Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Arizona Plant Conservation and Restoration Management

Overview

The BLM Arizona State Office (AZ) Plant Conservation and Restoration Program continues to advance the Department of the Interior's priorities to address the climate crisis, restore balance on public lands and waters, advance environmental justice, and invest in a clean energy future. In 2023, the BLM Arizona State Office (AZ) is focusing work in areas to facilitate meeting the priorities of the Administration, Secretary, Congressional appropriations, and the Bureau in implementing the National Seed Strategy (www.blm.gov/seedstrategy). Specific BLM Arizona State Office (AZ) Plant Conservation and Restoration Program areas of emphasis to implement the Department priorities include, but are not limited to those actions that: protect biodiversity; increase resilience to climate change and help leverage natural climate solutions; contribute to conserving at least 30 percent of our lands and waters by the year 2030; engage communities of color, low income families, and rural and indigenous communities to enhance economic opportunities related to native seed production and restoration; and use the best science and data available to make decisions. Native plants and native plant communities are the true green infrastructure we rely upon to sustain healthy, bio-diverse ecosystems. Without native seed we do not have the ability to restore functional ecosystems after natural disasters and mitigate the effects of climate change.

Public lands contain a diversity of native plant communities that make up over 50 ecoregions across BLM administered lands. Each ecoregion contains native plants that have adapted to those environments. The program will continue to work with partners to increase the quantity, diversity, and effectiveness of native forbs and grasses for restoration of wildlife habitats and rehabilitation after wildfires. 

Program Strategic Goals:

• Implementing the National Native Seed Strategy•Developing genetically appropriate native plant material/seed for use in habitat restoration;
• Implementing and assessing seed-based restoration techniques/efforts;
• Collaborating with farmers and conservationists to increase BLM Stock and Foundation seed amounts to use on larger Seed Increase IDIQ contracts so that commercial availability of genetically diverse, locally sourced seed for restoration, rehabilitation and reclamation projects is increased at a landscape scale;
• Supporting Source-Identified Seed Certification programs via partnerships with state seed certifying agencies;•Inventorying, monitoring and restoring rare plant species and their associated communities to include development of conservation strategies/plans that include the best management practices and reporting on the condition and trend of rare plant species and their habitat;
• Increasing and improving pollinator habitat;
• Expanding public education programs and outreach; and
• Database creation, and management and analysis, including geospatial, collaborative web service or support and training.

The BLM Arizona State Office (AZ) has opportunities to work with partner organizations to accomplish goals of the BLM Plant Conservation and Restoration Program that include, but are not limited to, such things as:

• Support habitat management efforts to restore habitat for keystone wildlife and pollinator and increase on-the-ground project work to reduce the threats to sage grouse, rare plants, and other sensitive species in high priority habitats.
• Work with growers to continue to develop genetically appropriate native plant material for use in habitat restoration and rehabilitation
• Support studies to improve the effectiveness of conservation restoration efforts to include, but not be limited to, plant ecological, plant genetics, and ecophysiological studies, seed bank persistence, plant propagation and development of agronomic production practices, and trait and/or seed source evaluations as well as seeding treatment and tool development.
• Support pollinator studies and projects that increase the knowledge and nexus to the importance of native plant communities and pollinators to restoration durability and ecological function.
• Implement conservation actions for high priority rare plant species
• Increase understanding of rare plant biology and threats.
• Monitor, protect, and restore habitat that supports more than 1,800 rare plant species, more than 300 of which are found exclusively on BLM lands.
• Assist BLM programs such as Wildlife, Oil & Gas, Minerals, Fuels, Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation, Range, and Renewable Energy in restoring public lands and integrating more widespread use of native plant materials.
• Expand public education programs and outreach on native plants and native plant communities to include, but not be limited to, development of technical bulletins, handbooks, videos, native plant guides and floras, workshops, webinars, and apps, that also increase the Citizen Science nexus with BLM and partners.

All projects must assist BLM in meeting one or more of the Department of Interior priorities, as well as one of the following priorities of the Biden-Harris Administration: Executive Order 14008: Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad Executive Order 13985: Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government Executive Order 14002: Economic Relief Related to the COVID-19 pandemic Executive Order 14005: Ensuring the Future is Made in All of America by All of America’s Workers All proposed projects submitted under this funding opportunity must state a benefit to the public.

The recipient should expect Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to have substantial involvement in the project. Prior to submitting an application, applicants are encouraged to contact the Wildlife Resources Program Lead at the BLM state, district, or field office where the work is proposed to take place to discuss proposed projects in order to determine eligibility under the BLM priorities and criteria. 

Indirect costs are limited to a rate of no-more-than 17.5 percent of the indirect cost base recognized in the partner's Federal Agency-approved Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA).