BLM-(MT), Traditional Properties and Sacred Site Identification | L17AS00213

Opportunity Information: Apply for L17AS00213

The grant opportunity titled "BLM-(MT), Traditional Properties and Sacred Site Identification" (Funding Opportunity Number L17AS00213) is a Bureau of Land Management cooperative agreement focused on helping identify and document Native American Traditional Cultural Properties (TCPs) and sacred sites on public lands in Montana and in the broader regional context that includes North and South Dakota. It is rooted in the idea that tribes have deep cultural and religious connections to specific landscapes, and that many locations across these states hold significance that may not be visible or well understood through standard land management processes. Because BLM authorizes and manages a wide range of activities on these lands, the agency is seeking better information about where culturally important places are located and why they matter, so those places can be appropriately considered in planning and day-to-day decision-making.

The project is centered initially on the Spring Creek area, covering roughly 1,350 acres. The main objective is to facilitate the identification of TCPs and sacred sites that are important to tribes, particularly within their aboriginal territories. The funded recipient is expected to carry out on-the-ground fieldwork and to record historic properties, bringing specialized expertise that can help recognize, document, and evaluate sites that may qualify as TCPs or sacred sites. In practice, this implies systematic survey and documentation activities, coupled with the professional skill needed to assess potential eligibility and significance in a way that aligns with historic preservation standards while also respecting tribal perspectives and knowledge systems.

A key purpose of the effort is to support tribes in reconnecting with culturally important places, including locations that may be known through oral traditions but not formally mapped or recorded in existing agency files. By helping to rediscover and document these places, the project aims to generate information that is useful both to tribes and to land managers. BLM highlights that the results are intended to provide "background and holistic use information" that can strengthen future management of public lands, meaning the findings should improve how BLM understands landscape-level cultural values when evaluating projects, authorizing activities, and planning for long-term stewardship.

The public benefit rationale is framed around expanding and completing the national historical record. The opportunity emphasizes that potential TCPs and sacred sites contribute to a fuller picture of the United States' national heritage and that these sites are irreplaceable. The project is presented as beneficial to the broader public because it creates a pathway for tribes to share culturally important information that can lead to better protection and management of sensitive places. In other words, the public value is not simply academic; it is tied to improved decision-making, avoidance of inadvertent damage to significant sites, and more informed stewardship of resources that carry cultural, historical, and spiritual importance.

Administratively, this is a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement instrument through the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, listed under CFDA 15.224 and categorized under natural resources. The funding opportunity was created July 17, 2017, with an original closing date of September 14, 2017. The expected number of awards was one, with an award ceiling of $86,400. Eligibility is described as unrestricted (open to any entity type), subject to any additional eligibility language that may have been included in the official notice.

• The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BLM-(MT), Traditional Properties and Sacred Site Identification" 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 Jul 17, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 14, 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 $86,400.00 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 L17AS00213

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