Joint Base Lewis-McChord Army Compatible Use Buffer Program—Land Protection and Encroachment Mitigation in Washington, in accordance with 10 USC §2684a | MICCFSH240001

Opportunity Information: Apply for MICCFSH240001

This funding opportunity, titled "Joint Base Lewis-McChord Army Compatible Use Buffer Program - Land Protection and Encroachment Mitigation in Washington, in accordance with 10 USC 2684a," is a U.S. Army effort to partner with an outside organization to reduce land-use conflicts around Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) in Washington and to strengthen conservation outcomes that support the installation's long-term mission. The program is part of the Army Compatible Use Buffer (ACUB) approach authorized under 10 USC 2684a, which allows the Army to work with eligible partners to secure permanent land interests from willing sellers in order to prevent incompatible development near military installations and to protect habitat and natural resources that are important to both the military and the surrounding region.

The core purpose is encroachment mitigation, meaning the Army is trying to avoid situations where residential, commercial, industrial, or other development near the base creates problems such as restrictions on training and testing, safety setbacks, noise complaints, airspace or range limitations, wildfire risk, or reduced access to realistic training environments. Through this opportunity, the selected partner would coordinate closely with JBLM encroachment planners and natural resource managers and then take the lead in negotiating and completing real estate transactions with willing landowners. The transactions can include conservation easements or the acquisition of fee simple property, but the key point is that these are perpetual real property interests designed to permanently preserve compatible land uses, enable conservation management, or block development patterns that would conflict with JBLM operations. In practice, that means the partner would identify priority parcels, work with landowners who voluntarily choose to participate, perform due diligence, and help put in place lasting legal protections over those lands.

A second major piece of the work is natural resource management tied to Endangered Species Act (ESA) outcomes. The opportunity specifically calls for activities that "conduct, assist in, or facilitate" conservation management that will generate off-post conservation credits for ESA-listed species that occur on JBLM. The idea is that conservation actions on lands outside the installation can produce measurable, creditable benefits for species that also live on the base, helping JBLM meet regulatory obligations while keeping training and readiness activities viable. The announcement also notes that additional species could be listed under the ESA during the performance period; if that happens, including those newly listed species in the agreement would be decided case by case and only with mutual agreement between JBLM and the award recipient. This signals that the work is intended to remain responsive to changing regulatory conditions while still being tightly coordinated with JBLM priorities.

The award mechanism is a cooperative agreement, which generally means the Army expects substantial involvement during performance rather than simply issuing a grant and stepping back. The responsible agency listed is Mission and Installation Command (with the posting associated with JBSA Fort Sam Houston), and the program aligns with an environmental activity category. The assistance listing is CFDA 12.017. The opportunity number is MICCFSH240001. The posting indicates an expected number of up to three awards, with an award ceiling listed at $150,000,000. The original closing date shown is 2024-06-17, and the posting date (creation date) is 2024-05-17. Taken together, those details suggest a potentially large-scale partnership structure where one or more selected partners could handle significant land protection and habitat management portfolios over time, consistent with ACUB authorities.

Eligibility, as provided in the source data, is limited to nonprofits that have 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education. Although the narrative description contains a stray line referencing "a state or political subdivision of a state," the eligibility field explicitly lists 501(c)(3) nonprofits (excluding IHEs) as eligible applicants, so an interested organization would need to match that stated eligibility and be prepared to operate as a conservation and real estate transaction partner. Overall, the opportunity is designed for conservation-capable nonprofits that can do complex land deals, coordinate with military stakeholders, and implement habitat management practices that create defensible conservation benefits, all while keeping the focus on protecting JBLM from encroachment and maintaining military readiness in Washington.

• The Mission and Install. Cmd. JBSA Ft. Sam Houston in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Joint Base Lewis-McChord Army Compatible Use Buffer Program—Land Protection and Encroachment Mitigation in Washington, in accordance with 10 USC §2684a" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.017.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-05-17.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-06-17. (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 $150,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 3 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.

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