BLM OR/WA Wildland Urban Interface Master Funding Opportunity | L19AS00064

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1) What is this funding opportunity?

The BLM OR/WA Wildland Urban Interface Master Funding Opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number L19AS00064) is a discretionary federal grant program administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM). It supports projects that reduce the risk of catastrophic wildland fire in the wildland-urban interface (WUI), where homes, communities, and wildlands meet.

2) What is the main purpose of the program?

The program is focused on reducing wildfire hazard and potential fire severity in high-risk areas near communities. It supports practical, on-the-ground prevention and preparedness work, and it also aims to build local capacity so that mitigation efforts can be sustained over time.

3) How does this opportunity relate to the National Fire Plan?

This opportunity is built around the goals of the National Fire Plan, a federal effort launched in 2001 to help communities facing elevated wildfire risk. The grant supports prevention, preparedness, and capacity-building activities aligned with those goals.

4) Which agency administers the funding?

The program is administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), under the OR/WA wildland-urban interface program context described in the opportunity.

5) Is this a federal grant or another type of assistance?

Funding is provided through cooperative agreements, and the opportunity is described as a discretionary federal grant program.

6) What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?

The opportunity is provided under CFDA 15.228.

7) What funding activity category does it fall under?

The funding activity category is Natural Resources.

8) What kinds of projects are supported?

The opportunity is intended to support hazardous fuels reduction projects and related activities that directly lower wildfire hazard and potential severity. Supported work can include implementing fuels treatments and also the training, monitoring, and maintenance needed to keep those treatments effective over time.

9) Does the program support activities beyond fuels reduction?

Yes. The opportunity emphasizes community-based programs that strengthen local wildfire readiness, including risk assessments, planning efforts, mitigation actions, and public-facing education designed to prompt homeowner and community action through structured action plans.

10) Are training, monitoring, and maintenance eligible activities?

Yes. The opportunity explicitly includes training, monitoring, and maintenance as eligible activities when they are necessary for fuels treatments to remain effective.

11) Where can projects take place?

Projects may occur on federal lands and, when designed to mitigate threats to communities and natural resources in high-risk areas, can also extend to adjacent nonfederal lands.

12) Can projects include work on nonfederal lands?

Yes. The opportunity indicates that projects can extend to adjacent nonfederal lands when they are designed to mitigate threats to communities and natural resources in high-risk areas.

13) What is meant by the wildland-urban interface (WUI) in this program?

In this context, the wildland-urban interface refers to areas where homes, communities, and wildlands meet. The program targets risk reduction in these areas due to their elevated exposure to wildfire impacts.

14) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning the opportunity is broadly open to applicants of any type, subject to any additional eligibility details that may be included in the full announcement.

15) Is the opportunity competitive?

It is described as a discretionary federal grant program with an anticipated number of awards, which implies competitive selection among applications, though the specific evaluation process is not provided in the summary.

16) What is the maximum award amount?

The maximum award amount (award ceiling) is $1,000,000.

17) How many awards did BLM anticipate making?

BLM anticipated making about 15 awards under this funding opportunity.

18) When was the opportunity created, and when did it close?

The opportunity was created on May 28, 2019, and remained open through August 27, 2019.

19) Were there multiple submission deadlines?

Yes. The opportunity had three submission rounds, giving applicants multiple chances to apply during the open period.

20) What were the submission round deadlines?

Round One applications were due June 27, 2019. Round Two applications were due July 27, 2019. Round Three applications were due August 27, 2019.

21) What outcomes is BLM looking for in proposed projects?

The opportunity is designed for projects that measurably reduce wildfire risk in high-risk areas near communities, build durable local capacity to plan and carry out mitigation, educate and mobilize residents to take defensible-space and preparedness actions, and, where possible, create or support local and small business jobs connected to fuels reduction and wildfire risk mitigation.

22) Does the opportunity place emphasis on community education and resident action?

Yes. It specifically highlights public-facing education designed to prompt homeowner and community action through structured action plans.

23) Does the opportunity include an economic or workforce component?

Yes. One stated objective is to enhance local and small business employment opportunities by tying wildfire mitigation work to economic benefits in the local area.

24) Is this opportunity focused only on emergency response?

No. The stated focus is prevention and preparedness, including fuels reduction, training, monitoring, maintenance, risk assessment, planning, mitigation actions, and community education.

25) What type of risk is this opportunity trying to reduce?

The opportunity targets the risk of catastrophic wildland fire, especially in and near communities located in high-risk wildland-urban interface areas.