Opportunity Information: Apply for P17AS00638
The grant opportunity titled "Paleo Indian Assessment of the Lakes and Prehistoric Wetlands" (Funding Opportunity Number P17AS00638) is a National Park Service cooperative agreement intended to support a focused cultural resources and landscape archaeology effort at White Sands National Monument (WHSA). The underlying problem the project is trying to address is that Paleoindian cultural sites in and around the monument are known to exist and appear to be tied to major late Pleistocene environmental features, but the overall distribution, integrity, and full range of cultural features have not been adequately documented. Because baseline documentation is incomplete, park staff do not yet have the kind of defensible, up-to-date dataset needed to determine whether a formal nomination (for example, for historic preservation recognition) and a long-term management plan are warranted.
The opportunity centers on Paleoindian site occurrences along the western edge of WHSA overlooking Lake Lucero and the Alkali Flats, within sediments associated with Pleistocene Lake Otero. Additional sites have been identified along the eastern margins of the monument, particularly aligned with prehistoric drainages. A key research thread mentioned in the notice is that many of these cultural localities sit near Pleistocene megafauna trackways, suggesting a potentially important relationship between human activity, water sources or wetland margins, and the movement corridors or habitat use of large Ice Age animals. However, the notice also makes clear that a direct correlation has not yet been confirmed, which is part of why systematic documentation and analysis are needed.
Recent reconnaissance surveys are described as having revealed a strong correlation between site locations and prehistoric lake shores across the basin, implying that paleoshoreline mapping and wetland reconstruction are likely central to the work. The project’s emphasis is not simply on discovery for its own sake, but on correcting and strengthening baseline data: improving spatial coverage, refining site boundaries and distributions, and recognizing cultural features that may have been overlooked or not fully characterized. In practical terms, the intended outcome is a clearer, more complete understanding of the extent and nature of the Paleoindian landscape at White Sands so that the National Park Service can make informed decisions about preservation priorities, research access, interpretation, and potential protective designations.
Administratively, this was a discretionary funding opportunity offered by the Department of the Interior, National Park Service, under CFDA 15.945, with a cooperative agreement as the funding instrument. Eligibility was limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, signaling that the Park Service was seeking an academic partner capable of conducting professional archaeological and geoarchaeological fieldwork, analysis, and reporting in close coordination with the agency. The award ceiling was $97,893, and the opportunity anticipated a single award, indicating a relatively targeted, scoped project rather than a large multi-institution program. The opportunity was created on August 9, 2017, with an original closing date of August 18, 2017, reflecting a short application window typical of some project-specific cooperative agreements.
Overall, the grant is best understood as a baseline-assessment and planning effort focused on Paleoindian archaeology tied to Pleistocene lake and wetland systems at White Sands. It aims to move from promising but incomplete reconnaissance observations toward a documented, mapped, and interpretable cultural landscape dataset that can support future nomination actions and a coherent long-term management plan if the findings justify it.Apply for P17AS00638
- The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Paleo Indian Assessment of the Lakes and Prehistoric Wetlands" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.945.
- This funding opportunity was created on Aug 09, 2017.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 18, 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 $97,893.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.
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FAQs: Paleo Indian Assessment of the Lakes and Prehistoric Wetlands (P17AS00638)
What is the "Paleo Indian Assessment of the Lakes and Prehistoric Wetlands" funding opportunity?
It is a National Park Service (NPS) discretionary funding opportunity, offered as a cooperative agreement, to support a focused cultural resources and landscape archaeology effort at White Sands National Monument (WHSA). The project is designed to strengthen baseline documentation of Paleoindian cultural resources tied to late Pleistocene lake and wetland systems.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number?
The Funding Opportunity Number is P17AS00638.
Which agency is offering this opportunity?
The opportunity is offered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service.
What type of funding instrument is being used?
The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, indicating the work is expected to be carried out in close coordination with the National Park Service.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The notice lists CFDA 15.945.
Where is the project located?
The work is centered at White Sands National Monument (WHSA), with specific attention to Paleoindian site occurrences around the monument, including areas overlooking Lake Lucero and the Alkali Flats and locations tied to Pleistocene Lake Otero sediments. Additional focus areas include the eastern margins of the monument, particularly where sites align with prehistoric drainages.
What problem is the project trying to solve?
Paleoindian sites are known to exist in and around WHSA and appear to be connected to major late Pleistocene environmental features, but their overall distribution, integrity, and the full range of cultural features have not been adequately documented. Because baseline documentation is incomplete, park staff lack a defensible, up-to-date dataset to evaluate whether a formal nomination (for example, for historic preservation recognition) and a long-term management plan are warranted.
What is the main purpose of the grant?
The main purpose is baseline assessment and planning: improving the quality and completeness of documentation for Paleoindian cultural resources and their landscape context, especially as related to Pleistocene lakeshores and wetlands, so the NPS can make informed preservation and management decisions.
Is the project focused on finding new sites, or on documenting what is already known?
The notice emphasizes strengthening and correcting baseline data rather than discovery for its own sake. Practical aims include improving spatial coverage, refining site boundaries and distributions, and recognizing cultural features that may have been overlooked or not fully characterized.
What environmental or landscape features are central to the research?
The work is tied to sediments and landforms associated with Pleistocene Lake Otero, including paleoshorelines and reconstructed wetland margins across the basin. Recent reconnaissance surveys are described as showing a strong correlation between site locations and prehistoric lake shores, making paleoshoreline mapping and wetland reconstruction likely central elements.
What relationship does the notice suggest between cultural sites and Ice Age animals?
The notice notes that many cultural localities sit near Pleistocene megafauna trackways, suggesting a potentially important relationship between human activity, water sources or wetland margins, and megafauna movement corridors or habitat use. It also states that a direct correlation has not yet been confirmed, which is part of why systematic documentation and analysis are needed.
What types of activities or disciplines does the project imply?
Based on the notice, the project involves cultural resources work and landscape archaeology, with fieldwork and analysis consistent with professional archaeological and geoarchaeological approaches, and the production of documentation and reporting suitable for management decisions.
What outcomes is the National Park Service expecting?
The intended outcome is a clearer, more complete understanding of the extent and nature of the Paleoindian landscape at White Sands. The improved dataset is meant to support NPS decisions about preservation priorities, research access, interpretation, and whether potential protective designations or nomination actions and a coherent long-term management plan are justified.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education.
How many awards were anticipated?
The opportunity anticipated a single award, indicating a targeted project scope rather than a large multi-institution program.
What was the maximum award amount?
The award ceiling was $97,893.
Was this a discretionary or formula funding opportunity?
It was a discretionary funding opportunity.
When was the opportunity created and when did it close?
The opportunity was created on August 9, 2017, and the original closing date was August 18, 2017.
How long was the application window?
Based on the dates provided (August 9, 2017 to August 18, 2017), the application window was short and typical of some project-specific cooperative agreements.
Why does the notice mention nominations and management plans?
The notice explains that the park lacks sufficient baseline documentation to determine whether formal nomination actions (for example, for historic preservation recognition) and a long-term management plan are warranted. The grant is positioned as a step toward building the defensible dataset needed to make those determinations.
What specific areas within WHSA are highlighted in the notice?
The notice highlights site occurrences along the western edge of WHSA overlooking Lake Lucero and the Alkali Flats, within sediments associated with Pleistocene Lake Otero. It also notes additional sites along the eastern margins of the monument, especially aligned with prehistoric drainages.
What does "baseline documentation" mean in the context of this opportunity?
In the context of the notice, baseline documentation refers to the foundational mapping, characterization, and recording needed to understand site distribution, integrity, boundaries, and cultural features across the landscape in a way that is current, defensible, and useful for management and future planning.
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