Cooperative Agreement for CESU-affiliated Partner with Pacific Northwest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit | G24AS00281

Opportunity Information: Apply for G24AS00281

This funding opportunity (G24AS00281) is a US Geological Survey discretionary award offered as a cooperative agreement under the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program, specifically through the Pacific Northwest CESU. The project focus is applied research and development in science and technology (CFDA 15.808) centered on forests in the western Cascades of Oregon, with the core question being how repeated wildfires that burn the same areas more than once (reburns) affect the speed and spatial patterns of post-fire forest recovery. A key emphasis is on identifying and understanding vegetation transitions that can occur after reburns, such as shifts away from historical forest conditions toward alternative vegetation states when regeneration is delayed or fails.

The opportunity is grounded in the region's historical fire regime and the way it varies along a north-to-south climate gradient. In the northern western Cascades, fires have typically been less frequent but more severe, while in the southern portion they have tended to occur more often and with mixed severity. This pattern aligns with the transition from cooler, wetter conditions in the north to warmer, drier conditions in the south. Historically, the cooler and wetter forests were somewhat protected from frequent severe fire because fuels were less likely to dry out enough to burn intensely, even though these forests contain abundant biomass and continuous fuels that can carry fire when conditions become flammable.

The grant description highlights why this is changing and why the research is timely. Human-driven climate warming is increasing fuel aridity, meaning fuels are drying more often and becoming easier to ignite and burn intensely. In forests with high fuel loads and strong horizontal and vertical fuel connectivity, this increased flammability can enable large, severe fires and, importantly, raises the likelihood that areas will burn again before forests fully recover. The USGS notes that in the recent past, post-fire tree recruitment in these systems was generally successful over a timeframe of roughly one to four decades. Looking forward, climate change is expected to both slow recovery and increase future fire activity, creating a compounding risk where reburns may interrupt regeneration windows and push landscapes toward different vegetation outcomes.

A central motivation for the award is the uncertainty that land managers and scientists face: how reliably forests will recover after repeated burns, what the resulting landscape patterns will look like, and whether management actions intended to support recovery will be effective under new climate and fire regimes. The cooperative agreement mechanism also signals that USGS expects substantial involvement between the agency and the recipient during the project, often meaning coordination on study design, data needs, interpretation, and deliverables.

Eligibility is limited to organizations that are already participating partners in the Pacific Northwest CESU network, reflecting the CESU model of linking federal agencies with partner institutions to deliver research, technical assistance, and education that support resource management decisions. The opportunity was created on February 27, 2024, with an original closing date of March 27, 2024. The maximum award amount listed is $52,866, and the posting indicates an expected number of awards, though the exact number is not clearly specified in the provided text.

• The Geological Survey in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cooperative Agreement for CESU-affiliated Partner with Pacific Northwest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit" 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 2024-02-27.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-03-27. (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 $52,866.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for G24AS00281

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: