FY25 IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management Oregon/Washington (ORWA) Youth Conservation Corps | L25AS00147

Opportunity Information: Apply for L25AS00147

The FY25 IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management Oregon/Washington (ORWA) Youth Conservation Corps opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number L25AS00147) is a discretionary Bureau of Land Management funding notice that supports hands-on conservation work across BLM-managed public lands in Oregon and Washington by partnering with qualified Youth and Conservation Corps organizations under the Public Lands Corps Act (PLC). The core purpose is twofold: to get priority natural and cultural resource projects done on the ground, and to create paid, skill-building employment pathways for young people who are interested in conservation, land management, and public service careers. Through supervised fieldwork, training, and mentorship by BLM professionals, participants build practical experience while developing a stronger connection to public lands and an understanding of the complex natural and cultural resource issues those lands involve.

A central feature of the program is workforce development for youth and veterans. The PLC framework targets individuals ages 16 to 30 (inclusive), and veterans up to age 35 (inclusive), and it explicitly includes tribal members. Recruitment is expected to prioritize local community connections and to focus on bringing in young, diverse participants, with the broader goals of expanding access to conservation careers, strengthening community ties to public lands, and helping diversify the future BLM workforce. The program also aligns with broader federal initiatives, including the American Climate Corps (ACC), meaning projects should contribute in practical ways to climate resilience, ecosystem recovery, and community-focused climate and clean-energy related outcomes where relevant. In addition, projects may incorporate goals associated with the Indian Youth Service Corps (IYSC) by conducting outreach to Indian tribes and tribal-serving corps organizations, with an emphasis on addressing inequities in access to opportunity and ensuring tribal communities can benefit from and participate in these public-lands career pathways.

The work supported under this notice spans a wide range of conservation and stewardship activities that BLM field units need capacity to deliver. Examples include recreation and visitor-use improvements such as trail construction, trail maintenance, trail restoration, and upgrades to recreation infrastructure like kiosks, campgrounds, and signage. Natural resource monitoring and field data collection are also included, such as assessing riparian vegetation, hydrologic function, soils, and streams, along with forest health work like timber stand improvement intended to support wildlife habitat and overall ecosystem condition. Habitat restoration and wildlife protection are key categories as well, covering invasive species reduction, tree planting, riparian restoration, and fence removal or installation to improve habitat connectivity and reduce conflicts. The notice also supports planning and education deliverables, including the creation or implementation of natural and cultural resource stewardship plans and the development of visitor-facing educational materials.

Cultural resources are explicitly part of the eligible project scope. That can include inventories and studies (resource inventories, historic and archival research, archaeological excavation or stabilization, oral histories, historic preservation activities, habitat surveys tied to cultural landscapes, and similar efforts), as well as direct preservation work on cultural resources and historic structures. Additional eligible activities include seed collection to support restoration after natural disasters, and projects focused on reducing wildfire risk to nearby communities, watersheds, and public land ecosystems. The opportunity also recognizes the value of communications and interpretation by supporting the production of materials and programs that help the public understand natural, cultural, and paleontological resources.

Beyond field crews, the notice allows for certain "in-house" projects such as science, policy, or program internships, as long as there is a clear benefit to natural or cultural resources and the position includes a meaningful field component of at least 120 hours. This requirement is meant to keep internships grounded in real resource outcomes rather than purely office-based work, while still allowing participants to learn how land management decisions are made and implemented.

Funding is provided through a cooperative agreement, reflecting that BLM expects to remain substantially involved in project coordination, oversight, mentorship, and alignment with district and field office priorities. Projects are developed collaboratively with the State Youth Program Lead and local district/field office project coordinators, so applicants should anticipate a partnership model where scope, training, safety, and field logistics are closely coordinated with BLM staff. The award ceiling listed is $50,000, and the original application closing date is March 2, 2025.

Eligibility is limited to organizations and governmental entities capable of carrying out Public Lands Corps projects. Eligible applicants include state, county, city/township, and special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments; other tribal organizations; and nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)). Individuals and for-profit organizations are not eligible under this notice. Importantly, the notice emphasizes that this funding supports entities recruiting interns or crews under the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 (CFDA/Assistance Listing 15.243), and it frames PLC as the legislative authority that allows BLM to recruit interns through these partnerships. In practice, that means applicants should be prepared to demonstrate they are a qualified youth or conservation corps partner under PLC expectations and that their proposal directly supports BLM-defined projects developed under the broader BLM Youth Conservation Opportunities on Public Lands program authority.

• The Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY25 IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management Oregon/Washington (ORWA) Youth Conservation Corps" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.243.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-12-02.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-03-02. (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), 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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