BLM (Montana/Dakotas) State-wide Wildlife Program | L19AS00046

Opportunity Information: Apply for L19AS00046

The BLM (Montana/Dakotas) State-wide Wildlife Program grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number L19AS00046) is a Bureau of Land Management, Department of the Interior funding program designed to support practical, on-the-ground and data-driven work that maintains, restores, and conserves wildlife and wildlife habitat across BLM-administered public lands in Montana and the Dakotas. At its core, the program is aimed at keeping wildlife populations self-sustaining and habitats healthy and diverse, while ensuring these public resources continue to provide real public benefits such as hunting, wildlife viewing, education, and long-term ecosystem services. Because BLM lands in the region support a wide range of species (mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates) and include highly varied and important habitat types, the program emphasizes coordinated conservation that works at meaningful landscape scales rather than isolated, one-off actions.

A major theme of the opportunity is partnership. BLM is looking to work closely with States, Tribes, other federal agencies, local governments, and nongovernmental partners to combine technical expertise and to leverage funding through cost share and in-kind support. Applicants are expected to help coordinate and focus investments in landscape resiliency and connectivity projects, particularly in high-value seasonal habitats like big game winter range and migration corridors. The opportunity also highlights BLMs increasing reliance on modern geospatial technologies and standardized datasets so that wildlife information can be shared efficiently across BLM offices and with partners, improving planning, transparency, and consistency in how habitat and occupied areas are mapped and managed.

The 2019 priorities described in the notice place special emphasis on expanding and improving public enjoyment of wildlife resources, especially hunting and wildlife viewing access and opportunities. BLM also signals interest in projects that align wildlife conservation with rural economic benefits, including work that can support local communities through recreation-related activity. The program encourages efforts that enhance habitat for upland game, waterfowl, big game, and watchable wildlife species, while also supporting employment opportunities for youth and veterans. Another practical priority is improving the availability and consistency of wildlife data to help streamline BLM decision-making in areas like energy development, grazing permitting, and land use planning, so that wildlife considerations are integrated earlier and more clearly into those processes.

The scope of eligible work is broad but fairly specific in direction. Projects may include restoring or improving habitat acres, reducing threats (including invasive weeds), implementing habitat improvements like water developments or wildlife-friendly fence modifications, and conducting vegetation restoration that produces multiple benefits (better wildlife habitat, improved livestock forage, improved water quality, and reduced risk of catastrophic wildfire). A significant share of the work described is monitoring and inventory: surveying populations and habitats, tracking outcomes of treatments, assessing progress toward Resource Management Plan objectives, and continuing the conversion of wildlife information into regional geospatial layers using consistent methodologies. The program also supports education and outreach that builds public understanding of BLMs wildlife role and promotes stewardship, and it encourages citizen science and student involvement in monitoring and directed research where appropriate.

The opportunity is explicitly tied to several Department of the Interior Secretarial Orders, which serve as guiding policy frameworks for the types of projects BLM wants to fund. This includes Secretarial Order 3347 (Conservation Stewardship and Outdoor Recreation), which focuses on improving conservation stewardship, game and habitat management, and identifying places where hunting and wildlife viewing can be expanded. It includes Secretarial Order 3353 (Greater Sage-Grouse Conservation and Cooperation with Western States), emphasizing collaborative sage-grouse habitat conservation, monitoring priority habitats, maintaining datasets to meet land use plan commitments, improving transparency for restoration implementation, and coordinating travel and transportation planning and partner capacity. It also references Secretarial Order 3356 (Hunting, Fishing, Recreational Shooting, and Wildlife Conservation), which pushes agencies to analyze how federal land and water actions affect wildlife habitat and hunting opportunity, and to coordinate with state wildlife agencies on population goals for hunted species. Secretarial Order 3362 (Big-Game Winter Range and Migration Corridors) calls for incorporating habitat and population objectives into management decisions with measurable outcomes and site-specific actions that sustain regional big game populations. Secretarial Order 3366 (Increasing Recreational Opportunities) supports inventories and habitat enhancement for birds and other watchable wildlife to grow birding and wildlife viewing opportunities.

In terms of expected outcomes, proposals are expected to support one or more program goals tied to wildlife conservation and public use. These outcomes include habitat restoration or threat reduction; completion of conservation projects such as water improvements and fence modifications; wildlife and habitat monitoring and inventory; evaluating habitat conditions against management objectives; outreach and education that improve stewardship; coordinated actions to protect and restore wildlife populations in partnership with state agencies and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; improving the quality, completeness, and accessibility of information on wildlife distribution and abundance; engaging citizen scientists and students; identifying and assessing threats to wildlife dependent on BLM lands; and strengthening how BLM integrates wildlife data and current research into planning and decisions. The program also emphasizes improving conditions for Bureau Sensitive Species, with the intent of meeting or exceeding objectives set in Resource Management Plans or other conservation plans, including State Wildlife Action Plans. Another stated priority is identifying and restoring priority habitats using native plants and designing projects to be resilient to stressors such as drought, wildfire, severe weather, and insects or disease.

Administratively, this is a discretionary funding opportunity using a Cooperative Agreement, categorized under Natural Resources (CFDA 15.247). Eligibility is listed as unrestricted (open to any type of entity, subject to any additional eligibility language in the full notice). The award ceiling is $350,000, with an expectation of about 10 awards. The opportunity opened May 29, 2019, with two application due dates: Round One due June 27, 2019 and Round Two due July 27, 2019 (both listed as 4:30 PM EST). Projects are primarily intended for BLM-administered lands, but the notice also allows work on other public or private lands when it supports cross-boundary conservation needs. A key compliance expectation is that every proposed project must clearly state its benefit to the public, reflecting the program position that wildlife is a public resource and that projects funded under this opportunity must serve a public purpose.

• The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BLM (Montana/Dakotas) State-wide Wildlife Program" 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 May 29, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 27, 2019 Open from May 29, 2019 - July 27, 2019, 430 PM EST Round One Applications Due June 27, 2019, 430 PM EST Round Two Applications Due July 27, 2019, 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 $350,000.00 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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