Rogue River Basin Habitat Restoration Program, Bear Creek Above Oak (BCAO) 5 & 6, Large Woody Material (LWM) Project | BOR PN 17 N007

Opportunity Information: Apply for BOR PN 17 N007

The Rogue River Basin Habitat Restoration Program, Bear Creek Above Oak (BCAO) Phases 5 and 6 Large Woody Material (LWM) Project is a Bureau of Reclamation discretionary cooperative agreement focused on improving habitat for threatened Southern Oregon and Northern California Coast (SONCC) Coho Salmon in the Rogue River Basin in Oregon. The project is rooted in a 2012 National Marine Fisheries Service Biological Opinion for the basin, which identifies increasing "weighted useable area" (WUA) as a key measure to reduce the risk of jeopardizing the listed coho population. In practical terms, the Biological Opinion points to instream habitat actions like placing large woody material structures, improving stream function and habitat complexity, and in some locations pairing those physical habitat improvements with better flow conditions during critical low flow periods. The broader geographic context includes several commitment reaches, such as Emigrant/Neil Creek, Bear Creek, Ashland Creek, Little Butte Creek, and South Fork Little Butte Creek, with the immediate focus here being Bear Creek above Oak and related drainage areas.

This award is a continuation of prior work already underway through an existing cooperative agreement between Reclamation and The Freshwater Trust, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Earlier phases (noted as BCAO Phase 1 and 4) established the foundation for restoration planning and implementation, and this funding supports completing and advancing Phases 5 and 6. The Trusts role under this continuation is to carry out the planning, design, baseline monitoring, implementation, and long term stewardship associated with two LWM habitat improvement projects within the Bear Creek drainage. The overall intent is to create measurable habitat uplift, documented through WUA metrics, by adding structural complexity that can improve pool formation, refuge habitat, sediment and wood dynamics, and overall conditions important for coho salmon life stages.

The statement of work is organized into non construction and construction components. On the non construction side, The Freshwater Trust is responsible for assessing and recording initial site conditions, including establishing photo points, collecting baseline photographs, and completing field surveys that support hydraulics and hydrology characterization and preliminary design criteria. The Trust must also recruit willing landowners to participate, reflecting that at least some of the work occurs on private lands and relies on voluntary participation, including potential land leasing arrangements to enable project implementation. A key deliverable in this phase is securing signed landowner contracts and or agency access agreements that grant rights for construction access and for subsequent maintenance and monitoring. The Trust then proceeds with project design and prioritization, selecting sites based on expected habitat uplift potential and the likelihood of successful completion, followed by coordinating permitting across federal, state, and local requirements in close coordination with Reclamation, landowners, contractors, and resource agencies.

On the construction side, work includes typical river restoration implementation tasks and associated oversight: contractor management, equipment mobilization, isolating work areas as needed to protect water quality and aquatic life, delivering large wood to sites, and building the LWM structures in the channel and floodplain context. The construction scope also explicitly includes fish salvage ahead of instream work, followed by revegetation, demobilization, and final cleanup. After installation, the agreement emphasizes stewardship through monitoring and maintenance for at least five years, reflecting a recognition that LWM projects can shift over time and may require adaptive maintenance to ensure they function as intended and continue delivering habitat benefits. Baseline monitoring is treated as a required element for eligible sites, with site visits used to develop baseline credit estimates and a restoration plan aligned with existing conditions; the baseline report is expected to include mapping, documented initial conditions, photo points, and hydraulics and hydrology data and processing.

The division of responsibilities is a defining feature of the cooperative agreement structure. The Freshwater Trust serves as the primary implementer and steward, advancing the actions necessary to meet a portion of the Rogue River Basin restoration requirements tied to the future operation and maintenance of the Rogue River Basin Project. While this specific continuation emphasizes Bear Creek, the recipient involvement language also references implementation of large woody material projects within both the Bear Creek and South Fork Little Butte Creek drainages, signaling the broader program footprint and flexibility within the basin restoration strategy. Reclamation, meanwhile, anticipates substantial involvement, including providing a project management plan that connects implementation actions to WUA uplift commitments, offering conceptual design input, conducting or supporting existing and as built WUA determinations through modeling, and providing on site construction observation beyond what The Trust provides. Reclamation also commits to assisting with fish salvage prior to construction, highlighting direct federal participation in sensitive pre construction activities.

Administratively, this notice is important because it is not an open call for proposals. The announcement explicitly states it is not a request for applications and is instead a public notice of Reclamations intent to fund specific activities without full and open competition because it is a continuation of an existing agreement. The opportunity is listed under Funding Opportunity Number BOR PN 17 N007, uses a cooperative agreement instrument, and falls under the natural resources activity category with CFDA number 15.517. The eligible applicant type is nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status other than institutions of higher education, which aligns with The Freshwater Trust being the intended recipient for this continuation. The posted award ceiling is 1,511,567, the original closing date is listed as 2017 09 01, and the creation date is 2017 08 18, reflecting the timeframe of the continuation notice rather than a competitive solicitation timeline.

• The Bureau of Reclamation in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Rogue River Basin Habitat Restoration Program, Bear Creek Above Oak (BCAO) 5 & 6, Large Woody Material (LWM) Project" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.517.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-08-18.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-09-01. (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 $1,511,567.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.

Apply for BOR PN 17 N007

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