CULTURAL AND NATURAL RESOURCES SUPPORT AT THE MARINE CORPS AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER, TWENTYNINE PALMS, CALIFORNIA | N62473 25 2 0007

Opportunity Information: Apply for N62473 25 2 0007

This funding opportunity supports cultural and natural resources management at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center (MCAGCC) in Twentynine Palms, California, the Marine Corps largest combined-arms, live-fire training installation. MCAGCC spans about 1,102 square miles of largely public land in the Mojave Desert and is organized into 27 range training area management units that include training areas, landing fields, targetry, supply routes, fixed ranges, expeditionary areas, support zones, and safety buffers. The goal of the effort is to help the installation sustain high-tempo military training and equipment testing while meeting federal resource-protection requirements and carrying out the installation's long-term management plans.

On the cultural resources side, the work centers on implementing the installation's Integrated Cultural Resources Management Plan (ICRMP). MCAGCC contains significant archaeological and cultural resources, and the Conservation Branch within the Environmental Affairs Division serves as the main on-base office responsible for planning, compliance coordination, monitoring land use impacts, and applying best practices so cultural resource stewardship does not undermine the training mission. A major need highlighted in the announcement is the modernization and formalization of MCAGCC's cultural resources collection. The installation maintains artifacts and associated documentation (site reports, analysis records, and disposition information) that reflect the archaeological history of MCAGCC and other nearby Marine Corps installations. However, parts of this collection have not been properly accessioned and the overall inventory is outdated. The funded partner is expected to help bring the collection into compliance with federal requirements and the ICRMP by completing a proper inventory and ensuring new and existing items are accessioned through formal, well-documented procedures. Once corrected and updated, the collection is intended to become a stronger research and reference resource for understanding the archaeological context of Indigenous peoples who traditionally used the lands that now comprise MCAGCC. The opportunity also emphasizes that field visits and surveys are key tools for improving cultural resources management, implying on-the-ground work to verify conditions, refine records, and support planning and compliance actions.

On the natural resources side, the opportunity supports management of the desert ecosystems that underpin the training environment, guided by MCAGCC's Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan (INRMP) and major governing laws and regulations such as the Sikes Act Improvement Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and the Endangered Species Act. The installation recognizes that military training, facilities maintenance, hazardous materials, electromagnetic effects, and day-to-day human presence can stress soils, plant communities, wildlife, and ecological processes. It also notes recurring conflict types that require active management, including human-wildlife conflicts (for example, coyotes and common ravens affecting personnel safety, equipment, and infrastructure) and human-vegetation conflicts (notably non-native invasive plants that can destabilize soils and increase wildfire risk). The Conservation Branch’s role is to avoid, minimize, and mitigate these impacts while maintaining both ecosystem health and uninterrupted training capacity.

A key operational feature of the natural resources work is rapid response capability. The installation often needs quick action to protect federally protected species, manage sensitive or at-risk species proactively (including state-listed species), and address organisms that may pose direct safety hazards (such as rattlesnakes). These rapid responses are framed as mission-critical because they reduce safety risks and help keep training from being delayed. The announcement indicates that rapid response tasks commonly involve field visits for animal disposition and targeted surveys to improve management of subsidized species (species whose populations may be artificially supported by human activity and infrastructure). In practice, this points to a partner that can mobilize quickly, coordinate with installation staff, collect field data, and implement practical mitigation steps consistent with legal requirements and installation plans.

Administratively, this is a discretionary award issued as a cooperative agreement, meaning the government expects substantial involvement in the project as it is carried out. The opportunity is managed by Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest under CFDA 12.005. The funding opportunity number is N62473 25 2 0007. The anticipated award is a single cooperative agreement with an award ceiling of $1,346,681 and an expected number of awards of 1. Eligible applicants are Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) partners that also qualify under DoDGARS Part 34 or 2 CFR 200. The original closing date listed is 2025-08-11.

• The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "CULTURAL AND NATURAL RESOURCES SUPPORT AT THE MARINE CORPS AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER, TWENTYNINE PALMS, CALIFORNIA" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.005.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2025-07-10.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-08-11. (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 $1,346,681.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

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