IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management Arizona Aquatic Resource Management | L24AS00278

Opportunity Information: Apply for L24AS00278

The IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management Arizona Aquatic Resource Management opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number L24AS00278, CFDA 15.244) is a discretionary funding program from the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management (BLM) focused on aquatic resources management in Arizona. Awards are expected to be made through cooperative agreements, which typically means BLM anticipates substantial involvement during the project period (for example, coordination on planning, technical direction, field activities, monitoring approaches, or deliverable review), rather than simply issuing a grant with minimal federal engagement. The program sits within the Natural Resources funding activity category and is associated with the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (IIJA) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), signaling an emphasis on on-the-ground stewardship outcomes that improve the condition, resilience, and management of aquatic systems.

The eligible applicant pool is broad across public and nonprofit sectors. Applicants may 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 Native American tribal governments; Native American tribal organizations that are not federally recognized as tribal governments; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; and nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (so long as they are not institutions of higher education). Two key restrictions are clearly stated: individuals are not eligible, and for-profit organizations are not eligible to apply. In practical terms, any project team that includes a private company would generally need to structure that company as a vendor/contractor to an eligible applicant rather than as the applicant or direct recipient, assuming the proposal and budget comply with federal assistance rules.

A major program limitation is that this 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 that allows BLM to "hire" interns under that framework, and that this particular NOFO is not the mechanism for those youth/internship-based efforts. As a result, Youth Conservation Corps or similar youth-focused entities should not propose intern/crew hiring under this announcement; instead, they are directed to pursue projects under NOFO 15.243, titled BLM Youth Conservation Opportunities on Public Lands. This is an important screening factor for proposal design, because even otherwise strong aquatic restoration proposals could be deemed non-responsive if they are built around youth crews or internship hiring that falls under the Public Lands Corps authority.

The NOFO also highlights the potential involvement of Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESUs). CESUs are partnership networks designed to support research, studies, assessments, monitoring, technical assistance, and educational services that align with federal land management needs. If an award is made to a CESU partner under a formally negotiated Master CESU agreement and the work is consistent with CESU purposes, the indirect cost policy is capped: indirect costs are limited to no more than 17.5 percent of the applicable indirect cost base recognized in the partner's federally approved Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA). Applicants are expected to clearly state whether their proposal advances CESU program purposes and, if so, identify which CESU Network should be considered the host. This matters for budgeting and compliance because CESU-associated proposals may face different indirect cost constraints than standard cooperative agreements outside the CESU framework.

From an applicant planning standpoint, the funding specifics provided include an award ceiling of $980,000. The original closing date was May 1, 2024, and the opportunity was created March 1, 2024. While the notice excerpt does not specify the number of expected awards (that field appears blank), the ceiling gives a sense of the maximum potential project size BLM is willing to support under this announcement. Because this is a cooperative agreement and an aquatic resources management program, competitive proposals generally tend to be those that clearly define aquatic resource needs, propose measurable outcomes, include monitoring or assessment components where appropriate, demonstrate partnership and stakeholder coordination (especially in shared watersheds), and show readiness and capacity to deliver work safely and effectively on or in connection with BLM-managed lands and waters in Arizona.

In short, this opportunity is intended for eligible public, tribal, educational, and nonprofit entities to partner with BLM on aquatic resource management efforts in Arizona through cooperative agreements, with clear exclusions for individuals and for-profits, a clear prohibition on using this NOFO for Public Lands Corps intern/crew hiring, and special indirect cost limitations for projects implemented through CESU partnerships.

• The Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management Arizona 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 2024-03-01.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-05-01. (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 $980,000.00 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 L24AS00278

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