Grassland Ecological Potential and Restoration Effectiveness Evaluation | USDA FS R13 2024 24 25 RM

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1) What is this USDA Forest Service opportunity?

This is an Outreach of Interest (OOI) called the Grassland Ecological Potential and Restoration Effectiveness Evaluation opportunity. It is a relationship-building and project-scouting process used by the USDA Forest Service to identify potential partners and project concepts that may later be supported through partnership agreements under existing Forest Service legislative authorities.

2) Is this a traditional grant solicitation?

No. The OOI is explicitly described as not being a traditional grant solicitation with a defined pot of money and a standard application package. Instead, it is meant to help the Forest Service find partners and ideas and begin conversations that could lead to future supported work.

3) Does submitting a response guarantee funding?

No. Submitting an OOI response is a way to share ideas, put your organization on the Forest Service radar, and start discussions. The notice indicates that responses may lead to future funded or formally supported work, but it does not promise awards or funding as part of the OOI itself.

4) What is the main purpose of the OOI?

The purpose is to strengthen how the Forest Service understands grassland ecosystems on National Grasslands and the National Tallgrass Prairie, focusing on (1) ecological potential and (2) restoration effectiveness. The Forest Service is seeking approaches that can be applied across the national grassland system, not just one-off site-specific insights.

5) What does the Forest Service mean by "ecological potential" in this context?

Ecological potential refers to what a site is capable of supporting given its environmental conditions and constraints. The OOI seeks partner support to determine ecological potential across the National Grasslands.

6) What does the Forest Service mean by "restoration effectiveness"?

Restoration effectiveness is described as understanding what restoration actions work, where they work, and why. The Forest Service indicates that consistent information about restoration success and the drivers of success is still lacking across the system.

7) What kinds of work or contributions is the Forest Service looking for from partners?

The Forest Service is seeking partners who can help determine ecological potential across the National Grasslands, assess grassland resiliency, and evaluate restoration effectiveness. The aim is to improve decision-making about where restoration should occur and which approaches are most appropriate under different ecological settings.

8) Is the Forest Service looking for tools and methods that can scale across many locations?

Yes. A core emphasis is on developing tools, workflows, or shared methodologies that can be applied across the national grassland system, rather than work products that do not transfer well beyond a single location.

9) Are there specific frameworks or approaches the Forest Service wants to leverage?

Yes. The Forest Service is specifically interested in leveraging and connecting existing ecological classification frameworks such as ecological sites and disturbance response groups, along with practical monitoring methods, to create more streamlined and scalable approaches.

10) Why is the Forest Service doing this outreach now?

The notice describes grasslands as highly threatened ecosystems that provide major public benefits such as wildlife habitat, open space, and climate-related services. It also notes both current and historical drivers of grassland degradation and identifies gaps in consistent information about ecological potential and restoration outcomes across large geographies.

11) What stressors or drivers of grassland degradation are identified in the notice?

The OOI cites contemporary stressors including invasive and non-native species, woody plant encroachment, and climate change. It also cites historical stressors including cultivation, disruption of natural disturbance processes (such as altered fire or grazing regimes), and development.

12) What lands or geographies are the focus of this OOI?

The focus is on National Grasslands and the National Tallgrass Prairie. The notice references roughly 3.8 million acres of National Grasslands and National Tallgrass Prairie, underscoring the need for approaches that support comparisons across large geographies and different grassland types.

13) What problem is the Forest Service trying to solve with this work?

While many vegetation management and restoration efforts have been implemented across National Forest System grasslands, the Forest Service indicates that knowledge of ecological potential varies by place and that consistent information about restoration success and the factors controlling success is still lacking. This OOI is aimed at improving that understanding at system-wide scales.

14) How will the Forest Service use what it learns from partners?

The intent is to improve future decision-making, including prioritizing where restoration should occur and selecting restoration approaches that are most appropriate under different ecological settings. The notice also highlights an outcome of improving conservation return on investment by directing limited resources to actions and locations with the highest likelihood of durable ecological gains.

15) What does "maximize conservation return on investment" mean here?

In the notice, this means improving the ability to target limited restoration dollars and capacity toward actions and locations that have the highest likelihood of producing durable ecological gains.

16) Are there related outcomes or co-benefits that partners can connect to restoration outcomes?

Yes. The notice points to additional directions partners might pursue, such as linking restoration outcomes to measurable co-benefits like habitat improvement, stabilizing or improving grassland bird populations, increasing carbon sequestration opportunities, and enhancing pollinator habitat and abundance.

17) Who is eligible to respond to this OOI?

Eligibility is broad and includes for-profit entities, nonprofits, institutions of higher education, and government entities at the federal, state, local, and Native American tribal levels. It also includes special purpose districts such as public utility districts, fire districts, conservation districts, school districts, and ports.

18) Is there an award ceiling or a stated number of expected awards?

The listing shows no stated award ceiling and no specified number of expected awards. This aligns with the outreach and partner-development nature of the OOI rather than a typical competitive grant round.

19) How is this opportunity categorized?

The listing is categorized as "Other" rather than a standard grant program, consistent with the fact that it is an Outreach of Interest rather than a conventional grant competition.

20) What is the deadline to submit a response?

The closing date shown for submitting an OOI response is February 7, 2025.

21) Where do applicants find the required submission format and instructions?

Application details are not embedded in the announcement text itself. Respondents are directed to use the attached Outreach of Interest Template Instructions document, which likely provides the required format, questions to address, and the submission method.

22) What should an organization expect after submitting an OOI response?

Based on the notice, submitting a response is intended to begin conversations with the Forest Service and share proposed concepts. Those conversations may later lead to partnership agreements under existing Forest Service legislative authorities for work aligned with Forest Service priorities.