Opportunity Information: Apply for L24AS00440
The IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management (BLM) National Operations Center (NOC) Forest and Woodlands Resource Management funding opportunity (NOFO) is a discretionary federal grant program administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management. Awards are expected to be made as cooperative agreements, which generally means BLM anticipates having substantial involvement in the funded work (for example, collaboration on planning, methods, deliverables, or oversight). The program is focused on natural resources work tied to forest and woodland resource management, and it is associated with CFDA number 15.233. The NOFO is identified as Funding Opportunity Number L24AS00440, with an application closing date listed as 2024-09-30, and it sets an award ceiling of $500,000 per award.
A key takeaway is who can and cannot apply. Individuals and for-profit organizations are explicitly ineligible under this NOFO. Eligible applicants include a broad set of public and nonprofit 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; tribal organizations that are not federally recognized governments; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; and nonprofits both with and without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education). In practical terms, this makes the opportunity accessible to many government partners, universities/colleges, tribes and tribal organizations, and nonprofit organizations that can carry out forestry, woodland, or related natural resource management activities in partnership with BLM.
The notice also draws a firm boundary around youth hiring and internship-style projects. This NOFO does not support entities that want to hire interns or crews under the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993. The language explains that the Public Lands Corps Act is the only legislative authority that allows BLM to "hire" interns under that framework, and therefore youth-focused conservation corps efforts should not be proposed under this opportunity. Instead, eligible Youth Conservation Corps organizations are directed to pursue projects through a different program announcement: NOFO 15.243, titled BLM Youth Conservation Opportunities on Public Lands. If an applicant is considering a project that depends on conservation corps staffing, internships, or similar youth workforce components, that restriction is important because it affects project design, staffing plans, and allowability.
Another major feature of the NOFO is its connection to Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESUs). CESUs are described as partnerships established to promote and provide research, studies, assessments, monitoring, technical assistance, and educational services. If a cooperative agreement is awarded to a CESU partner under an existing, formally negotiated Master CESU agreement, and the proposed work aligns with the CESU purpose, then indirect costs are capped. Specifically, indirect costs are limited to no more than 17.5 percent of the indirect cost base recognized in the partner's federally approved Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA). Applicants are also instructed to state whether their proposal advances the purpose of the CESU program and, if it does, to identify which CESU Network should serve as the host. For CESU-affiliated applicants, this is not just a technicality; it affects budgeting (especially overhead recovery) and how the agreement is routed and administered.
Overall, this opportunity is structured to fund collaborative forest and woodland resource management work led by public entities, tribal partners, educational institutions, and nonprofits, using cooperative agreements that involve BLM engagement. It is not intended for private companies or individual applicants, and it is not the right vehicle for projects centered on youth corps hiring under the Public Lands Corps Act. Applicants who are part of, or working through, a CESU should pay close attention to the CESU-specific requirements, especially the indirect cost limitation and the need to identify the appropriate CESU Network host in the proposal.Apply for L24AS00440
- The Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management National Operations Center (NOC) Forest and Woodlands Resource Management" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.233.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2024-08-23.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-09-30. (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 $500,000.00 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.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is this funding opportunity?
This is the IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management (BLM) National Operations Center (NOC) Forest and Woodlands Resource Management Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). It is a discretionary federal grant program administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is L24AS00440.
What CFDA number is associated with this program?
This opportunity is associated with CFDA number 15.233.
What is the application deadline?
The application closing date listed for this NOFO is 2024-09-30.
How much funding can be awarded per project?
The NOFO sets an award ceiling of $500,000 per award.
What type of award should applicants expect?
Awards are expected to be made as cooperative agreements. In practice, that generally means BLM anticipates substantial involvement in the funded work, such as collaboration on planning, methods, deliverables, and/or oversight.
What kinds of projects are a fit for this NOFO?
The program is focused on natural resources work tied to forest and woodland resource management, carried out in partnership with BLM through a cooperative agreement structure.
Who is eligible to apply?
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
- Private institutions of higher education
- Federally recognized Native American tribal governments
- Tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments)
- Public housing authorities / Indian housing authorities
- Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education)
- Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education)
Who is not eligible to apply?
Individuals and for-profit organizations are explicitly ineligible under this NOFO.
Can a private (for-profit) company apply as the lead applicant?
No. For-profit organizations are explicitly listed as ineligible under this NOFO.
Can an individual apply?
No. Individuals are explicitly listed as ineligible under this NOFO.
Are nonprofits required to have 501(c)(3) status to be eligible?
No. The NOFO lists nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status as eligible, as long as they are not institutions of higher education.
Are colleges and universities eligible?
Yes. Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education are listed as eligible applicants.
Are tribal governments and tribal organizations eligible?
Yes. Federally recognized Native American tribal governments are eligible, and tribal organizations that are not federally recognized governments are also listed as eligible.
Can this funding be used to hire interns or youth crews under the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993?
No. This NOFO does not support entities that want to hire interns or crews under the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993. The notice states that the Public Lands Corps Act is the only legislative authority that allows BLM to "hire" interns under that framework, and youth-focused conservation corps efforts should not be proposed under this opportunity.
If our project depends on a youth conservation corps or internship-style staffing, what should we do?
The NOFO directs eligible Youth Conservation Corps organizations to pursue youth-focused projects through a different program announcement: NOFO 15.243, titled BLM Youth Conservation Opportunities on Public Lands. If your project is built around conservation corps staffing, internships, or similar youth workforce components, this restriction affects project design and staffing plans for this opportunity.
What are CESUs and why do they matter for this NOFO?
Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESUs) are partnerships established to promote and provide research, studies, assessments, monitoring, technical assistance, and educational services. This NOFO includes CESU-specific instructions and budgeting implications for awards made to CESU partners under a formally negotiated Master CESU agreement.
If a cooperative agreement is awarded through a CESU, is there a special indirect cost rule?
Yes. If a cooperative agreement is awarded to a CESU partner under an existing, formally negotiated Master CESU agreement, and the proposed work aligns with the CESU purpose, then indirect costs are capped at no more than 17.5 percent of the indirect cost base recognized in the partner's federally approved Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA).
What does the NOFO require CESU-affiliated applicants to state in the proposal?
Applicants are instructed to state whether their proposal advances the purpose of the CESU program. If it does, applicants must identify which CESU Network should serve as the host.
How can CESU requirements affect budgeting and administration?
For CESU-affiliated proposals, the NOFO’s CESU provisions can affect overhead recovery due to the indirect cost limitation, and they can also affect how the agreement is routed and administered (including identifying the appropriate CESU Network host).
Does this opportunity involve BLM collaboration during the project?
Yes. Because awards are expected to be cooperative agreements, BLM anticipates substantial involvement in funded work, which can include collaboration on planning, methods, deliverables, and oversight.
Is this NOFO intended for commercial or private-sector implementation led by a company?
No. The NOFO is not intended for private companies as lead applicants, since for-profit organizations are ineligible.
What is the main practical takeaway for applicants designing a project?
Design proposals around collaborative forest and woodland resource management work that fits a cooperative agreement model with BLM involvement, confirm the applicant organization type is eligible, avoid youth corps/intern hiring under the Public Lands Corps Act within this NOFO, and address CESU requirements (including the indirect cost cap and CESU Network host identification) if applying through a CESU framework.
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