IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management Utah Threatened and Endangered Species Program | L24AS00271

Opportunity Information: Apply for L24AS00271

The IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management Utah Threatened and Endangered Species Program (Funding Opportunity Number L24AS00271; CFDA 15.246) is a discretionary funding opportunity from the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), focused on natural resource work that supports threatened and endangered species priorities in Utah. Funding is offered through cooperative agreements, which typically means BLM expects to have substantial involvement in the project (for example, collaboration on technical direction, coordination, or project implementation) rather than simply issuing a grant with minimal federal participation.

This opportunity is open to a broad range of public and nonprofit applicants, including state, county, and local governments; special districts; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Tribal governments; other Tribal organizations; public housing/Indian housing authorities; and nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status. Two categories are explicitly not allowed to apply: individuals and for-profit organizations. The listing also shows an award ceiling of $100,000, meaning proposed budgets generally should not exceed that amount. The original closing date for applications was April 19, 2024, and the opportunity was created February 20, 2024.

A key restriction is that this particular Notice of Funding Opportunity does not support projects that involve hiring interns or crews under the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993. The rationale provided is straightforward: the Public Lands Corps Act is the only legislative authority that allows BLM to "hire" interns under that framework, and proposals that want to use Youth Conservation Corps-style crews or internships need to go through a different, specifically designated funding opportunity. In practice, that means applicants should not structure their budgets or work plans around Public Lands Corps internships or crew hiring under this NOFO. If an organization is a Youth Conservation Corps or is aiming to run youth crews on public lands, the notice directs applicants to pursue those projects under NOFO 15.243, titled BLM Youth Conservation Opportunities on Public Lands, rather than attempting to fit them into this threatened and endangered species program announcement.

The announcement also includes important guidance for applicants connected to Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESUs). CESUs are partnerships designed to support research, studies, assessments, monitoring, technical assistance, and educational services, often linking federal agencies with universities, nonprofits, and other partners. If a cooperative agreement under this opportunity is awarded to a CESU partner under an established Master CESU agreement, and the proposed work is consistent with the CESU purpose, then indirect costs are capped: they may not exceed 17.5 percent of the indirect cost base recognized in the partner's federally approved Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA). For applicants, the practical takeaway is that if they are applying as a CESU partner (or routing the work through a CESU mechanism), they need to account for this indirect cost limitation when building their budget.

Finally, applicants are instructed to clearly state in their proposal whether their project advances the purpose of the CESU program, and if it does, to identify which CESU Network should serve as the host. That detail matters because it affects how the award may be structured and administered, and it signals to BLM that the applicant understands the partnership framework and is aligning the proposal with the correct CESU network and mission.

• The Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management Utah Threatened and Endangered Species Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.246.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-02-20.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-04-19. (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 $100,000.00 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 L24AS00271

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: