FY24 IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management New Mexico (NM) Plant Conservation and Restoration Management | L24AS00065

Opportunity Information: Apply for L24AS00065

The FY24 IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management New Mexico (NM) Plant Conservation and Restoration Management opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number L24AS00065) is a discretionary federal funding opportunity from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) that supports work in natural resources, specifically focused on plant conservation and restoration management efforts tied to BLM priorities in New Mexico. Awards are expected to be made as cooperative agreements, which typically means BLM expects to have substantial involvement in the project (for example, coordination, technical input, or collaboration during implementation), rather than functioning purely as a pass-through funder.

This opportunity is open to a wide range of non-federal public and nonprofit entities. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or 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; other tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; and nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)). At the same time, the NOFO clearly excludes individuals and for-profit organizations, meaning private companies and individual applicants cannot apply directly for funding under this program.

A major restriction in the NOFO is that it does not support proposals built around hiring interns or crews under the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993. The notice emphasizes that the Public Lands Corps Act (16 USC, Chapter 37, Subchapter II) is the only legislative authority BLM can use to "hire" interns under that specific framework, and this particular NOFO is not the vehicle for those youth/internship-style projects. As a result, organizations that want to develop youth crew or intern-centered work need to look instead to the separate BLM youth-focused funding stream identified in the notice (NOFO 15.243, BLM Youth Conservation Opportunities on Public Lands). In practical terms, applicants should frame projects around plant conservation and restoration outcomes rather than proposing workforce programs that rely on Public Lands Corps hiring authorities.

The opportunity also highlights the role of CESUs (Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units). CESUs are formal partnerships intended to support research, studies, monitoring, assessments, technical assistance, and education services that align with federal land management needs. If a cooperative agreement is awarded to a CESU partner under an existing Master CESU agreement and the work is consistent with CESU purposes, the NOFO limits indirect costs to no more than 17.5 percent of the indirect cost base recognized in the partner's federally negotiated indirect cost rate agreement (NICRA). Applicants are instructed to state whether their proposal furthers the purpose of the CESU program and, if so, to identify which CESU Network should be considered as the host. This matters for applicants affiliated with a CESU, because it can affect both how the agreement is structured and how indirect costs are handled.

Key administrative details include an award ceiling of $500,000 and an original closing date of March 27, 2024. The CFDA/Assistance Listing number associated with the opportunity is 15.245, and the funding activity category is Natural Resources. Overall, the NOFO is best understood as BLM New Mexico support for on-the-ground and programmatic plant conservation and restoration management work, targeted to eligible public and nonprofit partners, with explicit boundaries around who can apply and what kinds of youth/intern hiring approaches are not permitted under this particular funding announcement.

• The Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY24 IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management New Mexico (NM) Plant Conservation and Restoration Management" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.245.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-01-09.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-03-27. (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 $500,000.00 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.

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