Eastern Tallgrass Prarie and Big Rivers Landscape Conservation Corporation announces funding opportunities

The Eastern Tallgrass Prairie and Big Rivers Landscape Conservation Cooperative (LCC) announced on May 16 a funding opportunity for research proposals that address high priority knowledge gaps associated with natural resource conservation and management across the nation’s heartland.

Research projects under consideration for 2014 funding must address one or both of the following science themes as they relate to prairie restoration, river restoration, agroecology conservation practices and/or urban watershed management.

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Ecosystem services – Synthesize data on ecosystem services related to emerging conservation practices and develop optimization models to determine effective strategies for landscape-scale conservation design and delivery. Studies may address ecological and economic values, human dimensions of incentives for adoption, and/or public perception and policies.

Conservation endpoints – Define a matrix of desired outcomes for context-dependent restoration decisions and determine a suite of metrics within a consistent underlying framework to measure impact, anticipate return on investment, and communicate success at multiple scales. Objectives for large-scale restoration projects may differ from small-scale practices in working lands, and may vary with geography and ecoregion. Metrics may include factors such as restored connectivity, expanded habitat, species targets, education/outreach, agency mandates, and/or stakeholder perceptions.

The LCC is dedicated to addressing the conservation challenges of a heavily agricultural landscape that stretches across the nation’s heartland from southwest Ohio westward across to parts of eastern Kansas, Oklahoma and Nebraska and northward into segments of Iowa, South Dakota and Minnesota. Climate change, shifts in land-use, urban expansion, and agricultural changes are all contributing stressors affecting this landscape. The LCC is responsible for identifying, prioritizing and supporting research projects that address gaps in scientific knowledge and can inform effective conservation and management across the region.

Up to $200,000 may be available to fund projects. The LCC encourages broad participation from groups and individuals concerned with natural and cultural resource issues. Individuals from federal, state, tribal, local, commercial, non-profit and educational organizations are eligible for funding as investigators or cooperators. Cost share or in-kind match is encouraged but not required.

Complete application materials are available at http://www.Grants.gov under funding opportunity number:F14AS00181. All grant application packages must be received by June 13, 2014.

LCC staff will host two conference calls to answer questions from interested applicants on Monday, June 2, 2014 at 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Central Time.

Call-in number: 866-714-8353
Participant Code: 43553755

For additional information regarding this funding opportunity, contact:
Gwen White, Science Coordinator
812-212-7455
gwen_white @fws.gov

Glen Salmon, LCC Coordinator
812-334-4261 ext.211
glen_salmon@fws.gov