Title: BLM-MT, Greater Sage Grouse Habitat Research in the Sagebrush Focal Area of North Central Montana, Glasgow Field Office, North Central Montana District | L17AS00206

Opportunity Information: Apply for L17AS00206

This grant opportunity is a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) cooperative agreement focused on launching new, on-the-ground research for Greater Sage-Grouse (GRSG) in a high-priority Sagebrush Focal Area (SFA) in north central Montana, specifically within Valley County under the Glasgow Field Office and the North Central Montana District. The need for the project stems from the HiLine Resource Management Plan (RMP) Record of Decision signed in September 2015, which formally designated this SFA because it contains especially high-quality sagebrush habitat. The Glasgow Field Office manages more than half of this SFA footprint, accounting for about 994,398 surface acres out of roughly 1.87 million acres total, yet this portion of the landscape has not previously benefited from dedicated sage-grouse research. The area includes more than 40 active leks and represents an important part of Montanas statewide sage-grouse population, so BLM is emphasizing that sound implementation of the RMP depends on having baseline and applied data on habitat use, seasonal movements, and population performance in this specific area.

The central purpose of the project is to gather practical, management-relevant information on what factors are influencing GRSG populations and how birds are using habitat across seasons, so that BLM can better target and prioritize RMP actions intended to conserve sage-grouse and other species that depend on sagebrush ecosystems. The initial research priorities are framed as foundational: document key habitat and population parameters that can guide near-term land management decisions, then build additional research questions as results emerge. In other words, this is meant to establish a first robust data set for the southern Valley County portion of the SFA, where a research gap currently exists, and then potentially expand into follow-on sage-grouse studies if new needs are identified.

Methodologically, the project is expected to rely on GPS collaring of sage-grouse to generate detailed location and movement data. Using those GPS data, the work would identify crucial seasonal habitats (such as breeding, nesting, brood-rearing, and wintering areas), quantify key population metrics (for example, survival or movement patterns that can be linked to demographic outcomes), and evaluate how surface water features and geographic conditions relate to habitat use and risk factors. A specific emphasis is placed on understanding West Nile Virus (WNV), described in the opportunity as one of the major threats to GRSG within the SFA. The project is designed to complement ongoing WNV surveillance already taking place in the area, meaning the research is not happening in isolation but is intended to integrate with existing disease monitoring and improve understanding of when and where landscape conditions might elevate disease exposure risk.

The public benefit case centers on how the results will translate into better land management and more transparent, accessible science. BLM highlights that improved knowledge of population dynamics, habitat needs, and disease-related factors should directly strengthen management decisions affecting sage-grouse and other wildlife in the region. The opportunity also anticipates tangible public-facing products, such as graduate student theses or dissertations and peer-reviewed journal publications, which would be available through university library systems and scientific journals. In addition, the project is positioned as a training and collaboration vehicle: graduate students and university faculty would work alongside federal partners, gaining experience in how land managers define scientific information needs and how research can inform federal actions that may affect sage-grouse and their habitats.

Administratively, this is a discretionary funding opportunity from the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, offered as a cooperative agreement under CFDA number 15.231 (Natural Resources). The opportunity number is L17AS00206, originally posted July 11, 2017, with an original closing date of September 8, 2017. BLM expected to make one award, with an award ceiling of $230,000. Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning it is open to a wide range of entity types, subject to any additional eligibility clarifications that may be included in the full announcement.

• The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Title: BLM-MT, Greater Sage Grouse Habitat Research in the Sagebrush Focal Area of North Central Montana, Glasgow Field Office, North Central Montana District" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.231.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jul 11, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 08, 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 $230,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 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.

Apply for L17AS00206

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