Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit,Colorado Plateau CESU | G17AS00119

Opportunity Information: Apply for G17AS00119

The Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Colorado Plateau CESU grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number G17AS00119) was offered by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Fort Collins Science Center, within the Department of the Interior. Structured as a cooperative agreement under the Science and Technology and other Research and Development category (CFDA 15.808), the project was intended to support applied research that helps decision-makers better understand and quantify the benefits people receive from healthy forested watersheds in Northern New Mexico.

The central focus of the work is the economic value of water-related ecosystem services that depend on healthy forests, particularly in the context of rising wildfire intensity and severity in recent decades. While many forests in Northern New Mexico remain relatively intact, the opportunity emphasizes that more severe fire behavior can threaten forest health and, in turn, disrupt the services those forests provide. The geographic and social relevance is framed around the Rio Grande River Valley, with special attention to communities and water users connected to major population centers such as Santa Fe and Albuquerque, as well as downstream users who depend on watershed conditions upstream.

From a practical standpoint, the grant targets the value of clean, reliable water supplies that forested landscapes help produce and protect. The opportunity describes these benefits broadly, including drinking water quality and supply, agricultural and ranching needs, wildlife habitat supported by watershed conditions, and outdoor recreation tied to healthy riparian and forest environments. The underlying idea is that forests are not only ecological assets but also essential infrastructure for regional water security, and changes in forest condition can translate into real economic impacts for households, communities, and resource-dependent sectors.

Methodologically, the USGS called for the use of stated preference nonmarket valuation paired with a survey instrument to estimate and monetize public preferences for these watershed services. Because many ecosystem services are not bought and sold directly in markets, nonmarket valuation approaches are commonly used to estimate willingness to pay for maintaining or improving environmental conditions, or willingness to accept losses in those conditions. In this case, the survey-based valuation would be designed to translate residents and users preferences into economic measures that can be compared alongside more traditional costs and benefits in planning and policy discussions.

The expected output is information that can support more informed forest and watershed management decisions by clarifying what the public values about water services tied to forest health and by putting those values into monetary terms that can be incorporated into analyses. The opportunity specifically notes that results should contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the economic tradeoffs associated with management actions and land-use changes that affect forest condition, wildfire risk, and the continued provision of ecosystem services. In other words, the research is meant to strengthen the evidence base for evaluating prevention, restoration, and management strategies by connecting ecological outcomes to human well-being and economic value.

In terms of funding details, the opportunity was discretionary and anticipated a single award, with an award ceiling of $200,000. It was limited to eligible applicants described as CESU partners (with eligibility clarified in the full announcement under additional information). The opportunity was posted July 27, 2017, with an original closing date of August 11, 2017, indicating a relatively short application window and a focused, targeted competition aimed at the CESU network.

• The Department of the Interior, Geological Survey in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit,Colorado Plateau CESU" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.808.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jul 27, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 11, 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 $200,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for G17AS00119

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