National Landscape Conservation System (National Conservation Lands) Research Support Program

IM 2016-005
Instruction Memorandum

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20240
http://www.blm.gov/

October 15, 2015

 

In Reply Refer To:

6100 (410) P

EMS TRANSMISSION 10/21/2015

Instruction Memorandum No. 2016-005
Expires:  09/30/2019

To:                   State Directors

From:               Assistant Director, National Landscape Conservation System and Community Partnerships

Subject:           National Landscape Conservation System (National Conservation Lands) Research Support Program

 DDs: 02/01/2016; 03/01/2016; 04/01/2016

Program Area:  National Landscape Conservation System (National Conservation Lands)

Purpose:  Request for proposals for the FY2016 National Landscape Conservation System (National Conservation Lands) Research Support Program

Policy/Action:  The National Landscape Conservation System (National Conservation Lands) Research Support Program financially supports scientific research aimed at increasing the effectiveness of BLM’s resource management decisions. The Program seeks to engage the external scientific community in conducting management-focused, scientific research on the National Conservation Lands that can benefit management of the public lands. Proposals are requested for the FY2016 National Conservation Lands Research Support Program from BLM managers with responsibility for National Conservation Lands. In developing proposals, please adhere to the instructions described below.

General Guidelines

Each proposal must:  Describe research that will inform BLM’s resource management decisions; be designed around one or more clearly articulated research questions; be responsive to the National Conservation Lands 15-year Strategy, the State National Conservation Lands Strategy, the BLM and National Conservation Lands Science Strategies, and/or the unit’s science plan; and be consistent with all applicable laws, regulations, policies, and plans.

Research Themes

Each proposal must incorporate at least one of the following research themes.

  1. Research Identified in Unit Science Plans (for National Monuments, National Conservation Areas, and Similar Designations):  BLM Manual Section 6220 calls for the development of science plans for applicable units of the National Conservation Lands.  Projects identified in finalized unit science plans will be given priority over new proposals for that unit. 
  2. Effectiveness Research:  Research that empirically tests the effectiveness of management practices (e.g., evaluating past restoration efforts or best management practices for minimizing impacts).
  3. Standardized Inventory and Monitoring:  Research that uses the principles presented in the BLM’s Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring Strategy to apply standardized, scientifically-defensible indicators and methods for inventorying and monitoring the resources, objects, and/or values for which National Conservation Lands were designated.
  4. Research Syntheses:  Research that synthesizes a diverse array of scientific investigations or data from a new perspective in order to improve best management practices for a National Conservation Lands priority topic.
  5. Citizen Science:  Research that engages citizen scientists (volunteers) as assistants under agency supervision in data collection, compilation, or data analysis to improve BLM’s management of the National Conservation Lands (e.g. bio-blitzes).
  6. Other Management-Driven Research:  Research that provides information that can directly inform a pertinent and pressing management question.

Proposal Development

BLM managers are requested to develop proposals for the most urgent science needs of the National Conservation Lands that they manage.  

Proposals should:

  1. Be developed in collaboration with the partner who will conduct the research;
  2. Be no more than 7 pages in length, including all attachments;
  3. Be submitted as a single PDF document, including all attachments; and,
  4. Not include letters of support from BLM Field Offices and State Offices.  WO-410 assumes all proposals submitted have Field and State support.

Proposals must be written as a stand-alone research proposal and include the following sections:

  1. Abstract (maximum 200 words);
  2. Key words (maximum 5 words);
  3. Research theme(s);
  4. National Conservation Lands involved;
  5. Introduction, including:
    1. Description of the management question or concern;
    2. How the proposal is connected to the research theme(s);
    3. How the proposal is connected to the unit science plan, if one exists;
  6. Research questions/hypotheses;
  7. Research methods, including data analysis;
  8. Results to date (if any);
  9. Benefits of project for BLM management, including:
    1. How the project supports the unit’s plans and/or conservation, protection, and restoration of the unit’s designated values;
    2. Any landscape, ecoregional, or cross-program benefits;
  10. Detailed timeline of project;
  11. Detailed budget;
    1. Please round the final budget request to the nearest thousand;
    2. All matching funds should be in monetary terms, even for in-kind contributions;
  12. Deliverables (e.g. reports, peer-reviewed articles, GIS files, outreach tools);
    1. At a minimum, these must include:
      1. Annual progress reports;
      2. A final report, suitable for distribution to BLM staff;
      3. A manager’s summary (less than one page report that helps inform managers’ decisions);
  13. BLM’s point person for project (including title, email, and phone number);
  14. Partner’s qualifications, affiliation, and contact details (including email);
  15. Relevant pictures (no more than three).

Review Process:

Proposals should be submitted to State National Conservation Lands Leads by 02/01/2016.  The State Office should review and rank the proposals and upload the top five proposals to this SharePoint site by 03/01/2016.  State National Conservation Lands Leads must ensure that State Leadership supports the submissions.

WO-410 will facilitate a WO inter-disciplinary review and ranking of the proposals submitted by State Offices.  The following criteria will be used to guide the WO review of the proposals.  We encourage State Offices to use these criteria when reviewing the proposals.

  1. Does the proposal sufficiently incorporate at least one of the research themes?
  2. Is the research project identified in the unit’s science plan (where applicable)?
  3. Does the project have the potential to improve BLM’s management of the National Conservation Lands?
  4. Does the project have the potential to improve BLM’s management beyond the National Conservation Lands (e.g. within the landscape or ecoregion)?
  5. Does the project have credible methods, budgets, etc.?
  6. For BLM offices that have received funding in the past, have required deliverables been received by WO-410?

WO-410 will consider the State Office rankings, the Washington Office reviews, and other national priorities when making funding decisions.

After the WO review and ranking, the Deputy Assistant Director for WO-400 (National Landscape Conservation System and Community Partnerships) will announce funding decisions via an email (with an attached report) to the Field Committee.  This email will be sent around 04/01/2016 and funding will be distributed as soon as possible thereafter.  The State Office is responsible for communicating the funding decisions to the BLM managers who submitted proposals.

Funding Details

Please read closely the following funding details for this program.

  1. The maximum allowable budget for projects is $25,000. Exceptions to this rule should be coordinated with Matt Preston, National Conservation Lands, Science Lead (202-912-7175, mpreston@blm.gov).
  2. Partners must conduct all the labor for the project; partner labor is an appropriate budget expense.  BLM labor is not supported except if BLM resources are used to facilitate access for researchers to designated Wilderness, Wilderness Study Areas, or Wild and Scenic Rivers.
  3. Funding will not be awarded to individuals or for-profit organizations.
  4. WO-410 will use FY2016 funds (contingent upon available funds) to support these projects. Funding levels vary annually as funding allocations change; the program typically supports about 15-25 projects per fiscal year.
  5. Following notice of the funding decision, WO-410 will transfer the funds to the State Office.  The State National Conservation Lands Lead should work in collaboration with the State Budget Officer to ensure that these funds are promptly transferred to the appropriate office or obligated to the appropriate contract/agreement.  No portion of these funds should be allocated to any other purpose than to fully fund the appropriate contract/agreement.
  6. Proposals will only be funded if the BLM has a valid contract/agreement for which the funds can be obligated in FY2016.  It is the responsibility of the BLM State Offices, Field Offices or National Conservation Land units to ensure this contract/agreement is in place.
  7. All funds must be obligated in FY2016. It is possible for the obligated funds to be used for multiple years if the contract/agreement allows for the use of funds over multiple years.

Reporting Requirements for WO-410

  1. All deliverables should be emailed to Matt Preston, National Conservation Lands, Science Lead (mpreston@blm.gov).
  2. Following the submission of the final report, the BLM project lead should submit a BLM Daily story with pictures about the project. Please coordinate this post with Matt Preston, National Conservation Lands, Science Lead (202-912-7175, mpreston@blm.gov)

Time frame:  Proposals should be submitted to State National Conservation Land Leads by 02/01/2016. State Offices should upload the top five proposals to this SharePoint site by 03/01/2016. Funding decisions will be announced around 04/01/2016.

Budget Impact:  The budget impact associated with the development of proposals to respond to this request is in the form of BLM labor expenses.  Funds to support the research projects will be allocated from the WO-410 FY2016 operations budget (contingent upon available funds).

Background:  The National Landscape Conservation System (also known as the National Conservation Lands) was legislatively established by the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 [Public Law 111-11] in order to conserve, protect, and restore nationally significant landscapes that have outstanding cultural, ecological, and scientific values for the benefit of current and future generations.  The National Conservation Lands include BLM’s National Monuments, National Conservation Areas, Forest Reserves, legislated Outstanding Natural Areas, Cooperative Management and Protection Areas, Wilderness and Wilderness Study Areas, Wild and Scenic Rivers, and National Scenic and Historic Trails.

BLM policy states that “the BLM will use the best available science in managing NLCS units” and that “science and the scientific process will inform and guide management decisions concerning NLCS units” [BLM Manual §6100(1.6)(A)(9) and (1.6)(F)(1)].  Providing a scientific foundation for decision-making is also a goal identified in the National Conservation Lands 15-Year Strategy [Goal 1C].

Manual/Handbook Sections Affected:  None.

Coordination:  This IM has been coordinated with WO-200, WO-300, WO-400, and WO-600.

Contact:  Please direct questions regarding this IM to Matt Preston, National Conservation Lands, Science Lead (202-912-7175, mpreston@blm.gov).

 

 

Signed by:                                                                   Authenticated by:

Kristin Bail                                                                  Robert M. Williams

Assistant Director, National Landscape                     Division of IRM Governance, WO-560

Conservation System and Community Partnerships

Fiscal Year

2016