IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management Colorado (CO) Plant Conservation and Restoration Management | L24AS00191

Opportunity Information: Apply for L24AS00191

The IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management Colorado (CO) Plant Conservation and Restoration Management opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number L24AS00191) is a discretionary Bureau of Land Management (BLM) cooperative agreement program focused on natural resource work tied to plant conservation and ecological restoration management in Colorado. In practical terms, it is aimed at supporting projects that help conserve native plant communities, restore degraded habitats, and improve the management of plant resources on public lands, using a cooperative agreement structure where BLM expects to remain meaningfully involved in project planning and/or implementation rather than simply issuing a hands-off grant.

Eligibility is limited to public and nonprofit-type entities and educational institutions. Eligible applicants include state, county, and local governments (including special districts), independent school districts, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, federally recognized 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. Individuals and for-profit organizations are explicitly ineligible under this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), so proposals must come from qualifying governmental, Tribal, nonprofit, or academic organizations.

A key program restriction is that this NOFO is not intended to support hiring interns or crews under the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993. The notice emphasizes that the Public Lands Corps Act is the legislative authority that allows BLM to "hire" interns under that specific framework, and that projects specifically built around Youth Conservation Corps-style placements must be pursued through a different funding opportunity: NOFO 15.243, BLM Youth Conservation Opportunities on Public Lands. In other words, applicants should not structure proposals around staffing models that depend on Public Lands Corps hiring authorities under this announcement; youth corps/intern-centered work belongs under the separate youth-focused NOFO.

The program is offered as a cooperative agreement (not a procurement contract and not a simple pass-through grant), under CFDA/Assistance Listing 15.245, with an award ceiling of $250,000. The original closing date listed for applications was March 8, 2024. While the notice does not spell out the number of expected awards in the provided excerpt, the stated ceiling indicates BLM is looking for projects that are substantial but still within a moderate, project-scale budget typical of field restoration, monitoring, seed/plant material work, or applied conservation support.

The NOFO also addresses Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESUs). CESUs are purpose-driven partnerships designed to support research, studies, assessments, monitoring, technical assistance, and educational services that align with federal land management needs. If a cooperative agreement is awarded to a CESU partner under an existing, formally negotiated Master CESU agreement and the project is consistent 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 expected to state whether their proposal supports the CESU mission and, if it does, identify which CESU Network should serve as the host. This matters for applicants that are already CESU members or that intend to route the collaboration through a CESU framework, because it affects both administrative handling and the allowable indirect cost structure.

Overall, this opportunity is best read as BLM Colorado seeking capable partners to carry out on-the-ground and/or technical plant conservation and restoration management work under IIJA/IRA-related priorities, using eligible public, Tribal, nonprofit, and higher-ed partners. Strong applications would typically be those that clearly connect proposed conservation and restoration activities to BLM land management needs, demonstrate technical competence and readiness to implement, fit within the cooperative agreement model of active BLM involvement, and comply with the staffing and indirect cost constraints described (especially for CESU-aligned proposals and any project concepts that might otherwise be framed as youth corps or internship hiring).

• The Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management Colorado (CO) 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 2023-12-29.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-03-08. (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 $250,000.00 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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