Opportunity Information: Apply for L17AS00134
The grant opportunity titled "BLM-CO: Site Stewardship Program for Tres Rios Field Office and Canyons of the Ancients National Monument" is a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Colorado initiative focused on protecting cultural and archaeological resources on public lands in southwest Colorado. It is framed around the reality that BLM Colorado manages a vast and highly visited landscape, including 8.3 million acres of public lands and roughly 27 million acres of federal mineral estate, much of it in western Colorado. These lands include a wide range of ecosystems and recreation settings, from alpine tundra to canyon and mesa country, and they support local economies through tourism and related jobs. Within this broader context, BLM highlights that Colorado also contains about one million acres of National Conservation Lands and manages multiple special designations statewide (including conservation areas, wilderness study areas, wilderness areas, national trails, and national monuments), underscoring that resource protection is a major and ongoing management responsibility.
The project area is centered on the Tres Rios Field Office (TRFO), which administers 679,645 acres of public land in southwest Colorado. TRFO also has responsibilities tied to complex mineral and trust landscapes, including more than 300,000 acres of federal mineral estate underlying private lands (split estate) and mineral management connected to about 800,000 acres associated with tribal trust responsibilities. A key focal point within TRFO is Canyons of the Ancients National Monument (CANM), described as an archaeologically significant landscape with one of the densest concentrations of archaeological remains in the United States. The opportunity emphasizes that these cultural resources reflect an exceptionally long human history in the region, described as spanning roughly 13,000 years.
The core problem the funding addresses is increasing damage to archaeological and historic sites due to heavy visitation, poor visitor ethics, vandalism, and looting. BLM notes that these impacts are often linked to preventable issues such as uninformed behavior, limited public understanding and appreciation of Indigenous cultures, inconsistent or infrequent monitoring, and too few opportunities for visitors and residents to learn about the importance and sensitivity of cultural resources. Because many sites are remote and staff time is limited, the agency is looking for a practical way to expand regular on-the-ground awareness and monitoring so that problems can be detected earlier and addressed more effectively.
To respond to these threats, BLM TRFO is seeking a partner to collaboratively establish and implement a site steward program at the field office level, building on and improving any existing stewardship efforts. The program model relies on trained citizen volunteers who adopt an ongoing role in monitoring at-risk cultural sites. Site stewards are expected to visit assigned locations on a regular schedule, assess and document current conditions, and report observations so that land managers can respond quickly to signs of vandalism, looting, erosion, or other degradation. Beyond monitoring, the stewards also serve an educational and community engagement function by helping inform the public about why these places matter and how to visit responsibly.
The partnership concept is not limited to volunteers alone; it is intended to connect and involve a broader network that can include local residents, landowners, businesses, tribal nations, and land management agencies. A major deliverable implied in the notice is the development or refinement of consistent standards for steward training and reporting procedures, meaning the partner would help formalize how volunteers are prepared for the work, what data they collect, how observations are communicated, and how the program maintains quality, safety, and effectiveness. In short, the project is designed to strengthen cultural resource protection through structured citizen stewardship, better information flow to managers, and more proactive public education in the Tres Rios Field Office and the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument area.
Administratively, this opportunity was issued by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, as a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement (indicating substantial involvement or collaboration with BLM). The funding activity category is Natural Resources under CFDA 15.224. Eligibility is listed as unrestricted (open to any type of entity, subject to any additional eligibility language in the full notice). The opportunity anticipated a single award, with an award ceiling of $150,000. The opportunity was created on June 4, 2017, with an original application closing date of August 4, 2017, under funding opportunity number L17AS00134.Apply for L17AS00134
- The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BLM-CO: Site Stewardship Program for Tres Rios Field Office and Canyons of the Ancients National Monument" 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 Jun 04, 2017.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 04, 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 $150,000.00 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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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the title of this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "BLM-CO: Site Stewardship Program for Tres Rios Field Office and Canyons of the Ancients National Monument."
Which agency is offering this funding?
This is a U.S. Department of the Interior opportunity issued by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Colorado.
What is the main purpose of the grant?
The purpose is to protect cultural and archaeological resources on public lands in southwest Colorado by establishing and implementing a site steward program that expands on-the-ground monitoring, improves early detection of damage, and strengthens public education about responsible visitation.
What problem is the project trying to solve?
The project targets increasing damage to archaeological and historic sites associated with heavy visitation, poor visitor ethics, vandalism, and looting. The opportunity also points to preventable drivers such as uninformed visitor behavior, limited public understanding and appreciation of Indigenous cultures, and inconsistent or infrequent monitoring due to remote sites and limited staff time.
Where will the work take place?
The project area is centered on the Tres Rios Field Office (TRFO) in southwest Colorado and includes a key focus on Canyons of the Ancients National Monument (CANM).
What is the Tres Rios Field Office (TRFO)?
TRFO is the BLM field office that administers 679,645 acres of public land in southwest Colorado and has responsibilities related to complex mineral and trust landscapes in the region.
Why is Canyons of the Ancients National Monument (CANM) highlighted?
CANM is described as an archaeologically significant landscape with one of the densest concentrations of archaeological remains in the United States, reflecting a human history spanning roughly 13,000 years.
What types of impacts to sites are mentioned in the notice?
The notice highlights vandalism, looting, erosion, and other forms of degradation, and it connects many impacts to heavy visitation and limited monitoring capacity.
What is a site steward program in this context?
It is a structured program that relies on trained citizen volunteers who adopt an ongoing role in monitoring at-risk cultural sites. Stewards visit assigned locations on a regular schedule, assess and document conditions, and report observations so land managers can respond quickly to emerging issues.
What would site stewards be expected to do?
Based on the notice, site stewards are expected to:
- Visit assigned cultural sites on a regular schedule
- Assess and document current site conditions
- Report observations to support timely land manager response
- Help inform the public about why sites matter and how to visit responsibly
Is the program only about monitoring, or is education part of it too?
Education and community engagement are explicitly part of the model. In addition to monitoring, stewards help increase awareness of the importance and sensitivity of cultural resources and encourage responsible visitor behavior.
Who is BLM looking for as a partner?
BLM TRFO is seeking a partner to collaboratively establish and implement the site steward program at the field office level, including improving or building on existing stewardship efforts.
What kinds of groups might be involved beyond volunteers?
The partnership concept is described broadly and may involve a network that includes local residents, landowners, businesses, tribal nations, and land management agencies.
What deliverables or outputs are implied in the opportunity?
A key implied deliverable is the development or refinement of consistent standards for steward training and reporting procedures. This includes formalizing how volunteers are prepared, what data they collect, how observations are communicated, and how the program maintains quality, safety, and effectiveness.
Why is BLM emphasizing the need for this project now?
The notice links the need to increasing site damage and the practical challenge that many sites are remote while staff time is limited. A structured citizen stewardship program is presented as a way to expand regular on-the-ground presence and improve early detection and response.
What type of funding mechanism is being used?
This is a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement, which indicates substantial involvement or collaboration with BLM.
What is the funding activity category?
The activity category is Natural Resources.
What is the CFDA number listed for this opportunity?
The notice lists CFDA 15.224.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning it is open to any type of entity, subject to any additional eligibility language contained in the full notice.
How many awards does BLM anticipate making?
The opportunity anticipated a single award.
What is the maximum award amount?
The award ceiling is $150,000.
What is the funding opportunity number?
The funding opportunity number is L17AS00134.
When was the opportunity created and when did it close?
The opportunity was created on June 4, 2017, and the original application closing date was August 4, 2017.
What broader BLM Colorado context does the notice provide?
The notice emphasizes that BLM Colorado manages a large and heavily visited landscape, including 8.3 million acres of public lands and roughly 27 million acres of federal mineral estate, much of it in western Colorado. It also notes that Colorado contains about one million acres of National Conservation Lands and includes multiple special designations statewide (such as conservation areas, wilderness study areas, wilderness areas, national trails, and national monuments), underscoring the ongoing responsibility to protect resources.
What kinds of land and mineral management complexities are mentioned for TRFO?
The notice references more than 300,000 acres of federal mineral estate underlying private lands (split estate) and mineral management connected to about 800,000 acres associated with tribal trust responsibilities.
What is the intended benefit of having consistent training and reporting standards?
As described, consistent standards are meant to improve how volunteers are prepared, standardize what is observed and documented, strengthen communication of observations to land managers, and support program quality, safety, and effectiveness so issues can be detected and addressed earlier.
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