Bureau of Land Management Idaho Plant Conservation and Restoration Management | L22AS00203

Opportunity Information: Apply for L22AS00203

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Idaho Plant Conservation and Restoration Management opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number L22AS00203) is a discretionary federal funding opportunity from the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management. It is offered as a cooperative agreement, which generally means BLM expects to have substantial involvement in the project beyond simply providing funds, such as coordination, technical input, or shared planning during implementation. The program sits in the Natural Resources funding activity area and is associated with CFDA (now commonly referred to as Assistance Listing) number 15.245. As the title indicates, the focus is on plant conservation and restoration management work connected to BLM-managed lands in Idaho, typically including activities that conserve native plant communities, improve habitat condition, and support restoration efforts consistent with BLM resource management priorities.

Funding under this opportunity has an award ceiling of $50,000 per award. The posting lists an original closing date of April 4, 2022, and a creation date of February 3, 2022. While the notice does not provide additional detail on the number of expected awards in the supplied excerpt, the relatively modest ceiling suggests projects are likely intended to be targeted, on-the-ground conservation or restoration actions, technical support activities, or other scoped efforts that can be completed with limited federal assistance and close collaboration with BLM Idaho.

A key point in this notice is eligibility and restrictions. Individuals and for-profit organizations are explicitly ineligible to apply. Eligible applicants include a wide range of governmental and public-serving entities: state, county, and city/township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments); public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; and nonprofit organizations both with and without 501(c)(3) status (so long as they are not institutions of higher education when categorized as nonprofits in the federal system). In practical terms, this means the opportunity is aimed at public agencies, tribes, universities, and mission-driven nonprofits that have the capacity to manage federal assistance awards and carry out conservation or restoration work in partnership with BLM.

The notice also contains an important workforce-related limitation: this NOFO does not support entities hiring interns or crews under the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993. The Public Lands Corps Act (16 USC, Chapter 37, Subchapter II) is described as the only legislative authority that allows BLM to "hire" interns under that specific authority. As a result, organizations that want to propose projects centered on youth crews or intern hiring under Public Lands Corps should not use this funding opportunity. Instead, eligible Youth Conservation Corps and similar applicants are directed to apply under a separate funding opportunity, identified as NOFO 15.243, titled BLM Youth Conservation Opportunities on Public Lands. This distinction matters because it signals that, even if a plant restoration project is otherwise a good fit, proposals built around staffing models that rely on Public Lands Corps-style internship or crew hiring should be routed to the correct youth-focused program rather than this plant conservation and restoration management NOFO.

Overall, this opportunity supports cooperative, Idaho-focused BLM plant conservation and restoration management work through awards up to $50,000, open to governments, tribes, universities, and nonprofits, while clearly excluding individuals, for-profit entities, and proposals that depend on Public Lands Corps intern/crew hiring mechanisms (which must be pursued under the separate youth conservation NOFO 15.243).

• The Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Bureau of Land Management Idaho Plant Conservation and Restoration Management" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.245.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2022-02-03.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-04-04. (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 $50,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.

Apply for L22AS00203

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