Bureau of Land Management Idaho Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management | L22AS00173

Opportunity Information: Apply for L22AS00173

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Idaho Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number L22AS00173) is a discretionary federal funding program under the U.S. Department of the Interior intended to support work related to fisheries and aquatic resource management in Idaho on or connected to BLM-managed lands and waters. The award mechanism is a cooperative agreement, which typically means BLM expects to be substantially involved in the project’s implementation or oversight rather than simply issuing a pass-through grant. The opportunity falls under the Natural Resources funding activity category and is associated with CFDA/Assistance Listing 15.244. The original posting indicates an application deadline of March 28, 2022, and lists an award ceiling of $50,000, meaning individual awards were not expected to exceed that amount.

Eligibility is broad for public and nonprofit entities, and it specifically includes 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; Native American tribal organizations other than federally recognized governments; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; and nonprofits both with and without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in those nonprofit categories). At the same time, the notice is explicit about ineligible applicants: individuals and for-profit organizations cannot apply under this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). This restriction is important for organizations that operate affiliated foundations or revenue-generating arms, since only the eligible entity type can serve as the applicant and recipient.

A key limitation in the description concerns youth hiring and internship programs. The NOFO states that it does not support entities hiring interns or crews under the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 (16 USC, Chapter 37, Subchapter II). In practical terms, applicants should not propose projects that rely on BLM using this funding to "hire" interns or establish intern/crew arrangements under that specific authority. The notice also clarifies that the Public Lands Corps Act is the only legislative authority that allows BLM to hire interns under that framework, so if an applicant is a Youth Conservation Corps or is trying to build a youth crew component into the work, they are directed to pursue a different, specific BLM funding opportunity instead: NOFO 15.243, BLM Youth Conservation Opportunities on Public Lands. This means proposals under L22AS00173 should focus on fisheries and aquatic resource outcomes rather than structuring the work primarily as an internship or youth crew program tied to Public Lands Corps authorities.

Overall, this opportunity is best understood as a relatively small, targeted cooperative agreement (up to $50,000) for partners that can help BLM Idaho advance fisheries and aquatic resource management objectives, with clear guardrails around who can apply and what kinds of youth internship/crew arrangements are not supported under this particular NOFO.

• The Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Bureau of Land Management Idaho Fisheries and Aquatic Resources 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 2022-01-26.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-03-28. (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), 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 L22AS00173

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