mplementation of Stone Conservation Methods for Petrified Tree | P19AS00379

Opportunity Information: Apply for P19AS00379

The grant opportunity titled "Implementation of Stone Conservation Methods for Petrified Tree" (Funding Opportunity Number P19AS00379) is a National Park Service cooperative agreement focused on protecting and stabilizing large petrified redwood stumps at Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument (FLFO). These petrified stumps are described as the park's fundamental resource, making their preservation a core stewardship priority. The project is designed to put into practice conservation techniques that have already been tested, using established stone conservation methods adapted to the specific needs and deterioration patterns of petrified wood.

The main problem the project targets is active, ongoing deterioration affecting a subset of the monument's stumps. Out of roughly 30 petrified stumps, five are identified as actively deteriorating. The documented forms of damage include cracking, spalling (surface flaking or breaking away), and the loss of large fragments. Some stumps contain deep, complex fractures that likely originated during early excavation activities, reportedly involving dynamite, and those weaknesses have continued to worsen over time due to environmental exposure. The opportunity emphasizes that both natural and human-influenced weathering processes are accelerating the damage, meaning the condition is not simply static aging but a continuing decline that requires intervention.

The description highlights several specific risk factors that the project is expected to address. Freeze-thaw cycling is a major driver, since water entering cracks can expand when frozen, prying fragments loose and increasing spalling. Gravity compounds the problem once pieces are loosened, leading to falling fragments and progressive loss of material. Biological interactions are also noted, including cracking or defacement connected to plant growth, burrowing activity, and animal excrement, all of which can introduce moisture, salts, physical pressure, or chemical changes at vulnerable surfaces. Theft is explicitly mentioned as another threat, particularly because some fragments are within reach of visitors and can be removed. In addition, the opportunity notes that ground salts, when activated by moisture, may be contributing to deterioration, which aligns with common conservation concerns where salts migrate through porous materials and crystallize, causing internal stress and surface loss.

At the time of the announcement, the stumps' most vulnerable sections were being held together primarily with steel banding, a practical restraint that helps prevent immediate separation but does not solve the underlying conservation problem. The intent of the project is therefore to move beyond temporary containment and implement more durable stabilization measures based on stone conservation practice, presumably including approaches that mitigate fragment movement, reduce further loss, and improve long-term resilience under ongoing exposure conditions. While the notice does not list specific products or treatment steps, it makes clear that the work is grounded in methods previously tested for these resources, suggesting a transition from pilot or trial treatments into field implementation.

Administratively, this was a discretionary funding opportunity under the Department of the Interior, National Park Service, with a Natural Resources activity category and CFDA number 15.945. Funding was offered as a cooperative agreement, indicating substantial involvement or collaboration with the federal agency during execution rather than a more hands-off grant. Eligibility was limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, pointing to an intended partnership with universities or similar institutions that can provide conservation expertise, applied research support, or specialized technical capacity. The opportunity anticipated a single award, with an award ceiling of $27,000. The posting was created on July 15, 2019, with an original closing date of July 24, 2019, reflecting a short application window typical of targeted, project-specific cooperative agreements.

Overall, the opportunity is best understood as a focused preservation action aimed at preventing further material loss from some of the most threatened petrified stumps at FLFO by applying established conservation treatments to stabilize fractured and fragmenting petrified wood, reduce risks from environmental cycles and human impacts, and improve the long-term protection of a defining park resource.

• The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "mplementation of Stone Conservation Methods for Petrified Tree" 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 Jul 15, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 24, 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 $27,000.00 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.

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