BLM-CO Preserving Mining Sites, Gunnison Field Office | L17AS00180

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): BLM-CO Preserving Mining Sites, Gunnison Field Office (L17AS00180)

What is the BLM-CO Preserving Mining Sites, Gunnison Field Office opportunity?

It is a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Colorado discretionary funding opportunity issued as a cooperative agreement to protect and stabilize historic mining resources along the Alpine Loop Back Country Byway in Hinsdale County, Colorado. The focus is on preserving fragile cultural sites that are more than a century old and heavily visited.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number?

The Funding Opportunity Number is L17AS00180.

Which agency is offering this opportunity?

The opportunity is offered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), specifically BLM Colorado through the Gunnison Field Office (GFO).

What type of funding instrument is being used?

The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement. This typically indicates substantial federal involvement during the project, such as coordination, planning participation, and/or technical oversight by BLM.

Is this a discretionary or formula grant?

This is a discretionary funding opportunity.

What is the program category and CFDA number?

The opportunity is categorized under Natural Resources and is associated with CFDA 15.224.

Where will the project activities take place?

Project activities are focused on historic mining sites along the Alpine Loop Back Country Byway corridor in Hinsdale County, Colorado, within the BLM-managed lands and responsibilities tied to the Alpine Loop corridor managed by the Gunnison Field Office.

Why is BLM seeking a partner for this work?

The announcement identifies multiple pressures: heavy visitation, limited monitoring capacity, and a lack of public understanding about cultural resources. Because many BLM recreation areas in Colorado are relatively rustic and may have fewer developed facilities and no entrance stations, BLM is emphasizing partnerships to extend on-the-ground reach in remote, high-use areas like the Alpine Loop.

What problem is the grant intended to address?

The opportunity is intended to address damage to historic structures and associated site features caused by looting and ongoing degradation. Some structures are described as unstable enough to raise public safety concerns, making long-term stewardship and public education urgent.

What kinds of cultural resources are being protected?

The focus is on historic mining resources and features along the Alpine Loop that are more than a century old and described as among the most visible and important visitor attractions in the corridor.

How heavily visited is the Alpine Loop corridor mentioned in the opportunity?

Visitation is estimated at over 400,000 people per year, which is a major reason the opportunity emphasizes frequent monitoring, stewardship presence, and visitor education.

What is the Gunnison Field Office (GFO) and what area does it manage?

The Gunnison Field Office is the BLM office referenced in the announcement. It manages more than 600,000 acres of public land in the upper Gunnison River Basin, along with responsibilities tied to the Alpine Loop corridor.

What activities does the cooperative agreement anticipate funding?

Based on the announcement, anticipated activities include: frequent monitoring and stewardship of sites; regular condition checks; deterring looting through consistent presence; documenting site changes; hands-on historic preservation work for certain mining structures; and interpretive services to help visitors understand site significance and encourage responsible behavior.

What is meant by "frequent monitoring and stewardship" in this opportunity?

The concept described involves volunteers, site stewards, and/or partner staff regularly checking site conditions, documenting changes, and providing a consistent on-site presence that BLM alone cannot maintain given the remoteness and visitation levels.

Does the opportunity include volunteer or steward involvement?

Yes. The project concept specifically mentions using volunteers, site stewards, and/or partner staff to conduct regular checks, document conditions, and help deter looting through increased presence.

What does the opportunity say about interpretation and public education?

The announcement anticipates interpretive services over the life of the agreement to help visitors understand the significance of the historic sites and to encourage responsible behavior that reduces damage. It also notes a broader need to improve public understanding of cultural resources, including insufficient appreciation and knowledge of native cultures.

Is public safety part of the rationale for the project?

Yes. The announcement notes that some structures have become unstable enough to raise public safety concerns, alongside concerns about looting and deterioration.

How many awards were anticipated?

The opportunity anticipated a single award.

What was the maximum funding amount?

The maximum (ceiling) amount listed for the single anticipated award was $200,000.

When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?

It was posted on June 20, 2017, and originally closed on August 21, 2017.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning a wide range of entity types may apply, subject to any additional eligibility language included in the full announcement.

What makes this corridor especially important to protect?

The announcement frames these mining features as central to the region's heritage tourism economy and among the most visible and important attractions for Alpine Loop visitors. High visitation levels combined with fragility of the resources increase the need for preservation, stewardship, and interpretation.

Why does the announcement emphasize partnerships for BLM recreation areas in Colorado?

It notes that BLM recreation areas in Colorado are often relatively rustic, with fewer developed facilities and no entrance stations, which can limit direct monitoring and education. Partnerships are presented as a way to proactively protect cultural resources by extending BLM's field presence.

What is the overall goal of the grant?

The overall goal is to protect irreplaceable historic mining resources on BLM-managed lands by combining preservation work, consistent site stewardship, and public-facing interpretation in a heavily visited backcountry heritage corridor.