BLM IIJA Bureau of Land Management Alaska Wildlife Resources Program | L23AS00347

Opportunity Information: Apply for L23AS00347

The BLM IIJA Bureau of Land Management Alaska Wildlife Resources Program (Funding Opportunity Number L23AS00347) is a discretionary federal grant opportunity offered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), under the BLM State Wildlife Program. It is designed to support natural resource work in Alaska that aligns with BLM wildlife resource priorities, using a cooperative agreement as the funding instrument. A cooperative agreement typically means BLM expects to have substantial involvement during the project, such as collaboration on planning, coordination, technical input, or oversight, rather than simply issuing funds with minimal federal interaction.

This opportunity is listed under CFDA (now commonly referred to as Assistance Listing) 15.247 and falls within the Natural Resources funding activity category. The notice was created on April 24, 2023, and had an original closing date of June 23, 2023. The maximum award amount (award ceiling) is $75,000. The posting indicates expected awards, but the specific number is not provided in the source data, so applicants would typically need to refer to the full notice for details on anticipated funding levels, project periods, and how many projects BLM expects to support.

Eligibility is broad across public, academic, tribal, and nonprofit sectors, reflecting the kinds of partners BLM commonly works with on wildlife and habitat efforts. 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; Native American tribal organizations that are not federally recognized tribal governments; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; and nonprofits both with and without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education). At the same time, the notice is explicit about who cannot apply: individuals and for-profit organizations are ineligible under this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).

A key restriction in the program description is that this NOFO does not support projects where the applicant plans to hire 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 authority, and this particular NOFO is not the vehicle for that kind of youth internship or crew-based hiring. As a result, Youth Conservation Corps or similar youth-focused groups that want to propose projects centered on youth crews or internships are directed to use a different funding opportunity instead: NOFO 15.243, titled BLM Youth Conservation Opportunities on Public Lands. In practical terms, that means applicants should avoid structuring proposals around paid intern or crew hiring models under Public Lands Corps for this program, and instead focus on wildlife resource outcomes that can be delivered through other staffing and partnership approaches permitted by the NOFO.

In summary, this BLM Alaska Wildlife Resources Program opportunity is a cooperative-agreement grant focused on Alaska wildlife-related natural resource work, capped at $75,000 per award, open to a wide range of governmental, tribal, educational, housing authority, and nonprofit entities, while excluding individuals and for-profit organizations. It also draws a firm boundary around youth internship or crew hiring under the Public Lands Corps Act, steering those kinds of proposals to the separate BLM youth conservation funding pathway.

• The Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BLM IIJA Bureau of Land Management Alaska Wildlife Resources Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.247.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-04-24.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-06-23. (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 $75,000.00 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 L23AS00347

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