FY24 IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management Eastern States (ES) Aquatic Resource Management | L24AS00143

Opportunity Information: Apply for L24AS00143

The FY24 IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Eastern States (ES) Aquatic Resource Management opportunity is a discretionary federal funding program administered by the Department of the Interior through BLM. The funding is issued under a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) and uses a cooperative agreement as the award instrument, which typically means BLM expects to have substantial involvement during the project (for example, coordination on technical approaches, deliverables, or implementation). The overall focus is on aquatic resource management activities within BLM Eastern States responsibilities, aligning with natural resource stewardship and related priorities supported by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The program is listed under CFDA 15.244.

Eligibility is limited to public and nonprofit sectors and certain educational and tribal entities. 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 tribal governments and other tribal organizations; 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). Individuals and for-profit organizations are explicitly ineligible, so proposals from private companies or individual consultants cannot be considered for funding under this NOFO.

A key restriction in the announcement is that this particular NOFO does not support projects that involve 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 legislative authority BLM uses to "hire" interns under that program framework, and that applicants looking to develop youth or crew-based conservation projects must instead use the separate BLM youth-focused funding opportunity. Specifically, eligible Youth Conservation Corps applicants are directed to apply under NOFO 15.243, titled BLM Youth Conservation Opportunities on Public Lands, rather than through this aquatic resource management competition. In practical terms, applicants to this aquatic resource management NOFO should design projects around technical work, implementation, monitoring, assessment, restoration planning, or other aquatic resource actions without relying on a Public Lands Corps intern/crew hiring model.

The NOFO also highlights how proposals may connect to the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) program. CESUs are collaborative partnerships designed to promote and provide research, studies, assessments, monitoring, technical assistance, and educational services that support federal land management and resource stewardship needs. If an applicant is a CESU partner and the award is made under a formally negotiated Master CESU agreement consistent with CESU purposes, there is an indirect cost limitation: 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). Applicants are instructed to state whether their proposal furthers CESU program purposes and, if so, to identify which CESU Network should be considered the host. This matters for budgeting and compliance because it can affect the allowable indirect cost recovery and the administrative framework used for the award.

From an applicant planning standpoint, the main operational details included in the source information are straightforward. The opportunity number is L24AS00143, and applications were due by January 31, 2024 (original closing date). The maximum federal funding amount listed is $200,000 (award ceiling). While the number of expected awards is not clearly stated in the provided text, applicants should assume a competitive process with limited selections and should scope their project to be achievable within the funding cap and within the cooperative agreement structure. Overall, the opportunity is best suited for government agencies, tribes, universities, and nonprofits proposing aquatic resource management work in the BLM Eastern States context, especially projects involving research, monitoring, assessments, technical assistance, and related implementation activities, while avoiding proposals centered on Public Lands Corps intern or crew hiring mechanisms.

• The Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY24 IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management Eastern States (ES) Aquatic Resource Management" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.244.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-11-06.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-01-31. (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 $200,000.00 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 L24AS00143

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