IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management Alaska Aquatic Resource Management | L24AS00212

Opportunity Information: Apply for L24AS00212

The IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Alaska Aquatic Resource Management opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number L24AS00212; CFDA 15.244) is a discretionary federal grant offered by the U.S. Department of the Interior through BLM, structured as a cooperative agreement. It is focused on natural resource work tied to aquatic resource management in Alaska, with the cooperative agreement format signaling that BLM expects to have substantial involvement during the project (for example, in coordinating technical direction, reviewing deliverables, aligning field activities with agency priorities, or supporting implementation on BLM-managed lands and waters).

A wide range of public and nonprofit entities are eligible to apply. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city/township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled colleges and universities; 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. The listing also includes an "Others" category, which typically covers additional non-federal entities that meet the NOFO requirements. At the same time, the NOFO is explicit about ineligibility: individuals and for-profit organizations cannot apply for awards under this announcement.

The funding parameters provided in the notice indicate an award ceiling of $480,000. The opportunity originally closed on March 8, 2024, and the notice references expected awards, though the exact number is not specified in the source text provided. Because this funding is described as IIJA/IRA, it is tied to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act) and/or the Inflation Reduction Act, which commonly emphasize on-the-ground implementation, ecosystem resilience, and measurable outcomes. Even without additional details in the excerpt, the program title and activity category make clear that BLM is seeking projects that support aquatic resources in Alaska, which can include work such as monitoring, assessments, applied studies, restoration planning support, habitat improvement, watershed-scale analysis, invasive species prevention/response, or other management actions that protect or enhance aquatic ecosystems connected to BLM priorities.

Two important restrictions are highlighted. First, this NOFO does not support projects that involve an entity 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 only legislative authority that allows BLM to "hire" interns under that specific framework. As a result, youth-focused conservation corps or internship-style proposals that rely on the Public Lands Corps mechanism are not supposed to be proposed under this funding opportunity. Instead, eligible Youth Conservation Corps applicants are directed to a separate funding opportunity: NOFO 15.243, titled BLM Youth Conservation Opportunities on Public Lands. In practical terms, applicants to L24AS00212 should keep proposals centered on aquatic resource management outcomes and avoid building the project around PLC-style internship/crew hiring models.

Second, the notice includes specific guidance for applicants who are part of, or working through, a Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU). CESUs are partnership networks designed to promote and provide research, studies, assessments, monitoring, technical assistance, and education services that help federal land-management agencies accomplish their missions. If BLM awards a cooperative agreement to a CESU partner under a formally negotiated Master CESU agreement, and the project is consistent with CESU purposes, the indirect cost treatment is capped: 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). The NOFO also asks applicants to explicitly state whether their proposal furthers the CESU program purpose and, if it does, to identify which CESU Network should be considered as the host. This matters for both administrative processing and budgeting, because it determines whether the CESU indirect cost limitation applies and which network framework governs the partnership relationship.

Taken together, this opportunity is best understood as BLM Alaska seeking partner organizations (governments, Tribes, universities, and nonprofits) to carry out aquatic resource management work through a cooperative agreement structure, with clear eligibility boundaries (no individuals or for-profits), clear boundaries around youth corps/intern hiring (use NOFO 15.243 if that is the core approach), and special compliance and budgeting considerations for CESU-affiliated proposals (including the 17.5 percent indirect cost limitation when applicable and the requirement to name the relevant CESU network).

• The Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management Alaska 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 2023-12-07.
• 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 $480,000.00 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, Others.

Apply for L24AS00212

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