Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Lakes - Northern Forests CESU | G19AS00084

FAQs: CESU Great Lakes - Northern Forests (USGS FORT) Cooperative Agreement - G19AS00084

What is the funding opportunity?

This opportunity is the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Great Lakes - Northern Forests funding opportunity, Funding Opportunity Number G19AS00084. It was a US Geological Survey (USGS) Fort Collins Science Center (FORT) cooperative agreement intended to support a CESU partner working on satellite-based tracking of vegetation change in western US shrubland ecosystems.

Which agency is offering this opportunity?

The opportunity was offered by the US Department of the Interior (DOI), US Geological Survey (USGS), through the USGS Fort Collins Science Center (FORT).

What is the main purpose of the project?

The main purpose is to use satellite-based earth observation (remote sensing) to measure ecosystem structure and vegetation productivity across large areas and long time periods in western US shrublands. This approach is meant to support understanding of when and where shrublands are disturbed and how they recover (or do not recover) after disturbance.

What ecosystems are the focus of the work?

The focus is on western US shrubland ecosystems, with an emphasis on sagebrush shrublands because of concerns about drought-related sagebrush mortality and its implications for wildlife habitat and ecosystem health.

What are the two major disturbance topics addressed by the project?

The project focuses on (1) drought-related sagebrush shrubland mortality (sagebrush die-off) and (2) the long-term legacy and effectiveness of shrubland habitat treatments that have been implemented over several decades.

Why is drought-related sagebrush mortality a priority in this opportunity?

Reports of sagebrush die-off raised concern because sagebrush is described as foundational habitat for a suite of sagebrush-dependent wildlife species. Large or repeated mortality events could intensify existing pressures on these ecosystems, creating a management need for consistent, landscape-scale measurements of severity and geographic extent.

What management need does the opportunity identify for drought events?

A key need is to quantify the severity and geographic extent of drought-related mortality events, turning scattered observations and localized reports into consistent measures that can be used for decision-making at broader (landscape) scales.

What types of "treatments" are included in the project scope?

The opportunity references shrubland habitat treatments implemented over decades that are often intended to improve wildlife habitat, modify vegetation structure, and reduce fuels to lessen wildfire risk. The notice emphasizes evaluating the long-run performance of treated areas compared to nearby untreated sites, particularly for vegetation productivity.

What information gap is this project trying to address about treated areas?

The opportunity notes that land managers lack a clear understanding of how treated areas perform over the long run compared to nearby untreated sites, especially in terms of vegetation productivity.

Does the opportunity include evaluating drought resistance or resilience of treated areas?

Yes. A practical question embedded in the scope is whether treated areas are more resistant or resilient to drought than untreated areas. This is intended to help agencies judge whether treatments provide benefits under increasing climate stress.

What kind of data and methods are central to the project?

The project is built around using remotely sensed (satellite-derived) earth observation data to generate indicators of vegetation productivity and change over large areas and long time periods.

What kinds of deliverables would a successful project likely produce?

Based on the notice description, likely deliverables include satellite-derived indicators of vegetation productivity and change, maps or spatial datasets showing where drought impacts and treatment effects are strongest, and comparative analyses of treated versus untreated areas over time.

How are the project outputs expected to be used?

The work is described as applied and decision-relevant. The intent is that resulting data products and analyses are usable for both regional planning and local, on-the-ground management decisions, particularly for Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and other DOI land management needs.

Which land management agency is specifically mentioned as a collaborator?

The opportunity explicitly frames the work as part of a cooperative process with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), emphasizing collaboration so the products are directly usable for management.

Is collaboration with the federal government part of the award structure?

Yes. The funding instrument is a Cooperative Agreement, which is described as typically implying substantial federal involvement or collaboration during the project.

Could the effort connect to remote-sensing work in other ecosystems?

Yes. The notice signals that related remote-sensing work in other Department of the Interior managed ecosystems could be brought into the effort, suggesting potential alignment with monitoring initiatives beyond shrublands.

What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The opportunity is listed under CFDA 15.808.

Was this a discretionary or mandatory funding opportunity?

It is described as a discretionary funding opportunity offered by the Department of the Interior, USGS.

How many awards were expected?

The expected award count was one.

What was the maximum funding amount available?

The award ceiling was $45,500.

When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?

The opportunity was posted on July 8, 2019. The original closing date was July 22, 2019.

Who was eligible to apply?

Eligibility was limited to CESU partners under the Great Lakes - Northern Forests CESU. The listing indicated "Others" and directed applicants to additional eligibility details in the full notice.

What is the overall intended outcome of funding this work?

The intended outcome is a clearer, evidence-based picture of how western shrublands are responding to drought and management actions, delivered in a form that can directly inform BLM and other DOI land management decisions.