Plant Propagation for NPS Southwest Exotic Plant Management Team | P17AS00252

Opportunity Information: Apply for P17AS00252

The Plant Propagation for NPS Southwest Exotic Plant Management Team opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number P17AS00252) is a National Park Service cooperative agreement designed to strengthen native plant restoration capacity in Arizona and New Mexico by aligning two major federal conservation efforts released in 2015: the Department of the Interior's National Seed Strategy and the National Strategy to Promote the Health of Honey Bees and Other Pollinators. At its core, the grant is about building a practical, regional pipeline for native plant materials, especially seeds that are locally adapted and genetically appropriate, so land managers can restore damaged landscapes and simultaneously improve habitat for pollinators.

A key focus of the project is implementing the National Seed Strategy at a landscape scale. That strategy emphasizes four connected goals: first, identifying what seeds are needed and making sure there is a reliable supply of the right native seed for the right place; second, identifying research gaps and supporting research that improves native seed production methods and restoration outcomes; third, developing decision-support tools so managers can make informed seeding choices quickly (for example, after wildfire or major disturbance); and fourth, improving communication strategies so information about seed availability, best practices, and restoration needs moves efficiently among agencies, producers, researchers, and partners. The grant frames these needs as particularly urgent in the Southwest, where restoration demand is high and seed supply is limited.

The opportunity also ties directly to the federal Pollinator Strategy, which addresses pollinator declines driven by multiple pressures such as pests and pathogens, habitat loss, lack of diverse floral resources, and pesticide exposure. That strategy sets ambitious national goals, including restoring or enhancing seven million acres of pollinator habitat over five years and increasing the eastern monarch butterfly population. It also prioritizes strengthening the science behind land management decisions, expanding public outreach and education, improving pollinator habitat, and building public-private partnerships. In the context of this grant, the practical overlap between the Pollinator Strategy and the Seed Strategy is the need for robust, pollinator-friendly native seed mixes that can be deployed widely in restoration, rehabilitation, and land management projects.

The description makes clear why Arizona and New Mexico are highlighted. The region faces millions of acres needing rehabilitation due to wildfire, erosion, development, invasive species, and related landscape disturbance. There is also steady demand from both public and private restoration projects aimed at improving wildlife habitat, supporting pollinator health, and countering the spread of exotic and invasive plants. The grant emphasizes that planting a diverse set of native species is not only beneficial for pollinators (by providing nectar, pollen, shelter, and breeding resources), but also helps ecosystems resist invasion and become more resilient under climate change. However, the current market situation is a major barrier: demand for native seed in the Southwest far exceeds supply, and what is available is often non-local and therefore not well suited genetically or ecologically to the specific conditions of Arizona and New Mexico.

A recurring gap this funding is meant to address is the shortage of native forb seed sources in particular. Forbs are critical for creating high-quality pollinator habitat because they provide diverse blooms across seasons, yet the opportunity notes that seed sources for forbs in Arizona and New Mexico are rare or essentially nonexistent. It also points out a capacity problem on the production side, with too few growers prepared to cultivate these native species for seed production. In practical terms, the project is intended to help coordinate and expand the supply chain so that restoration practitioners can obtain appropriate native plant materials rather than relying on generalized, non-local mixes that may perform poorly and can even undermine restoration goals.

Administratively, this is a discretionary funding opportunity offered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, under CFDA 15.954, using a cooperative agreement instrument. The award ceiling is $30,000, and the opportunity anticipated making about three awards. Eligible applicants are broad and include state, county, and local governments; special districts; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; and nonprofits both with and without 501(c)(3) status. The opportunity was created on May 15, 2017, with an original closing date of June 15, 2017.

• The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Plant Propagation for NPS Southwest Exotic Plant Management Team" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.954.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 15, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 15, 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 $30,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 3 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.

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