BLM-WY, Whoopup Petroglyph Fire Assessment | L17AS00121

Opportunity Information: Apply for L17AS00121

The grant opportunity titled "BLM-WY, Whoopup Petroglyph Fire Assessment" (Funding Opportunity Number L17AS00121) is a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) funding announcement under the U.S. Department of the Interior focused on natural resource and cultural resource protection. The project is centered on assessing wildfire impacts to petroglyph rock art at the Whoopup site in Wyoming, with the goal of producing science-based guidance on which rock art panels are most at risk and what kinds of treatment or stabilization actions should be prioritized.

The core work proposed in this opportunity is a specialized scientific assessment using focused ion beam (FIB) microscopy to examine how wildfire has affected rock surface coatings. In practical terms, the project would involve collecting small samples of the rock coatings from multiple areas that experienced different fire conditions or "fire settings" (for example, locations that burned at different intensities, durations, or fuel loads). Those samples would then be analyzed at a microscopic level to identify physical and chemical changes associated with heat exposure. By comparing results across varied fire settings, the project aims to pinpoint which types of burn environments produced the most severe damage to the rock coatings and, by extension, pose the greatest threat to the integrity and long-term preservation of the petroglyphs.

The expected outcome is decision-ready information that BLM can use to guide on-the-ground cultural resource management after a wildfire. Specifically, the findings are intended to help BLM select which petroglyph panels should receive the most urgent attention and to determine appropriate treatment measures. This implies that the project is not only diagnostic (documenting and explaining damage) but also directly tied to triage and treatment planning, helping land managers prioritize limited resources and choose interventions that match the damage mechanisms identified through the microscopy work.

Administratively, this opportunity is a discretionary award using a cooperative agreement, which typically indicates substantial involvement by the federal agency during the project (such as coordination on methods, sampling locations, reporting, or integration with BLM management decisions). The activity category is Natural Resources, and it is associated with CFDA number 15.224. Eligibility is broad and includes state, county, and city or township governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; and nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (excluding higher education institutions if they are applying as nonprofits rather than universities). The funding details indicate a single anticipated award (Expected Awards: 1) with an award ceiling of $15,439, suggesting a focused, relatively small-scope technical study rather than a large multi-year program.

The opportunity was created on May 25, 2017, with an original closing date of July 24, 2017. In summary, this grant supports a targeted, microscopy-based fire damage assessment at the Whoopup Petroglyph site to identify the most harmful wildfire conditions to rock coatings and to translate those findings into practical guidance for selecting the most threatened panels and choosing appropriate treatment actions.

• The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BLM-WY, Whoopup Petroglyph Fire Assessment" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.224.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 25, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 24, 2017. (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 $15,439.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.

Apply for L17AS00121

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