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

Opportunity Information: Apply for G19AS00084

The Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Great Lakes - Northern Forests opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number G19AS00084) was a US Geological Survey (USGS) Fort Collins Science Center (FORT) cooperative agreement intended to support a CESU partner in tracking vegetation change in western US shrubland ecosystems using satellite-based earth observation data. The core idea is to use remotely sensed information to measure ecosystem structure and productivity over large areas and long time periods, which is especially useful for understanding when and where shrublands are disturbed and how they recover (or fail to recover) afterward.

The project focuses on two major disturbance types that land managers are actively dealing with. First, it targets drought-related sagebrush shrubland mortality. Reports of sagebrush die-off have raised concern because sagebrush is foundational habitat for a suite of sagebrush-dependent wildlife species, and large or repeated mortality events could intensify existing pressures on these ecosystems. A key management need highlighted in the opportunity is to quantify the severity and geographic extent of these drought events, essentially turning scattered observations and localized reports into consistent, landscape-scale measures that can support decision-making.

Second, the project addresses the legacy and effectiveness of shrubland habitat treatments that have been implemented over several decades. These treatments are often designed to improve wildlife habitat, modify vegetation structure, and reduce fuels to lessen wildfire risk. Despite the long history of these actions, the opportunity notes a persistent information gap: land managers do not have a clear understanding of how treated areas perform in the long run compared to nearby untreated sites, particularly in terms of vegetation productivity. Another practical question embedded in the scope is whether treated areas are more resistant or resilient to drought than untreated areas, which would help agencies judge whether treatments provide benefits under increasing climate stress.

A defining feature of the grant is its emphasis on applied, decision-relevant products and collaboration. USGS explicitly frames the work as part of a cooperative process with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), with the intent that the resulting data products and analyses will be usable for both regional planning and local, on-the-ground management choices. The notice also signals that related remote-sensing work in other Department of the Interior managed ecosystems could be brought into the effort, suggesting that methods or findings may be aligned with similar monitoring initiatives beyond shrublands.

Administratively, this was a discretionary funding opportunity offered by the Department of the Interior, USGS, under CFDA 15.808, using a Cooperative Agreement as the funding instrument (which typically implies substantial federal involvement or collaboration during the project). The expected award count was one, with an award ceiling of $45,500. The opportunity was posted July 8, 2019, with an original closing date of July 22, 2019. Eligibility was limited to CESU partners under the Great Lakes - Northern Forests CESU, with the listing indicating "Others" and directing applicants to additional eligibility details in the full notice.

In practical terms, a successful project under this opportunity would likely produce satellite-derived indicators of vegetation productivity and change, maps or spatial datasets showing where drought impacts and treatment effects are strongest, and comparative analyses between treated and untreated areas over time. 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.

• The Department of the Interior, U. S. Geological Survey in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Lakes - Northern Forests CESU" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.808.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jul 08, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 22, 2019. (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 $45,500.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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