Opportunity Information: Apply for L17AS00227
The BLM Utah Terrestrial and Aquatic Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring (AIM) Landscape Monitoring Project is a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) cooperative agreement opportunity designed to strengthen how public-land conditions are measured, compared, and reported across Utah at scales larger than individual project areas. The need for this effort traces back to a 2004 Office of Management and Budget review that found major gaps in BLMs ability to monitor resource conditions in a way that reliably supports management decisions, especially beyond the local field-office level. In response, BLM assembled an interdisciplinary team to evaluate existing assessment, inventory, and monitoring practices and to build a more consistent, defensible approach to collecting and using land health information. That work was informed by key internal and regional recommendations, including the BLM 2007 Local Workgroup Report for a national AIM strategy and a 2008 report emphasizing regional monitoring for wildlife and water in the context of energy development.
At the center of the opportunity is the AIM Strategy, which is meant to cut across BLM programs, jurisdictions, partners, and stakeholder interests so that monitoring data can serve multiple decision-making needs rather than being collected in isolated, one-off efforts. The AIM framework focuses on 10 management questions that matter to land managers at different organizational levels, from local field offices up to national leadership. Because these questions involve trends, drivers of change, and comparisons across landscapes, the strategy emphasizes coordinated, integrated, multi-scale monitoring. In practical terms, the project supports systematic collection of standardized vegetation and soils data that can be reused for many purposes, including land use planning, project-level analysis, and broader condition reporting. The goal is to produce quantitative information that strengthens the technical foundation for management decisions and helps make those decisions more transparent and defensible.
The main objective for the Utah project is for BLM to partner with a recipient organization to gather standardized datasets that allow BLM to report land conditions above the local scale while also collecting information tied to specific ecological sites. Those ecological site data help BLM and land users understand the capability of different landscapes to respond to management actions, disturbance, and restoration efforts. Another emphasis is improving the availability and quality of ecological site description information, which adds detail to the understanding of ecosystem potential and limitations. This has direct relevance for public rangeland users because better ecological site knowledge supports more realistic expectations for grazing management, restoration outcomes, and long-term sustainability.
The public benefit described in the opportunity is largely about accountability, access to information, and better long-term stewardship. With more consistent baseline data on vegetation and soils, BLM can communicate resource conditions and trends more clearly, including how conditions may be changing over time and how management actions influence outcomes. The project is also framed as supporting National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) processes by improving the baseline information available during public scoping and project review, which can make environmental analyses more informative and easier for the public to evaluate. Over time, stronger monitoring improves BLMs ability to protect and enhance rangeland and aquatic-associated resources, supporting greater stability and resilience across public lands.
Administratively, this was posted as a discretionary funding opportunity under the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, using a cooperative agreement instrument (meaning BLM expects substantial involvement in the project as a partner rather than simply issuing a hands-off grant). It falls under the Natural Resources activity category and CFDA 15.231. Eligibility was listed as unrestricted, open to any type of entity as allowed by the notice. The opportunity number is L17AS00227, originally created August 1, 2017, with an original closing date of August 31, 2017. The award ceiling was $500,000, with one expected award.Apply for L17AS00227
- The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BLM Utah Terrestrial and Aquatic Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring (AIM) Landscape Monitoring Project" 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 Aug 01, 2017.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 31, 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 $500,000.00 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.
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FAQs: BLM Utah Terrestrial and Aquatic AIM Landscape Monitoring Project (Opportunity No. L17AS00227)
What is the BLM Utah Terrestrial and Aquatic AIM Landscape Monitoring Project?
It is a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) cooperative agreement funding opportunity focused on improving how public-land conditions are measured, compared, and reported across Utah at landscape scales (larger than individual project areas). The project emphasizes coordinated monitoring so information can be used across multiple management needs rather than collected as isolated, one-off datasets.
Which agency is offering this opportunity?
The opportunity is offered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
What type of funding instrument is being used?
The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement. This indicates BLM expects substantial involvement in the project as an active partner, rather than providing a hands-off grant.
What is the main purpose of this project?
The central purpose is to strengthen BLM's ability to generate consistent, defensible monitoring information about vegetation and soils that can support management decisions and reporting above the local field-office level across Utah.
Why is this project needed?
The need is tied to a 2004 Office of Management and Budget review that identified major gaps in BLM's ability to monitor resource conditions in a way that reliably supports management decisions, especially beyond the local scale. BLM subsequently developed a more consistent approach to assessment, inventory, and monitoring, informed by internal and regional recommendations.
What is the AIM Strategy referenced in the opportunity?
AIM stands for Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring. The AIM Strategy is designed to work across BLM programs, jurisdictions, partners, and stakeholder interests so monitoring data can serve multiple decision-making needs. It emphasizes coordinated, integrated, multi-scale monitoring to address management questions related to trends, drivers of change, and comparisons across landscapes.
What does "landscape monitoring" mean in this context?
In this opportunity, landscape monitoring means collecting information in a way that supports comparisons and reporting across larger geographic scales than individual projects or single field offices. The intent is to enable BLM to report conditions and trends above the local scale while still maintaining usefulness for site-specific questions.
What kinds of data does the project support collecting?
The project supports systematic collection of standardized vegetation and soils datasets. These standardized datasets are intended to be reusable for many purposes, including land use planning, project-level analysis, and broader condition reporting.
How will the data be used by BLM?
The opportunity describes data use for multiple needs: supporting land use planning, informing project-level analysis, enabling broader condition reporting across Utah, and providing quantitative information that strengthens the technical basis for management decisions and makes decisions more transparent and defensible.
What is the main objective of the Utah AIM project?
The main objective is for BLM to partner with a recipient organization to gather standardized datasets that allow BLM to report land conditions above the local scale while also collecting information tied to specific ecological sites.
What are ecological sites, and why are they emphasized?
The opportunity emphasizes collecting data tied to specific ecological sites because ecological site information helps BLM and land users understand the capability of different landscapes to respond to management actions, disturbance, and restoration efforts. This supports clearer expectations about what outcomes are realistic in different areas.
Does the opportunity include work related to ecological site descriptions?
Yes. Another emphasis described is improving the availability and quality of ecological site description information, which adds detail to understanding ecosystem potential and limitations.
How does this opportunity relate to grazing and rangeland users?
The opportunity notes that better ecological site knowledge has direct relevance for public rangeland users. Improved information supports more realistic expectations for grazing management, restoration outcomes, and long-term sustainability.
What public benefits are expected from this project?
The described public benefits include improved accountability, better access to information, and stronger long-term stewardship. With consistent baseline vegetation and soils data, BLM can communicate resource conditions and trends more clearly, including changes over time and how management actions influence outcomes.
How does this project support NEPA processes?
The opportunity is framed as supporting National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) processes by improving baseline information available during public scoping and project review. More robust baseline information can make environmental analyses more informative and easier for the public to evaluate.
What is the activity category for this opportunity?
The activity category is Natural Resources.
What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?
The CFDA number listed is 15.231.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning it is open to any type of entity as allowed by the notice.
What is the opportunity number?
The opportunity number is L17AS00227.
When was the opportunity created, and what was the closing date?
The opportunity was originally created on August 1, 2017, and had an original closing date of August 31, 2017.
What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling listed is $500,000.
How many awards were expected?
One award was expected under this opportunity.
Is this opportunity described as discretionary funding?
Yes. It was posted as a discretionary funding opportunity under the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management.
Does BLM expect to be involved during the project?
Yes. Because this is a cooperative agreement, BLM expects substantial involvement as a partner in the project.
What management questions does the AIM framework focus on?
The opportunity states that the AIM framework focuses on 10 management questions that matter to land managers at different organizational levels, from local field offices up to national leadership. (The specific questions are not listed in the provided information.)
What makes the monitoring approach "standardized" and why does that matter?
The opportunity highlights standardized vegetation and soils data collection so that datasets can be compared across landscapes and reused for multiple purposes. Standardization supports more consistent reporting and strengthens the defensibility of conclusions drawn from the data.
What broader outcomes is BLM aiming for over time?
Over time, stronger monitoring is described as improving BLM's ability to protect and enhance rangeland and aquatic-associated resources, supporting greater stability and resilience across public lands.
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