BLM-Washington DC, Applicability and Efficacy of PZP on Wild Burros in Northwestern Arizona | L16AS00001

Opportunity Information: Apply for L16AS00001

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) grant opportunity titled "BLM-Washington DC, Applicability and Efficacy of PZP on Wild Burros in Northwestern Arizona" focuses on testing and demonstrating fertility control as a practical tool for managing wild burro populations on BLM-administered lands near Oatman, Arizona. The core problem the opportunity is trying to address is that wild burro numbers in many herd management areas exceed the established Appropriate Management Levels (AML), and relying mainly on removal is often not realistic because roundups, adoptions, and long-term holding are expensive. Instead, BLM is prioritizing strategies that slow population growth directly on the range.

The project centers on porcine zona pellucida (PZP), an immunocontraceptive that reduces fertility by triggering an immune response that interferes with reproduction. The opportunity lays out the basic treatment protocol: an initial dose, a booster given at least two weeks later, and then ideally annual booster treatments to maintain contraception for the following year. Because applying PZP in real-world conditions can be logistically challenging, the project is designed as an adaptive management demonstration, meaning it is meant to generate practical, field-based lessons about what works, what it takes to implement, and what measurable outcomes result.

BLM’s desired on-the-ground activities include trapping and handling burros, marking individuals, administering PZP, and then monitoring foaling outcomes in both treated and untreated females. A key feature is that the work will include two different groups: habituated burros that are used to being around people (particularly those in the vicinity of Oatman) and non-habituated burros in surrounding areas. The specific treatment targets described are approximately 20 habituated female burros near Oatman and roughly 75 or more non-habituated female burros in nearby areas. The project also intends to compare methods of delivering boosters, including darting in some cases and hand administration in other cases, with an emphasis on documenting the effort required to successfully treat and re-treat animals under different field conditions.

The opportunity also highlights a strong public-facing purpose. Burros around Oatman are a well-known tourist attraction and are considered a public benefit because they draw visitors to the town. At the same time, these burros can create public safety concerns, especially vehicle collisions, and growing populations can contribute to impacts on local natural resources. The grant frames PZP as a way to stabilize the number of burros to a level that remains compatible with tourism and public enjoyment while reducing hazards and resource damage. BLM also notes that a high-profile demonstration project could increase tourism by encouraging visitors to see recognizable individual burros and learn more about burro ecology and management.

From a funding and administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary opportunity using a cooperative agreement, indicating that BLM expects to remain involved in the project rather than simply issuing funds with minimal engagement. The funding opportunity number is L16AS00001, and it is associated with natural resources work under CFDA 15.229. Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning any qualified applicant may apply. The award ceiling is $25,000, and BLM anticipates making one award. The original closing date listed is December 14, 2015, and the opportunity was created on October 14, 2015.

Although the announcement invites other applicants to submit proposals, it plainly states that BLM has already received an unsolicited proposal from the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and that BLM intends to financially assist that project, while still considering all submitted proposals. The notice also emphasizes that HSUS and any other partners must provide substantial cost sharing, described as a 31 (Partner:BLM) commitment, which signals that applicants should be prepared to bring significant non-federal matching resources, whether in cash, in-kind support, personnel time, equipment, or operational capacity.

Overall, the opportunity is best understood as a relatively small, targeted demonstration investment meant to test the applicability, effort requirements, and measurable fertility outcomes of PZP treatment across habituated and non-habituated wild burros in northwestern Arizona, while producing lessons that could inform burro population management strategies in other BLM areas facing similar overpopulation challenges.

• The Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BLM-Washington DC, Applicability and Efficacy of PZP on Wild Burros in Northwestern Arizona" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.229.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2015-10-14.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2015-12-14. (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 $25,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

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