Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination

Since its initial passage in 2000, the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) and Community Self-Determination Act (“the SRS Act”) has provided Federal funds to over 700 counties across the U.S. and Puerto Rico for three primary purposes in accordance with its three titles:

· Title I – Secure Payments for States and Counties containing Federal Land: To stabilize payments to counties to provide funding for schools and roads that supplements other available funds.

· Title II - Special Projects on Federal Land: To make additional investments in, and create additional employment opportunities through, projects that improve the maintenance of existing infrastructure, implement stewardship objectives that enhance forest ecosystems, and restore and improve land health and water quality with Federal lands that have traditionally been supported by timber payments.

· Title III – County Funds: To stabilize payments to counties to provide funding for schools and roads that supplements other available funds.

This Listing Announcement specifically relates to anticipated SRS Act Title II Special Project funding that is administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior’s (DOI) Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to benefit the 2.4 million acres of Federal lands in 18 western Oregon counties that are administered in accordance with the Oregon and California Revested Lands Sustained Yield Management Act of 1937 (“the O&C Act”) and the Coos Bay Wagon Road Act of 1939. These BLM lands are managed by the BLM Coos Bay, Medford, Northwest Oregon, and Roseburg Districts, as well as the BLM Lakeview District’s Klamath Falls Field Office.

Local, State, and Tribal governments, independent school districts, public and private institutions of higher education, public and Indian housing authorities, Native American organizations, and nonprofit organizations are eligible to apply for SRS Act Title II funding for Special Projects that are located on or will benefit BLM lands in western Oregon that are administered in accordance with the O&C and Coos Bay Wagon Road Acts.

Applicants will be required to submit approved Resource Advisory Committee proposals to the GrantSolutions announcement.

The BLM Oregon/Washington will disseminate the SRS Title II Special Project application and instructions to entities throughout the 18 western Oregon counties that are eligible for Special Project funding, post the application materials onto its website, and further share the opportunity through social media and traditional news releases to local media outlets.

Once the application period is over, local BLM staff and managers will screen the applications to ensure they meet the Special Project eligibility criteria. The eligible Special Project applications are then forwarded to the BLM’s Western Oregon Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) for review. After RAC deliberations and votes on the Special Project proposals, the RAC provides the BLM with formal written recommendations on which proposals to formally approve. The RAC’s Designated Federal Official then reviews the RAC’s recommendations and formally approves the Special Project funding amounts under the authority of Title II of the SRS Act.

Upon approval, the applicants will submit their applications for Federal financial assistance through the GrantSolutions site. The proposal funding will be awarded as a cooperative agreement between the applicant and BLM.

Award time varies depending on the type and complexity of the project. Most awards are anticipated within 1 year or less after the announcement closes. Further information may be obtained by contacting the regional point of contact listed. Projects are approved by the Designated Federal Official at their sole discretion. Within 30 days after making a rejection decision, the Designated Federal Official shall notify the Resource Advisory Committee in writing with the reasons for the rejection.