IIJA Bureau of Land Management Idaho Threatened and Endangered Species Program | L23AS00240

Opportunity Information: Apply for L23AS00240

The IIJA Bureau of Land Management Idaho Threatened and Endangered Species Program (Funding Opportunity Number L23AS00240) is a discretionary federal funding opportunity offered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM). It is designed to support natural resource work in Idaho that benefits threatened and endangered species and aligns with BLM land management responsibilities. Funding is provided through a cooperative agreement, which generally means the BLM expects to have substantial involvement in the project during implementation rather than simply issuing a grant with minimal federal participation. The program is listed under CFDA (now often referenced as Assistance Listing) 15.246 and was posted on 2023-02-15, with an original application deadline of 2023-04-17. The stated award ceiling is $50,000, indicating that individual awards are not expected to exceed that amount, although the notice does not specify a floor or total program funding in the excerpt provided.

Eligibility is limited to public and nonprofit entities and certain educational and tribal organizations. Specifically, eligible applicants include state, county, 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 with and without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in those nonprofit categories). A key restriction is that individuals and for-profit organizations are explicitly ineligible to apply under this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), so sole proprietors, private consultants applying directly, and businesses would not be able to serve as the applicant entity (though they could potentially participate as contractors or partners if the eligible applicant structures the project that way, subject to federal procurement and grant rules).

The notice also highlights an important limitation related to youth hiring and internship programs. This NOFO does not support projects where the applicant would hire interns or crews under the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993. The Public Lands Corps Act (16 USC, Chapter 37, Subchapter II) is described as the only legislative authority that allows the BLM to "hire" interns under that specific authority, and this particular NOFO is not positioned as the vehicle for those activities. As a result, youth conservation corps organizations that want to pursue youth crew or internship-style work are directed to a different funding path: projects must be developed under NOFO 15.243, titled BLM Youth Conservation Opportunities on Public Lands. In practical terms, this means applicants should avoid proposing internship hiring pipelines or crew-based youth employment models under this Idaho threatened and endangered species program announcement, and instead focus on conservation outcomes and partnerships that fit within the allowed scope and authorities.

Overall, this opportunity is a relatively small, targeted cooperative agreement intended to advance threatened and endangered species conservation work on or connected to BLM-managed lands in Idaho, with clearly defined applicant eligibility and a specific exclusion for intern/crew hiring under Public Lands Corps authorities.

• The Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "IIJA Bureau of Land Management Idaho 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 2023-02-15.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-04-17. (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 $50,000.00 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 L23AS00240

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