Identifying Structure of the Yellowstone Bison Population | P18AS00269

Opportunity Information: Apply for P18AS00269

The grant opportunity titled "Identifying Structure of the Yellowstone Bison Population" (Funding Opportunity Number P18AS00269) is a National Park Service cooperative agreement aimed at clarifying how Yellowstone National Park's bison are organized as breeding herds and how that structure may be changing over time. The core problem driving the project is a noticeable shift in where bison are spending time: in recent years there has been a strong increase in bison using the park's northern range and a corresponding decrease in bison using central areas. Managers are concerned that these contrasting trends may reflect uneven impacts from ongoing management actions, particularly the removal of bison that move beyond park boundaries during winter. Because management decisions often depend on whether Yellowstone bison function as separate herds or as one mixed population, the project focuses on determining whether there are still at least two distinct breeding groups or whether that historical structure has partially or fully broken down.

The opportunity is framed around the Yellowstone bison being managed under an Interagency Management Plan that sets limits on both how many bison the system can support and where bison are allowed to be, especially during winter migrations when animals may leave the park. Under the plan, only limited numbers are allowed to move out of Yellowstone, while many bison that migrate beyond park boundaries are lethally removed. The concern is that if removals disproportionately affect one portion of the population (for example, bison that tend to use or migrate from central areas), those actions could unintentionally erode the long-term genetic health of that segment. Counts from 2017 suggested that the number of bison using central areas might have dropped to a level that could be risky for long-term genetic conservation if that central group is genetically and demographically distinct. In other words, if central-area bison are effectively a separate breeding herd and their numbers are now too low, the loss of genetic diversity and increased inbreeding risk could become management issues.

At the same time, the notice highlights an alternative possibility that would change how those risks are interpreted: there are indications that the old herd structure may not be holding as strongly as it once did, and that bison may now be using both the northern and central areas rather than remaining largely separated. If Yellowstone bison are functioning more like a single, intermixing population, then the overall population size may be large enough to sustain long-term genetic diversity even if fewer animals are observed in central parts of the park. That distinction matters because it affects whether managers should treat the system as two conservation units that each need to remain robust, or as one connected population where gene flow reduces genetic risk even when local counts fluctuate.

Administratively, this was offered as a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement, indicating the National Park Service expected to be substantially involved in the project rather than simply issuing a hands-off grant. The activity category is natural resources (CFDA 15.945). Eligibility was limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, which signals the intent to fund a university-led scientific effort, likely involving population genetics, movement ecology, demographic analysis, or a combination of these approaches. The award ceiling was $33,000, with one expected award, suggesting a targeted, relatively small project designed to answer a focused management question rather than support a large multi-year research program. The opportunity was posted on June 1, 2018, with an original closing date of June 10, 2018.

In practical terms, the project is about giving Yellowstone managers better evidence on whether observed geographic shifts in bison distribution reflect changes in herd composition and breeding structure, and whether current removal practices could be putting the central-area component at risk if it is truly distinct. The end goal is to support management decisions that meet the Interagency Management Plan's constraints while also maintaining the long-term genetic conservation of Yellowstone's bison.

• The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Identifying Structure of the Yellowstone Bison Population" 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 01, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 10, 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 $33,000.00 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.

Apply for P18AS00269

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