Applicants are invited to apply for the 2024 Bureau of Land Management Wild Horse and Burro Resource Management- On Range.
Donor Name: Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
State: All States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 03/01/2024
Size of the Grant: More than $1 million
Grant Duration: 5 Years
Details:
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manages and protects wild horses and burros on 26.9 million acres of public lands across ten western states as part of its mission to manage public lands for multiple uses. The BLM created the Wild Horse and Burro Program to implement the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971 and its goal is to manage healthy wild horses and burros on healthy public rangelands. Broadly, the law declares wild horses and burros to be “living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West” and stipulates that the BLM and the U.S. Forest Service have the responsibility to manage and protect herds in their respective jurisdictions within areas where wild horses and burros were found roaming in 1971.
The BLM Wild Horse and Burro Program consists of two main branches: on-range management of wild horses and burros, and off-range management and care of wild horses and burros. The on-range program manages for viable physically and behaviorally healthy wild horse and burro populations and maintains a thriving natural ecological balance with other resources and land uses. The off-range management goal is to ensure the health and welfare of wild horses and burros that were removed from public lands while under BLM care; to place animals into private care through adoptions, sales, and transfers; to ensure the welfare of adopted animals; and to build partnerships and relationships with external organizations. Communication, outreach, and education are priorities of both branches. To maintain wild horses and burros in good condition and protect the health of the public lands, the BLM must manage the population growth of wild horse and burro herds. Without natural population controls, such as predation, herds can increase at a rate of 20% annually, doubling in size every four to five years, if not appropriately managed. Population control must be implemented to protect scarce and fragile resources in the arid west and ensure healthy animals. To protect the health of the land and to support healthy horses and burros, the BLM works to achieve Appropriate Management Level (AML) in each Herd Management Area (HMA). AML is the point where wild horse and burro populations are consistent with the land’s capacity to support them and other mandated uses of those lands, including protecting ecological processes and habitat for wildlife and livestock. The BLM suppresses herd growth through the application of fertility control measures and reduces population sizes through the periodic removals of excess animals.
BLM may be responsible for the following, if applicable, to support proposed projects:
- Supplying fertility control agent (vaccination, drug, etc.).
- Fertility control agent conveyance mechanism (i.e., darts, jabsticks, etc.). This may or may not include dart guns.
- Identification and marking of treated animals.
- Complete required NEPA documents.
- Provide law enforcement support to assure safe operations of project.
- Provide required training including Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program (CAWP), fertility control application techniques, etc.
- Other inputs as required to advance project objectives.
Recipient may be responsible for the following, if applicable to support a proposed project:
- A temporary facility to care for animals which may include water, corral and/or supplemental feeding for projects related to fertility control applications.
- Labor to construct temporary facility for holding animals.
- Transportation of staff to and from project area while performing project duties.
- Other inputs as required to advance project objectives.
The following on-range activities are identified as priorities for funding:
- Develop, organize and implement and integrated program for fertility control application in wild horse herds under the management of the BLM
- Conducting monitoring of rangeland and animal health on public lands
- Construction or reconstruction of range improvements to support wild horse and burro herd management, including vegetation treatments, water developments, fencing, cattleguards and/or seeding
- Collaborate with other industry stakeholders, state, federal, and non-government organization partners to promote habitat resiliency and connectivity and leverage technical expertise Identify, conserve, and restore key habitats such as riparian rasa so that they include native plants and are resilient to environmental stressors, such as drought, wildland fire, other unusual weather events, and insects/disease
- Coordinate wild horse and burro-related environmental education to expand public understanding of the BLM’s role in maintaining and enhancing viable populations of wild horses and burros and their habitat.
Funding Information
- Estimated Total Funding: $7,500,000
- Maximum Award: $7,500,000
- Minimum Award: $1,000
Period of Performance
Projects cannot be funded for more than a five-year period.
Eligibility Criteria
- Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
- Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
- Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
- Private institutions of higher education
- State governments
- Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
- Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
- Special district governments
- Independent school districts
- Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities
- City or township governments
- County governments
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
