Rangeland Resource Management

 

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Rangeland Management Program administers grazing for more than 155 million acres of public land. This includes, but is not limited to, such things as inventorying, controlling and managing noxious weeds and invasive species; improving rangelands through grazing management, vegetation restoration treatments, and grazing management structures; and soil resource management. Coordination with land managers and other stakeholders is conducted to complete priority soil surveys, ecological site descriptions, and on-the-ground projects to improve soil stability and reduce erosion. Appropriate management of rangeland and soil resources also support actions and authorizations that include, but is not limited to, such things as endangered and special status species recovery, grazing of domestic livestock, recreation, forest management, hazardous fuels reduction, and post fire rehabilitation. To better support land management decisions regarding grazing and other range management treatments, soils management, and invasive species, the BLM will place a priority on collecting data through the use of consistent, comparable, and common indicators, consistent methods, and an unbiased sampling framework which will allow for analyses that are repeatable and comparable across a region, and decisions based on science and data that are legally defensible. Land health assessments completed at a larger scale will be more efficient and less costly over time and provide timely support for decision-making. The Rangeland Management program conducts inventories, assessments and evaluations of soil and vegetation conditions and land health. Monitoring data is collected and analyzed to ensure progress toward meeting land health standards. Funded projects under this program will focus on high priority work such as activities that support maintaining or achieving land health and productivity, increasing carbon sequestration, and creating resilient landscapes to benefit current and future generations. Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act PL 117-58, Section 40804(b) Ecosystem Restoration and Section 40803 Wildland Risk Reduction.

General information about this opportunity
Last Known Status
Active
Program Number
15.237
Federal Agency/Office
Bureau of Land Management, Department of The Interior
Type(s) of Assistance Offered
B - Project Grants
Program Accomplishments
Fiscal Year 2016 No Current Data Available. The Bureau of Land Management continued to maintain and expand partnership activities in this program which include resource monitoring on rangelands, conducting upland health assessments and evaluations, rangeland use authorizations, allotment planning and administration, development of vegetation objectives, development of criteria and indicators to measure rangeland sustainability, integrated noxious and invasive plant species management, and activity plan development in connection with land use planning.
Fiscal Year 2017 The Bureau of Land Management continued to maintain and expand partnership activities in this program which include resource monitoring on rangelands, conducting upland health assessments and evaluations, rangeland use authorizations, allotment planning and administration, development of vegetation objectives, development of criteria and indicators to measure rangeland sustainability, integrated noxious and invasive plant species management, and activity plan development in connection with land use planning.
Fiscal Year 2018 1. Gathering data to complete land health assessments. 2. Processing grazing permits for identified high priority areas. 3. Increased efforts to coordinate shared objectives with wildlife, forestry, aquatic, and cultural and recreation programs, to effectively maintain or restore land health. 4. Evaluate multiple allotments together or at the watershed scale to improve efficiencies for evaluating land health and processing permits. 5. Continue to work with permittees and other stakeholders on targeted grazing to decrease fuel loads and restore desirable perennial grasses and forbs. 6. Implement outcome based grazing with collaborative monitoring with stakeholders to increase flexibility and improve efficiencies.
Fiscal Year 2019 Vegetation monitoring. • Vegetation restoration treatments • Installation, maintenance, and monitoring erosion control structures. • Soils mapping and development of ecological site descriptions. • Engagement of community members and other stakeholders, through mentoring, training, and educational programs. • Project development and layout. • Planning analysis and document preparation as appropriate, in order to carry out land use planning decisions, and Endangered Species requirements. • Cultural survey and assessment data collection, and monitoring.
Fiscal Year 2020 CO Strengthening Partnerships for Wildlife Resource Management on Colorado's Public Lands, Colorado State University-Pueblo, NM Monitoring Soil Properties and Re-vegetation Success of Creosote Thinning in a Northern Chihuahuan Desert Grassland, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, MT Rare Carnivore Monitoring in the Southwest Crown, Montana Swan Valley Connections.
Fiscal Year 2021 Vegetation monitoring, soils mapping and development of ecological site descriptions, range improvement project development and layout, cultural surveys and assessments, data collection and monitoring.
Fiscal Year 2023 The program are anticipating to continue focusing on vegetation monitoring, Vegetation restoration treatments, Soils mapping and development of ecological site descriptions, project development and layout, cultural survey and assessment, data collection and monitoring.
Fiscal Year 2024 Unknown at this time.
Authorization
Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA), 43 U.S.C. § 1737(b)
Public Law -104-208, Section 124, as amended by PL 105-277, Section 136, as amended by PL 108-7, Section 135., Watershed Restoration and Enhancement Agreements (aka The Wyden Amendment), 16 U.S.C. §1011
Who is eligible to apply/benefit from this assistance?
Applicant Eligibility
Not applicable.
Beneficiary Eligibility
Not applicable.
Credentials/Documentation
Not applicable.
What is the process for applying and being award this assistance?
Pre-Application Procedure
Preapplication coordination is required. An environmental impact statement is required for this listing. An environmental impact assessment is required for this listing. This program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review.
Application Procedure
2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program. A Standard Form 424, Application for Federal Assistance, Standard Form 424A, Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs, Standard Form 424B, Assurances for Non-Construction Programs, and a written proposal should be submitted through Grants.gov or via a hardcopy to the project office and include: a title, objectives, timeframe, and a budget breakdown as specified in the funding opportunity announcement.
Award Procedure
All applications will be initially screened for eligibility and compliance with the requirements stated in the program Notice of Funding Opportunity Announcement. Applications passing this screening process will be forwarded for review by the proposal evaluation criteria, and any additional review factors, as stated in the funding announcement. State and District Office level and funding recommendations are made through the State's annual work plan. Final budget approvals rest with the State Director.
Deadlines
Contact the headquarters or regional location, as appropriate for application deadlines
Approval/Disapproval Decision Time
Award time varies depending on the type and complexity of the project. Further information will be available for each project at the time the Notice of Funding Opportunity is posted on www.grants.gov and may be obtained by contacting the point of contact listed in the funding opportunity announcement. Most awards are anticipated within 90 days or less after the announcement closes.
Appeals
Final award decisions are not subject to appeal; however, the Bureau of Land Management will provide all applicants with information on why their proposal was not selected for award.
Renewals
Not applicable.
How are proposals selected?
First Level Screening -Basic Eligibility. Applications will be screened by the Grants Management Officer to ensure that applications meet basic eligibility requirements. Must meet the requirements of the Notice of Funding Opportunity posted on www.grants.gov, screening may include, but is not limited to: Program and/or legislative authority requirements are met; Submission is timely; and complete and properly executed SF-424 application package documents. B. Applications must satisfy basic eligibility screening requirements to be considered for further review. Second Level Evaluation -- Merit Review Evaluation is stated in each Notice of Funding Opportunity noticed post on www.grants.gov Third Level Review Pre-Award Clearance and Approvals. BLM will also complete a business evaluation and determination of responsibility. During these evaluations the Grants Management Officer will evaluate variables such as: Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System, financial stability, quality of management systems, past performance meeting prior award terms and conditions.
How may assistance be used?
Projects are limited to rangeland projects on public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management located mostly in the Western United States and Alaska.
What are the requirements after being awarded this opportunity?
Reporting
Performance Reports: Shall submit at the minimum an annual Performance Report in accordance with the 2 CFR, Part 200.328 within 90 days after the anniversary date or as indicated in the Notice of Award. Upon completion of the agreement, recipients shall submit a final report no later than 120 calendar day after the award end date.
Auditing
Not applicable.
Records
All recipients of Federal awards shall maintain project records in accordance with 2 CFR 200.333 Retention requirements for records. Financial records, supporting documents, statistical records, and all other non-Federal entity records pertinent to a Federal award must be retained for a period of three years from the date of submission of the final expenditure report or, for Federal awards that are renewed quarterly or annually, from the date of the submission of the quarterly or annual financial report, respectively, as reported to the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity in the case of a subrecipient. Federal awarding agencies and pass-through entities must not impose any other record retention requirements upon non-Federal entities, except as noted in 2 CFR 200.333.
Other Assistance Considerations
Formula and Matching Requirements
Statutory formula is not applicable to this assistance listing.

Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance
No specific restrictions for most projects, however, most projects are awarded for a one to five year period and funded on a year-by-year basis and funds are expended during a particular fiscal year. No commitment will be made to fund projects beyond one year. New and continuing projects will be re-evaluated each year based on performance, merit, and fund availability. Frequency of recipient payments will be determined for each awarded assistance agreement at the time of award.
Who do I contact about this opportunity?
Regional or Local Office
See Catalog Appendix IV for addresses of Bureau of Land Management State Offices.
Headquarters Office
Division of Forest, Rangeland, and Plant Conservation
760 Horizon Drive, Suite 324
Grand Junction, CO 81506 USA
mdraper@blm.gov
Phone: (208) 373-3812
Website Address
https://www.blm.gov/programs/natural-resources
Financial Information
Account Identification
14-1109-0-1-302
Obligations
(Cooperative Agreements (Discretionary Grants)) FY 22$3,502,100.00; FY 23 est $500,000.00; FY 24 est $500,000.00; FY 21$2,605,374.00; FY 20$2,546,736.00; FY 19$841,371.00; FY 18$719,000.00; FY 16$3,439,748.00; FY 17 est $2,000,000.00; -
Range and Average of Financial Assistance
Past partnership projects have been awarded between $7,000 to $501,000. Average amounts run about $57,891 or less.
Regulations, Guidelines and Literature
Bureau of Land Management's Rangeland and Management program is generally guided by the provisions in 43 CFR Part 4000. Public Rangelands Improvement Act of 1978, 43 U.S.C. 1906, Public Law 95-514; and Taylor Grazing Act of 1934, 43 U.S.C. 315a, as amended, Endangered Species Act, 16 USC 1535, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) - BLM Handbook 1790-1, National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, 16 USC 470, as amended through December 19, 2014, as codified in Title 54 USC, Subtitle III, Division A, Subdivision 2 Chapter 3023 ? 302304. Contracts and cooperative agreements, (b) 4. National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, 16 USC 470, as amended through December 19, 2014, as codified in Title 54 USC, subtitle III, Division A, Subdivision 2 Chapter 3027--Historic Preservation Programs and Authorities for Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian Organizations. A variety of public interest publications on these programs are available free of charge by contacting the appropriate State Office. Manuals and handbooks providing basic program operational guidance for Rangeland Management are found in BLM Manuals 4000 series and may be obtained by contacting the Headquarters Office.
Examples of Funded Projects
Fiscal Year 2016 No Current Data Available. Cooperative rangeland management projects that developed criteria and indicators for measuring sustainability of rangelands. Projects that provided range management education and training for grazing permittees and agency staff. Projects which conducted invasive and weed species inventory and conducted integrated weed management planning and treatment. Projects that supported technical and applied rangeland and grazing management information for dissemination, such as support for Grazinglands Conservation Initiative Convention and the International Rangelands Congress. And, projects that promoted general public education and information on values of proper livestock grazing management.
Fiscal Year 2017 Cooperative rangeland management projects that developed criteria and indicators for measuring sustainability of rangelands. Projects that provided range management education and training for grazing permittees and agency staff. Projects which conducted invasive and weed species inventory and conducted integrated weed management planning and treatment. Projects that supported technical and applied rangeland and grazing management information for dissemination, such as support for Grazinglands Conservation Initiative Convention and the International Rangelands Congress. And, projects that promoted general public education and information on values of proper livestock grazing management. Through the Healthy Lands program, the BLM supports partnerships such as Restore New Mexico and the Watershed Restoration Initiative in Utah, which are State and partner-led efforts to improve habitat on a large-scale, and provide multiple benefits to local communities and land users.
Fiscal Year 2018 WO, Sustainable Rangelands Roundtable Support. Watershed projects establish, maintain or improve proper watershed, wetland, riparian and stream channel functions to support natural or desired surface-water flow regimes and meet Wyoming water-quality standards. Wyoming Mule Deer Initiative is focused on developing solutions to face the challenges impacting health and viability of mule deer herds. ID Good Neighbor Authority - Rangeland Restoration Services NV Vegetation Mapping Utilizing Remote Sensing, Black Rock Field Office UT Statewide Watershed Restoration Initiative
Fiscal Year 2019 MT Baseline Study of Rangeland Salinization in NW South Dakota; National Natural Resources Shared Conservation; UT GSENM Scientific Study to Employ GPS Technology to Understand Livestock Distribution Grazing Practices and Data Analysis; NV Vegetation Mapping Utilizing Remote Sensing, Black Rock Field Office; ID Promoting Biological Soil Crusts through Grazing Management; NM Ecological Site Update and Wind Erosion Assessment; AZ Restore, Improve, and Enhance Land Health within the Upper Gila River Watershed;
Fiscal Year 2020 NM Update soil surveys and develop ecological site descriptions, vegetation treatment as part of Restore NM, Watershed Assessments in SD, AZ Support for implementing vegetation and restoration projects.
Fiscal Year 2021 ID Care-Share Outreach & Idaho Rangeland Outdoors Activities Mobile Education Projects, Rangeland and Resources Commission, NM Restore New Mexico, New Mexico Association of Soil and Water Conservation District, AZ Rangeland Resource, Arizona Association of Conservation Districts.
Fiscal Year 2023 Projects to be funded in FY23 will continue to focus on achieving land health and productivity, increasing carbon sequestration, and creating resilient landscapes to benefit current and future generations.
Fiscal Year 2024 Unknown at this time.

 


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