BLM (MT)- Forest Collaboration Network Facilitation | L17AS00084

Opportunity Information: Apply for L17AS00084

The BLM (MT) - Forest Collaboration Network Facilitation grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number L17AS00084) is a Bureau of Land Management cooperative agreement designed to support and grow the Montana Forest Collaboration Network (MFCN). MFCN is a statewide forum that connects community-based forest collaboratives with conservation groups, private landowners, forest products industries, and state and federal agencies, including the BLM. The opportunity builds on the momentum from MFCN's first annual workshop held in Helena, Montana on December 5-6, 2016, where nearly 100 participants and representatives from 17 collaborative groups shared what has worked in their regions, what has not, and what a statewide network could do to strengthen local efforts. The underlying idea is that complex forest and grassland issues are easier to address when people work through them together, compare perspectives, and aim for consensus-based recommendations that balance ecological health, economic needs, and social priorities.

The core objective of the funding is to increase collaborative capacity across Montana by strengthening existing community-based collaborative organizations and improving how they coordinate, learn from one another, and maintain productive working relationships. The BLM frames this as a practical pathway to more forest treatments across the broader landscape, meaning more on-the-ground projects that reduce risk and improve resilience while supporting appropriate resource utilization. The network approach emphasizes transparency, diversity, inclusion, and good-faith collaboration, with an intentional focus on surfacing shared values across different stakeholder groups. In the background narrative, the BLM also highlights its role as a technical partner, providing guidance on federal processes (including NEPA planning) so that collaboration is better aligned with how land management decisions and environmental reviews actually occur.

The recipient selected under this opportunity is expected to facilitate MFCN activities that serve local collaborative groups and keep the statewide network responsive to their changing needs. The funded work centers on four main action areas: identifying concrete ways MFCN can support collaborative groups; sharing best practices and lessons learned by comparing successes and challenges across regions; creating and supporting opportunities for relationship building among participants; and capturing and discussing what makes organizations more effective when people work together, with the goal of making collaboration more productive over time. A key deliverable is hosting an annual meeting that is open to all participants of community-based collaborative groups, ensuring the network remains accessible and continues to function as a statewide convening space.

The grant also outlines specific task categories that the recipient, working through MFCN, should carry out. These include internal communications (providing timely and useful information to collaborative groups), external communications (promoting collaboration statewide and helping others understand the value of these efforts), developing tools and running workshops that support collaborative best practices, and advocating for funding that helps collaborative groups continue their work. Taken together, these tasks are less about funding a single field project and more about building the connective tissue that allows many local projects to move forward more smoothly, with fewer misunderstandings and stronger alignment among partners.

The public benefit argument for the opportunity is that MFCN helps reduce conflict and expand the "zone of agreement" among stakeholders, which can translate into clearer forest landscape visions and more actionable treatment recommendations to land management agencies. The BLM also points to practical community benefits, such as encouraging the use of a local workforce and improving shared understanding of what collaboration can and cannot do. Over time, the program expects collaboration to help projects move from concept to implementation more efficiently and with broader support. The opportunity cites examples of successful outcomes associated with this approach, including stronger communication, brokered agreements among diverse interests, support for agency officials during legal challenges, community-driven conservation and forest management planning, and structured input and feedback to agencies.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary funding opportunity issued by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, under CFDA 15.231, with the funding instrument listed as a cooperative agreement. Eligibility is described as unrestricted (open to any type of entity), subject to any additional eligibility clarifications in the full notice. The opportunity anticipated a single award with an award ceiling of $10,000. The notice was created on May 3, 2017, with an original closing date of July 3, 2017.

• The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BLM (MT)- Forest Collaboration Network Facilitation" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.231.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 03, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 03, 2017. (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 $10,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

Apply for L17AS00084

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: