IIJA Bureau of Land Management Oregon/Washington Recreation and Visitor Services | L23AS00143

Opportunity Information: Apply for L23AS00143

The "IIJA Bureau of Land Management Oregon/Washington Recreation and Visitor Services" opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number L23AS00143) is a discretionary federal funding program administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), specifically for recreation and visitor services work tied to BLM-managed lands in Oregon and Washington. The funding is offered through cooperative agreements, which typically means BLM expects substantial involvement during the project (for example, coordination on planning, compliance, implementation, and reporting), rather than a hands-off grant relationship. The opportunity is categorized under Natural Resources and is associated with CFDA/Assistance Listing 15.225, signaling it falls within BLM assistance programs related to resource and public land management.

The core purpose is to support projects that strengthen recreation and visitor services on public lands, which can include efforts that improve visitor experiences, maintain or enhance recreation sites and infrastructure, increase access, support recreation-related planning and management, and generally help BLM deliver safe, sustainable, and well-managed recreation opportunities. While the notice text provided does not list specific project types in detail, the title and program area indicate the emphasis is on practical, on-the-ground or programmatic work that benefits public use and enjoyment of BLM lands in the Oregon/Washington region, consistent with broader BLM recreation and visitor service objectives and likely aligned with Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) priorities.

Eligibility is broad across public and nonprofit sectors, but it has clear exclusions. Eligible applicants include 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; other Native American tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; and nonprofit organizations both with and without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education when falling under those nonprofit categories). Individuals and for-profit organizations are explicitly ineligible to apply under this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), so private businesses and individual applicants cannot serve as the direct recipient of an award.

A major restriction in this NOFO is that it does not support entities hiring interns or crews under the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993. The notice explains that the Public Lands Corps Act (16 USC, Chapter 37, Subchapter II) is the only legislative authority that allows BLM to "hire" interns under that framework, and that this specific NOFO is not the vehicle for those kinds of youth/intern crew arrangements. As a result, even organizations that commonly manage conservation corps or youth crews should not propose projects under this opportunity that depend on Public Lands Corps-style intern hiring. Instead, the notice directs eligible Youth Conservation Corps applicants to a different funding pathway: NOFO 15.243, titled "BLM Youth Conservation Opportunities on Public Lands," which is the appropriate channel for projects developed under that authority.

The opportunity’s original application closing date was April 21, 2023, and the listed award ceiling is $350,000. Although the source text does not specify the anticipated number of awards, the ceiling indicates the maximum federal share expected per award under this announcement. Because it is a cooperative agreement and not a standard grant, prospective applicants should expect collaboration with BLM staff and should design proposals that clearly define roles, deliverables, timelines, budgets, and how the work will be coordinated with BLM’s recreation and visitor services priorities in Oregon and Washington, while also avoiding any project structure that relies on Public Lands Corps intern or crew hiring under this particular NOFO.

• The Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "IIJA Bureau of Land Management Oregon/Washington Recreation and Visitor Services" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.225.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-01-17.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-04-21. (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 $350,000.00 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 L23AS00143

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