Opportunity Information: Apply for L17AS00156
The BLM CA Piedras Blancas Light Station Interpretation and Outreach opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number L17AS00156) is a Bureau of Land Management cooperative agreement focused on running and improving public-facing interpretation, education, and outreach tied to the Piedras Blancas Light Station on the California coast. The project is built around a partnership model where the selected recipient works directly with BLM staff to deliver day-to-day visitor services and interpretive programming, while also supporting broader site management goals. The overall intent is to connect more people to the site, its history, and the surrounding natural and cultural resources, while making sure visitation is managed in a way that protects those resources.
At the operational level, the recipient is expected to provide on-site services that keep the visitor experience functioning smoothly. That includes operating the interpretive center and gift shop, and organizing or sponsoring volunteers who can reliably staff public programs. Volunteers are a central piece of the approach: the recipient supplies and coordinates people to serve as tour guides and tour assistants, help as trail stewards, and work in the gift shop. In practice, this means the recipient is not only delivering education and interpretation, but also building and maintaining a volunteer pipeline, scheduling coverage, training to consistent standards, and ensuring the public receives accurate information and a safe, well-managed visit.
A second major component is collaboration with BLM on stewardship and restoration-related coordination that supports interpretation. The opportunity emphasizes working together to facilitate restoration work on historic structures and the surrounding landscape, with the idea that preservation improvements should feed directly into stronger interpretation and education. In other words, the partnership is expected to help visitors understand why the site matters, what is being preserved, and how ongoing restoration and landscape care contribute to protecting the Light Station and its setting for the long term.
The program objectives are drawn from the 2010 Piedras Blancas Light Station Interpretive Plan and are centered on public learning, responsible recreation, and measurable outcomes. Key goals include increasing public knowledge and appreciation of the BLM and its programs, specifically highlighting connections to the California Coastal National Monument. Another priority is deepening public understanding of the Piedras Blancas Light Station itself, including its historical significance and role along the coast. The project also aims to improve how visitors engage with wildlife and sensitive places by promoting wildlife-viewing etiquette and basic principles of resource stewardship, reinforcing behaviors that reduce disturbance and prevent damage.
Measurement and resource protection are explicit expectations, not afterthoughts. The recipient is expected to monitor the success of interpretive and outreach efforts using visitor surveys, creating a feedback loop that can show what is working, what visitors are learning, and what needs adjustment. Alongside that, the program calls for monitoring visitation capacity to ensure the site does not experience levels or patterns of use that could harm prehistoric, cultural, or natural resources. This reflects a balancing act: expanding public understanding and access while keeping impacts within limits that protect the very resources the interpretation is meant to showcase.
Administratively, this is a discretionary funding opportunity under the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, categorized under Natural Resources (CFDA 15.225). The instrument is a cooperative agreement, which typically indicates substantial involvement by the federal agency during implementation, consistent with the described joint management and collaboration. Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning the competition is broadly open (subject to any additional eligibility clarifications that may have been provided in the full notice). The opportunity anticipated a single award with an award ceiling of $750,000. The notice was created June 12, 2017, with an original closing date of August 11, 2017.Apply for L17AS00156
- The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BLM CA Piedras Blancas Light Station Interpretation and Outreach" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.225.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jun 12, 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 $750,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
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FAQs: BLM CA Piedras Blancas Light Station Interpretation and Outreach (FON L17AS00156)
What is this funding opportunity?
This is a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) cooperative agreement opportunity focused on interpretation, education, and outreach tied to the Piedras Blancas Light Station on the California coast. The project centers on running and improving public-facing visitor services and interpretive programming while supporting broader site management goals.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is L17AS00156.
Which federal agency is offering this opportunity?
The opportunity is offered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
What type of award instrument is being used?
The instrument is a cooperative agreement. This typically means BLM will have substantial involvement during implementation, which aligns with the partnership and joint-delivery approach described for day-to-day visitor services and site-related coordination.
What does the project aim to accomplish overall?
The overall intent is to connect more people to the Piedras Blancas Light Station, its history, and the surrounding natural and cultural resources, while managing visitation in ways that protect those resources. The project is designed to expand learning and access without allowing use levels or patterns that could harm sensitive resources.
How is the partnership model expected to work?
The selected recipient is expected to work directly with BLM staff. The recipient helps deliver day-to-day visitor services and interpretive programming on-site, and also collaborates with BLM on coordination that supports stewardship and restoration-related work tied to interpretation.
What on-site visitor services are expected from the recipient?
The recipient is expected to provide on-site services that keep the visitor experience functioning smoothly. The description specifically includes operating the interpretive center and the gift shop, along with staffing and support needed for public programs.
Is volunteer staffing part of the expected approach?
Yes. Volunteers are described as a central piece of the approach. The recipient is expected to organize or sponsor volunteers who can reliably staff public programs and visitor services.
What kinds of volunteer roles are contemplated?
Volunteers are expected to serve as tour guides and tour assistants, help as trail stewards, and work in the gift shop.
What does volunteer coordination involve in practice?
Based on the description, the recipient is expected to build and maintain a volunteer pipeline, schedule coverage, train volunteers to consistent standards, and ensure visitors receive accurate information and have a safe, well-managed visit.
What interpretive and educational topics are emphasized?
The project emphasizes helping the public understand the Light Station and its historical significance and role along the coast. It also aims to increase public knowledge and appreciation of BLM and its programs, including highlighting connections to the California Coastal National Monument, and to improve visitor behavior around wildlife and sensitive places through etiquette and stewardship messaging.
How does the opportunity connect to the California Coastal National Monument?
One of the stated goals is increasing public knowledge and appreciation of BLM and its programs, specifically highlighting connections to the California Coastal National Monument.
How does the opportunity address wildlife viewing and resource stewardship?
The project aims to promote wildlife-viewing etiquette and basic principles of resource stewardship, reinforcing behaviors that reduce disturbance and prevent damage to sensitive resources.
Is the recipient expected to support restoration and preservation work?
The opportunity emphasizes collaboration with BLM to facilitate restoration work on historic structures and the surrounding landscape, with the idea that preservation improvements should feed directly into stronger interpretation and education.
How is restoration tied to interpretation in this project?
The partnership is expected to help visitors understand why the site matters, what is being preserved, and how ongoing restoration and landscape care contribute to protecting the Light Station and its setting over the long term.
Where do the program objectives come from?
The program objectives are drawn from the 2010 Piedras Blancas Light Station Interpretive Plan.
Are measurable outcomes required?
Yes. The opportunity describes measurable outcomes as a focus and includes explicit expectations around monitoring success and managing impacts.
How is success of interpretation and outreach expected to be monitored?
The recipient is expected to monitor the success of interpretive and outreach efforts using visitor surveys, creating a feedback loop to show what is working, what visitors are learning, and what needs adjustment.
Is there an expectation to manage or monitor visitation levels?
Yes. The program calls for monitoring visitation capacity to ensure the site does not experience levels or patterns of use that could harm prehistoric, cultural, or natural resources.
What kinds of resources is the project intended to protect?
The description references protecting prehistoric, cultural, and natural resources while managing visitation and expanding public understanding and access.
What is the funding category and CFDA number listed?
The opportunity is categorized under Natural Resources and lists CFDA 15.225.
Is this a discretionary funding opportunity?
Yes. It is described as a discretionary funding opportunity under the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning the competition is broadly open, subject to any additional eligibility clarifications that may have been included in the full notice.
How many awards were anticipated?
The opportunity anticipated a single award.
What was the maximum (ceiling) award amount?
The award ceiling was $750,000.
When was the notice created and when did it close?
The notice was created on June 12, 2017, and the original closing date was August 11, 2017.
What is the main balance the project is trying to achieve?
The project reflects a balancing act between expanding public understanding and access to the Light Station and ensuring visitation stays within limits that protect the site and surrounding prehistoric, cultural, and natural resources.
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