Plant Conservation and Restoration Management

This Program was created in response to large-scale wildfires in the Western US. Due to lack of native seed in 2001 Congress directed the BLM to establish a native plant material program recommending that federal and non-federal partners coordinate e

This program supports the Bureau of Land Management's efforts to restore and maintain healthy, resilient rangelands, forests, and native plant communities on public lands. Funding strengthens the national native seed supply chain, increases the availability and diversity of native plant materials, and supports restoration activities following wildfire, drought, invasive species spread, and other landscape scale disturbances. Projects advance the National Seed Strategy and promote coordinated, science-based restoration across multiple ecoregions. The program invests in activities that are part of the native plant materials development cycle- expand native seed collection, production, storage, and deployment; develop nursery capacity for species unsuitable for direct seeding; and improve long term ecosystem resilience. Assistance prioritizes on-the-ground project support and implementation, but may also include applied research, monitoring, planning, and the development of technical capacity needed to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of restoration outcomes and the native seed supply chain. The program support current administration priorities including wildfire recovery, maintaining wildlife habitat, and strengthening domestic supply chains. The program aligns with these priorities by increasing the reliability of U.S. grown native seed, supporting rural and tribal economic development through seed production and restoration jobs, and improving land health to reduce future disaster impacts. Eligible applicants may include state and local governments, tribal governments, nonprofit organizations, institutions of higher education. and entities engaged in seed production or restoration activities. BLM authorities for this listing do not allow for profit organizations, individuals, or foreign entities.

All Public Land users.

Projects are primarily conducted on lands administered by the BLM but may also be conducted on other public or private lands. Most of these lands are located in the Western United States and Alaska. Assistance can be used to help protect, restore, and enhance native plant communities and rare plants, and to provide related public contact/education opportunities.

No specific restrictions. However, most projects are funded on a year to year basis and no more than five years. Funds are expended during a particular fiscal year. Most awards are anticipated within 90 days or less after the announcement closes

For more information and local requirements, cooperative project proposals should be coordinated with the Bureau of Land Management local State, or District or Field offices.

First Level Screening -Basic Eligibility. Applications will be screened by the Grants Management Officer to ensure that applications meet basic eligibility requirements. Must meet the requirements of the Notice of Funding Opportunity posted on www.grants.gov, screening may include, but is not limited to: Program and/or legislative authority requirements are met; Submission is timely; and complete and properly executed SF-424 application package documents. B. Applications must satisfy basic eligibility screening requirements to be considered for further review. Second Level Evaluation -- Merit Review Evaluation is stated in each Notice of Funding Opportunity noticed post on www.grants.gov Third Level Review Pre-Award Clearance and Approvals. BLM will also complete a business evaluation and determination of responsibility. During these evaluations the Grants Management Officer will evaluate variables such as: Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System, financial stability, quality of management systems, past performance meeting prior award terms and conditions, reports and findings of audits performed, and applicant's ability to effectively implement statutory, regulatory or other requirements.

All applications will be initially screened for eligibility and compliance with the requirements stated in the program funding announcement. Applications passing this screening process will be forwarded for review by the proposal evaluation criteria, and any additional review factors, as stated in the funding announcement. Final award selection review by BLM Leadership.

Award time varies depending on the type and complexity of the project. Further information will be available for each project at the time the funding opportunity announcement is posted on www.grants.gov and may be obtained by contacting the point of contact listed in the funding opportunity announcement. Most awards are anticipated within 120 days or less after the announcement closes.

Final award decisions are not subject to appeal; however, the Bureau of Land Management will provide all applicants with information on why their proposal was not selected for award.