BLM Accepting Lincoln County Archaeological Initiative Round 15 Proposals
ELY, Nev. — The Bureau of Land Management is accepting proposals for Round 15 of the Lincoln County Archaeological Initiative (LCAI) through August 14, 2026.
The LCAI supports projects focused on the inventory, evaluation, protection, and management of unique archaeological resources in Lincoln County, Nevada. All project proposals must be located within Lincoln County and comply with the guidelines outlined in the Lincoln County Implementation Agreement, available at https://www.blm.gov/LCAI.
“From outreach to rock art conservation to cutting-edge scientific studies of ancient lakebeds, projects funded under this initiative are incredibly valuable for the public and for the BLM in managing fragile cultural resources in Lincoln County,” said Melanie Peterson, BLM Ely District special legislation program manager.
The BLM is soliciting project proposals through the following:
- For Cooperative Agreements, grants.gov under Notice of Funding Opportunity Announcement # L26AS00091
- For Contracts, sam.gov under Solicitation 140L3926Q0030
Funding for the LCAI is derived from revenues generated through the sale of BLM-administered public lands identified for disposal under the Lincoln County Land Act and existing land-use plans. The Act established a special account in which 85 percent of all land sale revenues are deposited. These funds may be used for several purposes, including archaeological research in Lincoln County. The remaining revenues are distributed to the State of Nevada (5 percent) and Lincoln County (10 percent).
To date, the BLM has approved more than $12 million for archaeological projects within Lincoln County. Funded work has included Paiute and Shoshone ethnographic and archaeological research; archaeological site inventories; rock art studies; ethnobotanical and toolstone research; settlement pattern studies; educational brochures; school curriculum development; and upgrades to archaeological collections from public lands in the county.
For more information, contact Melanie Peterson at 775-289-1896 or [email protected].
The BLM manages about 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.