at 4:30 PM Eastern.
What was the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The announced award ceiling was $700,000.
How many awards were expected?
The announcement stated an expectation of approximately 10 awards.
How does this program connect wildlife conservation to recreation?
The program is designed to deliver long-term public benefit, including hunting and wildlife viewing. It prioritizes projects that improve habitat and reduce threats in ways that support hunting and other wildlife enjoyment opportunities.
How does this opportunity relate to land use planning and transportation or travel planning?
The program notes that wildlife information should feed into land use planning and permitting decisions, and it also references contributing to travel and transportation planning where it affects habitat.
What is the overall emphasis of the program for applicants and partners?
The program is positioned 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 supporting recreation access and sustainable public land management on BLM lands in Montana and the Dakotas.
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