Opportunity Information: Apply for L25AS00179
The FY25 IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management Wyoming Aquatic Resource Management opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number L25AS00179) is a discretionary funding notice that supports cooperative agreements for on-the-ground and technical work that protects and restores aquatic resources on BLM-managed lands in Wyoming. The focus is on maintaining and improving riparian and wetland areas, aquatic habitats, and water resources so these systems function well for multiple uses over the long term, including fish and wildlife needs and broader watershed health. The program is positioned as a practical implementation arm for BLM managers and partners, combining field restoration and protection with planning support, science, and compliance so that public land management meets land health standards and sustains healthy watersheds for future generations.
Funding is tied directly to major federal investments aimed at ecosystem and climate resilience, specifically the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), Section 40804(b) Ecosystem Restoration, and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), including Sections 50221 (Resilience), 50222 (Ecosystems Restoration), and 50303 (DOI). In other words, proposals should fit clearly within ecosystem restoration, resilience-building, and related Department of the Interior priorities. The BLM highlights that the program’s work is meant to address real, current stressors affecting Wyoming waters and aquatic habitats, including habitat fragmentation and degradation, drought impacts and water availability challenges, and aquatic invasive species. Projects that reduce vulnerability to drought, wildfire, and flooding and that improve the ability of aquatic systems to recover from disturbance are strongly aligned with the intent of these funds.
The opportunity emphasizes a set of core program functions that give applicants a clear sense of what kinds of work BLM wants to fund. That includes protecting and restoring ecosystem structure and function in riparian and wetland areas and within aquatic habitats; improving or safeguarding water quality across chemical, physical, and biological conditions in surface water and groundwater; and ensuring water availability in both the legal and physical sense for beneficial uses, including restoration actions. It also includes direct habitat work to maintain or rebuild the presence, abundance, and diversity of healthy and self-sustaining riparian, wetland, and aquatic species, with explicit attention to special status species and the wildlife and plant communities that depend on these habitats.
Beyond restoration activities alone, BLM is also looking for proposals that strengthen “decision support,” meaning inventory, assessment, and monitoring that improves understanding of condition and trend, guides day-to-day management, and supports compliance determinations. Environmental compliance itself is another highlighted function, with an expectation that funded work will align with applicable federal laws, Executive Orders, regulations, and policy, and with state law where consistent with federal law. A final core pillar is internal and external involvement: BLM wants projects built around consultation, coordination, and collaboration with federal, state, tribal, and local governments and with community and nonprofit partners, including education and outreach components that help the public better understand aquatic habitats and restoration needs on BLM lands.
In terms of what BLM is specifically inviting partners to do under this notice, the program calls out priorities such as combating climate change and habitat loss impacts to aquatic resources; restoring and reconnecting degraded aquatic systems (which can include addressing fragmentation and improving connectivity); increasing ecosystem resistance, resilience, and adaptability to drought, wildfire, and floods; and determining acceptable levels of hydrologic and ecological change based on BLM management objectives. Proposals that improve or modernize inventory, assessment, and monitoring tools and approaches are also encouraged, as are projects that prevent the establishment and spread of invasive species. The notice also explicitly ties this work to Department of the Interior priorities, including addressing the climate crisis, restoring balance on public lands and waters, advancing environmental justice, and investing in a clean energy future. Consistent with that, BLM encourages increasing public knowledge and engagement around aquatic habitats on BLM lands, with a targeted emphasis on communities of color, low-income families, and rural and Indigenous communities.
Eligibility is fairly broad across public and mission-driven organizations, but with clear exclusions. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments; tribal organizations; and nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)). Individuals and for-profit organizations are not eligible to apply. The notice also clarifies that this specific NOFO is not the pathway for organizations seeking to hire interns or crews under the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993; youth conservation corps-type efforts that rely on that authority must instead be pursued under the separate BLM Youth Conservation Opportunities on Public Lands notice (NOFO 15.243).
The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, which typically indicates that BLM expects substantial involvement in the project rather than a hands-off pass-through award. The award ceiling is listed at $100,000, and the original application closing date is February 17, 2025. The CFDA (Assistance Listing) number associated with this opportunity is 15.244, and the activity category is Natural Resources, reflecting the program’s emphasis on practical conservation, restoration, monitoring, and management support for aquatic and riparian systems.
Finally, the notice includes an important cost note for applicants connected to Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESUs). If a cooperative agreement is awarded to a CESU partner under a formally negotiated Master CESU agreement consistent with CESU purposes, indirect costs are capped at 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 asked to state whether their proposal furthers the purpose of the CESU program and, if so, which CESU Network should be considered as the host, which can affect how the agreement is structured and how indirect costs are handled.Apply for L25AS00179
- The Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY25 IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management Wyoming 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 2024-12-16.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-02-17. (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, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), 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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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is the FY25 IIJA/IRA BLM Wyoming Aquatic Resource Management opportunity?
This is a discretionary Bureau of Land Management (BLM) funding opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number L25AS00179) supporting cooperative agreements for on-the-ground and technical work that protects and restores aquatic resources on BLM-managed lands in Wyoming.
2. What is the main purpose of this funding?
The purpose is to maintain and improve riparian and wetland areas, aquatic habitats, and water resources so these systems function well for multiple uses over the long term. This includes supporting fish and wildlife needs and improving broader watershed health, while helping BLM meet land health standards and sustain healthy watersheds for future generations.
3. Where must the work take place?
Projects are intended to protect and restore aquatic resources on BLM-managed lands in Wyoming.
4. What type of award will be made?
The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, which generally means BLM expects substantial involvement in the project rather than a fully hands-off award.
5. What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling is $100,000.
6. What is the application deadline?
The original application closing date is February 17, 2025.
7. What is the Assistance Listing (CFDA) number for this opportunity?
The Assistance Listing (CFDA) number associated with this opportunity is 15.244.
8. What is the activity category?
The activity category is Natural Resources.
9. How does this opportunity connect to IIJA and IRA funding?
Funding is tied directly to major federal investments for ecosystem and climate resilience, including the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) Section 40804(b) Ecosystem Restoration and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), including Sections 50221 (Resilience), 50222 (Ecosystems Restoration), and 50303 (DOI). Proposals should clearly align with ecosystem restoration, resilience-building, and related Department of the Interior priorities.
10. What kinds of problems or stressors is BLM trying to address in Wyoming?
The opportunity is aimed at real, current stressors affecting Wyoming waters and aquatic habitats, including habitat fragmentation and degradation, drought impacts and water availability challenges, and aquatic invasive species. Projects that reduce vulnerability to drought, wildfire, and flooding, and improve recovery after disturbance, strongly match the intent of these funds.
11. What are the core program functions BLM wants to fund?
The notice highlights several core functions, including:
- Protecting and restoring ecosystem structure and function in riparian and wetland areas and within aquatic habitats
- Improving or safeguarding water quality (chemical, physical, and biological conditions) in surface water and groundwater
- Ensuring water availability in both a legal and physical sense for beneficial uses, including restoration actions
- Direct habitat work to maintain or rebuild healthy, self-sustaining riparian, wetland, and aquatic species, including attention to special status species and dependent communities
- Decision support such as inventory, assessment, and monitoring to understand condition and trend and support day-to-day management and compliance determinations
- Environmental compliance aligned with applicable federal laws, Executive Orders, regulations, and policy (and state law where consistent with federal law)
- Consultation, coordination, and collaboration with partners, including education and outreach to improve public understanding of aquatic habitats and restoration needs on BLM lands
12. Are projects limited to field restoration work only?
No. While field restoration and protection are central, BLM also emphasizes planning support, science, inventory, assessment, monitoring, and compliance-related work that helps inform management and meet land health standards.
13. What types of restoration and resilience activities are explicitly encouraged?
The notice calls out priorities such as combating climate change and habitat loss impacts to aquatic resources; restoring and reconnecting degraded aquatic systems (including addressing fragmentation and improving connectivity); increasing resistance, resilience, and adaptability to drought, wildfire, and floods; and determining acceptable levels of hydrologic and ecological change based on BLM management objectives.
14. Are projects related to aquatic invasive species eligible?
Yes. Projects that prevent the establishment and spread of invasive species are explicitly encouraged.
15. Is water quality work eligible under this opportunity?
Yes. Improving or safeguarding water quality across chemical, physical, and biological conditions in surface water and groundwater is a stated core program function.
16. Is water availability a focus area for this funding?
Yes. The opportunity includes ensuring water availability in both a legal and physical sense for beneficial uses, including restoration actions.
17. Does the program prioritize work benefiting fish and wildlife?
Yes. The program is intended to support aquatic systems that function for multiple uses over the long term, including fish and wildlife needs, and it emphasizes maintaining or rebuilding healthy and self-sustaining riparian, wetland, and aquatic species.
18. Are special status species specifically mentioned?
Yes. The notice explicitly calls for attention to special status species and the wildlife and plant communities that depend on riparian, wetland, and aquatic habitats.
19. What does BLM mean by "decision support"?
Decision support refers to inventory, assessment, and monitoring activities that improve understanding of condition and trend, guide day-to-day management, and support compliance determinations.
20. Does the opportunity include environmental compliance expectations?
Yes. Environmental compliance is a highlighted function, and funded work is expected to align with applicable federal laws, Executive Orders, regulations, and policy, and with state law where consistent with federal law.
21. Is collaboration with partners required or encouraged?
Collaboration is a stated pillar of the program. BLM emphasizes consultation, coordination, and collaboration with federal, state, tribal, and local governments, as well as community and nonprofit partners. Education and outreach components are also included as part of involvement goals.
22. Does the notice connect this work to Department of the Interior priorities?
Yes. The notice ties work to Department of the Interior priorities including addressing the climate crisis, restoring balance on public lands and waters, advancing environmental justice, and investing in a clean energy future.
23. Are environmental justice and public engagement part of the program’s intent?
Yes. The notice encourages increasing public knowledge and engagement around aquatic habitats on BLM lands, with targeted emphasis on communities of color, low-income families, and rural and Indigenous communities.
24. Who is eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants include:
- State governments
- County governments
- City or township governments
- Special district governments
- Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education
- Private institutions of higher education
- Federally recognized tribal governments
- Tribal organizations
- Nonprofits (501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3))
25. Who is not eligible to apply?
Individuals and for-profit organizations are not eligible to apply.
26. Can this NOFO be used to hire interns or crews under the Public Lands Corps Act?
No. The notice states this NOFO is not the pathway for organizations seeking to hire interns or crews under the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993. Those youth conservation corps-type efforts must be pursued under the separate BLM Youth Conservation Opportunities on Public Lands notice (NOFO 15.243).
27. What is the practical role of this program for BLM managers and partners?
The program is positioned as a practical implementation arm combining field restoration and protection with planning support, science, and compliance so that public land management meets land health standards and sustains healthy watersheds.
28. Are proposals to modernize monitoring or assessment tools encouraged?
Yes. Proposals that improve or modernize inventory, assessment, and monitoring tools and approaches are encouraged.
29. What is the CESU indirect cost cap mentioned in the notice?
If a cooperative agreement is awarded to a Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) partner under a formally negotiated Master CESU agreement consistent with CESU purposes, indirect costs are capped at no more than 17.5 percent of the indirect cost base recognized in the partner’s federally approved negotiated indirect cost rate agreement (NICRA).
30. What must CESU-related applicants state in their proposal?
Applicants are asked to state whether their proposal furthers the purpose of the CESU program and, if so, which CESU Network should be considered as the host, since this can affect how the agreement is structured and how indirect costs are handled.
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