L23AC00663

Purpose of Award (Summary of the Goals and Objectives of the Project):

Foundation for Americas Public Lands will partner with BLM to deploy resources as prescribed by the Inflation Reduction Act. The BLMS spend plan contributes to the DOI Restoration and Resilience Framework. The Foundation will focus on building drought resilience in arid watersheds within the Colorado River Basin.

The Foundation will provide a funding plan targeted at projects in the Colorado River Basin, on BLM land, that address drought resilience in arid watersheds. The Foundation's unique role is to shine a light on needs, gaps, and opportunities and talk about them in a way that the government does not. IRA funding offers an opportunity to demonstrate results through the rapid deployment of resources.

The Foundation seeks to fund two to three projects over a five-year period of time that: are located in the Colorado River Basin, positively impact BLM managed lands, and address drought resilience in arid watersheds. While IRA legislation does not require match funding, the Foundation seeks projects that provide funding leverage opportunities with philanthropy, state, and local government, and other funding partners.

Summary of Project Specific Activities:

Task 1: Summarize existing BLM and federal drought programs and science to generate programmatic definition of drought resilience that can inform program objectives and metrics of program success applicable to BLM managed land in the Colorado River Basin.

Task 2: Identify existing data and methodologies relevant to establishing baseline conditions and informing project-based metrics of drought resilience across the Colorado River Basin through analysis of existing BLM and federal data relevant to program objectives. In coordination with BLM GIS staff, assess data availability, resolution, and appropriate use.

Task 3: Identify key stakeholders (governmental entities such as states, counties, etc., tribes, non-governmental conservation organizations, watershed groups, community-based organizations, academic institutions, private sector entities) common to successful drought resilience projects on BLM managed lands within the Colorado River Basin.

Task 4: Socialize initial definition of drought resilience with BLM field staff to receive feedback for its refinement. In coordination with BLM leadership, interview BLM program and field staff involved in recently announced restoration landscapes to understand their initial experiences, disbursing funds, identifying and implementing projects.

Task 5: Integrate outputs from previous four tasks to identify geographic and/or programmatic areas where the implementation of drought resilience projects will most benefit from the Foundation's engagement and outline potential funding models for that support.

Performance Goals Including Milestones and Expected Outcomes:

Identify a unique role for the BLM and the Foundation within the larger federal drought resilience program landscape. Recommendations for programmatic definition of needs, objectives, and metrics of success. Talking points and synthesis of relevant peer-reviewed literature, white papers, and agency guidance on drought resilience. Slide-deck of statistics describing baseline drought conditions and resilience needs on BLM managed lands in the Colorado River Basin pertinent to programmatic outputs delivered in Task 1. Recommendations for project-based metrics of drought resilience across Colorado River Basin and assessment of data products that can support their evaluation at scale. Roadmap for engagement with BLM GIS staff to generate meaningful maps and webtools to support storytelling. Inventory of partners, models of engagement, resources, and contact information, by geography.

Beneficiaries: The general public.

Bureau Of Land Management Foundation

15.225 - Recreation and Visitor Services

BLM National Office [DOI - BLM]

Multi-State United States

Multi-State

L-BLM-REC-23-003

Amendment Since initial award the total obligations have increased 2138% from $500,000 to $11,191,250.