Paleo Indian Assessment of the Lakes and Prehistoric Wetlands | P18AS00326

Opportunity Information: Apply for P18AS00326

The National Park Service, within the Department of the Interior, offered a discretionary cooperative agreement opportunity titled "Paleo Indian Assessment of the Lakes and Prehistoric Wetlands" (Funding Opportunity Number P18AS00326). The project is centered on White Sands National Monument (WHSA) and targets Paleoindian-era archaeological resources associated with the ancient landscape of Pleistocene Lake Otero, including areas around Lake Lucero and the Alkali Flats. The opportunity reflects a need to better document and understand early human use of this basin-and-shoreline environment, especially where cultural materials appear to cluster along former lake margins and prehistoric drainage systems.

The core problem the grant aims to address is that, even though Paleoindian cultural sites are already known in the monument, the overall footprint of the site distribution has not been fully mapped, and not all cultural features have been identified or properly recorded. Sites are described along the western edge of the monument overlooking Lake Lucero and the Alkali Flats, and additional sites have been identified on the eastern margins following prehistoric drainages. There is also a notable, though not yet definitively proven, pattern in which some of these cultural locations sit near Pleistocene megafauna trackways, suggesting the potential for important connections between early human activity, ancient wetlands or shorelines, and the movements of large Ice Age animals.

Recent reconnaissance surveys are highlighted as having found a strong correlation between site locations and the prehistoric lake shores across the basin, with similar discoveries made elsewhere in the area. This suggests that earlier survey coverage or baseline records may be incomplete, inconsistent, or outdated, and that a more systematic assessment could substantially improve the understanding of where sites are likely to occur and what kinds of features they contain. In practical terms, the opportunity is aimed at correcting and improving baseline data so the monument can make informed decisions about significance, protection priorities, and long-term stewardship.

A major deliverable implied by the notice is the development of documentation sufficient to support a nomination and a management plan, if the results justify it. In other words, the work is not only research-driven but also compliance- and management-oriented: it is meant to strengthen the monument's ability to evaluate eligibility, define boundaries, and plan for preservation, monitoring, and potential impacts. The mention of a "nomination" strongly suggests preparation for formal recognition processes (commonly associated with National Register of Historic Places considerations), though the award text keeps it general by stating this would be pursued only "if warranted."

Eligibility was limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, indicating the National Park Service anticipated an academic partner with archaeological and geoarchaeological capacity, likely capable of field survey, mapping, database correction, and interpretive synthesis. The funding instrument was a cooperative agreement, which typically means the agency expected substantial involvement in the project, such as collaboration on methods, priorities, access, data standards, and review of products. The opportunity anticipated a single award, with an award ceiling of $97,893. It was posted on June 14, 2018, with an original closing date of June 23, 2018, signaling a short application window and a relatively focused, targeted scope of work.

Overall, the grant opportunity is best understood as an effort to systematically assess Paleoindian archaeological resources tied to ancient lake and wetland features at White Sands, refine and correct existing baseline site information, and translate the improved understanding into actionable cultural resource planning. The emphasis on shoreline correlations, drainages, and possible proximity to megafauna trackways underscores the scientific value of the landscape, while the focus on nomination and management planning underscores the immediate need for better documentation to guide protection and decision-making.

• 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 Jun 14, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 23, 2018. (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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