Historic Preservation Treatments to Gila Cliff Dwellings | P19AS00233

Opportunity Information: Apply for P19AS00233

The grant opportunity titled "Historic Preservation Treatments to Gila Cliff Dwellings" (Funding Opportunity Number P19AS00233) is a National Park Service cooperative agreement focused on stabilizing and preserving fragile masonry at two cliff dwelling sites within Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument in New Mexico. The work targets culturally significant ancestral Puebloan architecture associated with the Mogollon tradition, dating from the late 1200s into the early 1300s. The project is designed as both a preservation effort and a workforce development initiative, using youth crews to address deferred maintenance while building practical historic preservation skills.

Most of the on-the-ground treatment is repointing, which means renewing deteriorated mortar joints to help keep stone masonry intact and resistant to further weathering and damage. The project notes that roughly 98 percent of the recommended work is repointing, with only limited additional masonry repair. Those minimal repairs are aimed at places where rodent burrowing and heavy visitor traffic are actively undermining walls and architectural features. The goal is straightforward: reduce ongoing deterioration and bring these structures to a condition that can be maintained through routine care rather than emergency intervention.

The scope of work is substantial and very specific. In the main cluster of cliff dwellings known as Caves 1 through 5, the crew will repoint and repair 43 walls, restore or stabilize one bench feature, and address the doorways of 24 rooms across the five contiguous caves. In addition, the project includes a separate, smaller cave site called Javalina House, described as a one-room structure with three walls that also require repointing. By the end of the fieldwork, the expectation is that walls and features at both locations will be in good, maintainable condition, improving long-term preservation outcomes and helping protect the visitor experience by reducing the risk of continuing structural loss.

The project objectives quantify the work area: approximately 214 square feet of repointing and related treatment across Caves 1-5, plus about 32 square feet at Javalina House. Beyond repointing, the objectives include improving masonry condition through repairs and, where necessary, replacements in kind. "In kind" is important in historic preservation because it generally means matching original materials and techniques as closely as possible so repairs do not introduce incompatible modern materials that can accelerate damage over time.

A training and capacity-building component is built into the project. At the start, a National Park Service Vanishing Treasures crew based out of El Morro and El Malpais National Monuments (referred to as ELMAO) will assist the Ancestral Lands Program crew. Their role is to provide instruction on safe scaffolding use and specialized preservation methods appropriate for historic masonry in sensitive archeological contexts. This directly supports the training and education mission of Conservation Legacy's Ancestral Lands Program by giving participants supervised exposure to professional-level preservation practices.

Documentation and accountability are also part of the deliverables. After fieldwork is completed, ELMAO staff will produce a standard Vanishing Treasures report based on the work performed by the youth crew. That report typically functions as a formal record of treatment methods, areas addressed, materials used, and outcomes, which is essential for long-term site management and future maintenance planning.

Administratively, this is a discretionary funding opportunity under the Department of the Interior, National Park Service, with an activity category tied to natural resources and assistance listing (CFDA) number 15.931. The award instrument is a cooperative agreement, indicating that the National Park Service expects to be substantially involved in project execution rather than acting only as a pass-through funder. Eligibility is limited to nonprofit organizations with IRS 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education). The opportunity was created on June 5, 2019, with an original application closing date of June 14, 2019. Funding is capped at an award ceiling of $141,500, and the agency anticipated making one award.

• The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Historic Preservation Treatments to Gila Cliff Dwellings" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.931.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jun 05, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 14, 2019. (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 $141,500.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 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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