Montana/Dakotas Cultural and Paleontological Resource Management | L20AS00075

Opportunity Information: Apply for L20AS00075

The Montana/Dakotas Cultural and Paleontological Resource Management opportunity is a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) cooperative agreement program run by the U.S. Department of the Interior that supports partnerships focused on protecting, researching, and responsibly sharing cultural heritage and paleontological resources on BLM-managed federal lands in Montana and the Dakotas. The program centers on a broad set of fragile, nonrenewable resources, including archaeological and historic sites, museum and artifact collections, places of traditional cultural importance to Native American Tribes and other communities, and paleontological materials that document millions of years of natural history. The overall intent is to combine preservation with public benefit by encouraging education, scientific research, and appropriate recreation and visitor use, while keeping management standards strong and reducing unnecessary duplication in reviews and processes.

A key theme of the grant is building collaborative partnerships that help the public learn about and engage with these heritage resources while strengthening long-term stewardship. Projects are expected to align with Department of the Interior priorities and BLM Cultural Heritage and Paleontology Program goals, and they should contribute to expanding public access and recreation opportunities on public lands, improving visitor experiences by addressing infrastructure and maintenance needs, and supporting meaningful consultation with Tribes in ways that reinforce tribal self-determination. In practice, the opportunity is designed for organizations that can bring expertise, capacity, or community connections to help BLM manage resources that are scientifically important and culturally sensitive.

The solicitation lists a wide range of project types that can be funded, and applicants can propose work that meets one or more of the stated objectives. Eligible activities include conducting cultural and paleontological studies such as inventories, excavations, archival and records research, and collections-based research to improve understanding of Americas cultural and natural history. It also supports monitoring at-risk sites to track condition and evaluate whether management actions are working, and stabilizing threatened resources when deterioration, vandalism, erosion, or other impacts put them at risk. The program also emphasizes workforce development by funding training for future cultural resource management professionals and paleontologists through field schools, internships, and research projects that make use of BLM-managed heritage resources.

Another major focus is strengthening the behind-the-scenes systems that protect and make heritage information usable. Projects can support cultural heritage data and records management, including organizing and scanning site and survey records, digitizing and maintaining geospatial data, and completing data entry that improves accuracy and accessibility. The grant can also fund preservation of existing collections at recognized curation facilities, such as improving archival housing, stabilization, and conservation work that meets professional curation standards. Alongside technical preservation work, the opportunity encourages stronger engagement with Native American communities through relationship-building and partnerships with tribal governments and tribal programs, recognizing that many places and resources have ongoing cultural and spiritual importance.

Public-facing education and ethical engagement are also explicit priorities. The program welcomes proposals that create outreach programs, events, interpretive products, and learning opportunities that promote archaeological and paleontological ethics and help people understand why these resources require careful stewardship. It additionally supports applied studies that evaluate how land management actions (for example prescribed fire, juniper control, vegetation removal by chaining, and other ground-disturbing activities) affect cultural and paleontological resources, which can directly inform future planning and mitigation. For built heritage, the grant can fund stabilization of at-risk historic structures and the development and maintenance of historic sites that have interpretive and educational value for visitors.

The expected public and BLM benefits are framed around lasting preservation paired with broader access and understanding. Outcomes include protecting cultural and paleontological resources for future generations, improving professional and public knowledge of national cultural and natural history, and creating educational, recreational, and economic opportunities for local communities. The opportunity also highlights benefits to Native American communities by supporting increased access to locations and natural resources tied to traditional cultural practices and beliefs. Finally, it prioritizes bringing heritage collections and associated records up to appropriate management standards and expanding access to those materials for both the public and Native Americans, consistent with responsible stewardship and consultation.

Administratively, this opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number L20AS00075) is a discretionary program using cooperative agreements under CFDA 15.224 in the natural resources category. Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning it is broadly open to many entity types as allowed by any additional eligibility language in the full notice. The award ceiling is $250,000, with an anticipated five awards. The posting date was April 7, 2020, and it was open through June 5, 2020, with two submission rounds: Round One due May 6, 2020 (4:30 PM Eastern) and Round Two due June 5, 2020 (4:30 PM Eastern).

• The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Montana/Dakotas Cultural and Paleontological Resource Management" 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 Apr 07, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 05, 2020 Open from April 7, 2020 to June 5, 2020, 430 PM EST Round One Applications are Due May 6, 2020, 430 PM EST Round Two Applications are Due June 5, 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 $250,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 5 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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