FY25 Bureau of Land Management Aquatic Resource Management- Bureau wide | L25AS00306

Opportunity Information: Apply for L25AS00306

The FY25 Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Aquatic Resource Management - Bureau wide opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number L25AS00306; CFDA 15.244) is a discretionary funding program that will be awarded through cooperative agreements. Its core purpose is to support BLM's Aquatic Resources Program in sustaining and improving riparian and wetland areas, aquatic habitats, and water resources on public lands, while balancing multiple uses. The program is framed around meeting present-day needs such as domestic minerals, food, timber, and fiber, alongside protecting fish and wildlife habitat, supporting recreation, and safeguarding the long-term water and habitat needs of future generations.

Projects funded under this notice are meant to strengthen the work BLM staff already do in partnership with other entities. In practice, that means proposals that help with decision support and planning that leads to more efficient environmental reviews and permitting actions on public lands, as well as on-the-ground or programmatic efforts that improve aquatic and riparian habitat conditions. The opportunity also explicitly highlights invasive species management (specifically aquatic invasive species) and habitat improvements for fish and wildlife as key areas where partner organizations can contribute. The emphasis is on collaborative work across Federal, State, Tribal, and local governments, along with non-governmental partners, to ensure water resources are available in sufficient quantity and suitable quality for beneficial uses.

Eligible applicants include State, county, and city or township governments; Federally recognized Tribal governments and other Tribal organizations; public and State-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; and nonprofit organizations (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3), as long as they are not institutions of higher education in the latter case). Individuals and for-profit organizations are explicitly ineligible to apply under this NOFO, which is an important limitation for consultants, private firms, and unaffiliated persons who might otherwise want to participate. The award mechanism being a cooperative agreement also signals that substantial involvement by BLM is expected during project implementation, which typically includes coordination on technical approaches, alignment with BLM priorities, and shared project oversight rather than a purely hands-off pass-through grant.

There are also clear boundaries on what the funding will not support. This NOFO does not support applicants proposing to hire interns or crews under the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993. BLM notes that the only authority allowing BLM to "hire" interns under that Act is tied to the specific Public Lands Corps framework, and that youth or conservation corps-type projects must be pursued under a different funding opportunity (NOFO 15.243, BLM Youth Conservation Opportunities on Public Lands). For applicants that are youth-serving conservation organizations, this distinction matters because it affects how you structure project staffing and which funding route you should use.

The notice also addresses Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESUs). CESUs are described as partnerships designed to promote and provide research, studies, assessments, monitoring, technical assistance, and educational services. If an award is made to a CESU partner under a formally negotiated Master CESU agreement and the project is 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 expected to state whether their proposal advances CESU purposes and, if so, identify which CESU Network should serve as the host, which helps BLM route and manage the agreement under the appropriate CESU structure.

Key administrative details provided include an application closing date of July 23, 2025, and an award ceiling of $500,000. The opportunity is listed under the Natural Resources funding activity category, with BLM as the issuing agency. While the notice references expected awards, the specific number is not provided in the source text, so applicants should plan on a competitive process where project alignment with BLM aquatic priorities, feasibility, and partnership value will likely drive selections.

Overall, this opportunity is best suited for governmental entities, Tribes, universities, and nonprofits that can bring technical capacity and partnership value to BLM aquatic and riparian work. Strong proposals will typically be those that clearly connect their activities to BLM goals like improving aquatic habitat conditions, supporting sound and timely permitting and environmental review processes, ensuring usable water quality and quantity for beneficial uses, and preventing or controlling aquatic invasive species, all while demonstrating an ability to coordinate closely with BLM under a cooperative agreement model.

• The Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY25 Bureau of Land Management Aquatic Resource Management- Bureau wide" 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 2025-06-23.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-07-23. (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 $500,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township 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.

Apply for L25AS00306

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