NM Cultural and Paleontological Resource Management | L20AS00058

Opportunity Information: Apply for L20AS00058

The NM Cultural and Paleontological Resource Management grant (Funding Opportunity Number L20AS00058) is a Bureau of Land Management (BLM), U.S. Department of the Interior funding opportunity that supports practical, on-the-ground work to protect, study, and responsibly share New Mexico cultural and paleontological resources. The overall purpose is to improve access to and appropriate use of heritage resources while promoting their educational, scientific, cultural, and recreational value, consistent with Department of the Interior priorities and the goals of the BLM Cultural Heritage and Paleontology Program. In plain terms, the program is looking for projects that help the public and researchers learn from these places and collections while ensuring the resources themselves are preserved and managed ethically.

Funding is offered as a discretionary cooperative agreement, which usually means the BLM expects substantial involvement during the project, such as coordination on methods, access, data standards, or deliverables. The award ceiling is $75,000, and the opportunity anticipated about 11 awards. The activity category is Natural Resources, and the CFDA listing is 15.224. The opportunity was created February 25, 2020, with an original closing date of April 27, 2020.

The grant is broad in the kinds of heritage work it will support, as long as a proposed project clearly advances one or more of the listed objectives. A major emphasis is research and documentation that improves understanding of Americas natural and cultural history, including inventories, excavations, archival or records research, and collections-based research. Another strong focus is proactive stewardship: monitoring resources that are at risk to understand condition trends and evaluate whether management actions are working, as well as stabilizing at-risk sites and materials before they are lost to erosion, vandalism, environmental exposure, or other threats. In addition to archaeological sites and paleontological localities, the opportunity explicitly includes historic built resources by supporting stabilization of at-risk historic structures and the development and maintenance of historic sites that have interpretive and educational potential.

The opportunity also prioritizes the infrastructure that makes heritage management function day to day. That includes cultural heritage data and records management tasks such as organizing and maintaining site and survey records, scanning and digitizing documents, building and maintaining geospatial datasets, and completing data entry to improve accessibility and long-term usability. For physical collections already held in recognized curation facilities, the program supports preservation improvements like archival housing, stabilization, and conservation, acknowledging that long-term stewardship depends on proper curation and care.

Workforce development and ethical public engagement are also central. The BLM encourages projects that train future cultural resource management professionals and paleontologists through research projects, field schools, and internships that make use of BLM-managed heritage resources. On the public side, the program supports education and outreach efforts that increase learning opportunities and promote archaeological and paleontological ethics through programs, events, and products. This signals an interest not just in interpretation, but in shaping responsible behavior and public understanding of why these resources need protection.

Finally, the grant highlights partnership building, particularly with Native American communities. Projects that promote engagement with tribes and foster partnerships with tribal governments and programs are specifically called out as an objective, reflecting the importance of collaboration, consultation, and incorporating Indigenous perspectives where appropriate. The program also invites applied studies that evaluate how land management actions impact heritage resources, including prescribed fire, juniper control, vegetation removal by chaining, and other land-disturbing activities. That focus aligns with real-world management needs, where agencies must balance fuels reduction, restoration, and other treatments while avoiding or mitigating damage to cultural and paleontological resources.

Eligibility is expansive and includes state, county, and local governments; special districts; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; and nonprofits both with and without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in the nonprofit categories). Overall, the opportunity is designed for universities, museums and curation facilities, tribal and local governments, nonprofits, and other partners capable of carrying out technical heritage work in coordination with the BLM, with projects ranging from research and monitoring to stabilization, digitization, training, and public education.

• The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NM Cultural and Paleontological Resource Management" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.224.
• This funding opportunity was created on Feb 25, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 27, 2020. (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 $75,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 11 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.

Apply for L20AS00058

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