FY24 IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management Nevada (NV) Aquatic Resource Management | L24AS00248

Opportunity Information: Apply for L24AS00248

The FY24 IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Nevada Aquatic Resource Management opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number L24AS00248; CFDA 15.244) is a discretionary federal funding opportunity intended to support aquatic natural resource work in Nevada under the Department of the Interior. Awards will be made as cooperative agreements, which typically means BLM expects to have substantial involvement during the project (for example, coordination on work plans, methods, deliverables, or monitoring). The funding activity category is Natural Resources, and the program is framed around aquatic resources management, which commonly includes efforts such as aquatic habitat restoration, watershed and riparian improvement, aquatic monitoring and assessment, and other actions that protect or enhance water-dependent ecosystems on or connected to BLM-managed lands.

Eligible applicants include a broad range of public and nonprofit entities: state, county, and local governments; special districts; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Tribal governments and other Tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; and nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status. Individuals and for-profit organizations are explicitly ineligible, which is an important screening point for partnerships and proposal development. If a project team includes consultants or private firms, they would generally need to participate as contractors or subrecipients under an eligible lead applicant rather than applying directly as the prime applicant, consistent with the NOFO restrictions.

A key limitation in this notice is that it does not support applicants hiring interns or crews under the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 using this funding stream. The notice emphasizes 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 framework. As a result, organizations that want to build projects around youth crews, interns, or youth conservation corps-style placements are directed to the separate BLM Youth Conservation Opportunities on Public Lands funding opportunity (NOFO 15.243) instead. Practically, that means proposals under this aquatic resource management NOFO should be structured around resource outcomes and allowable staffing/contracting approaches rather than relying on PLC-based internship hiring mechanisms.

The announcement also addresses Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESUs). CESUs are partnership networks designed to support research, technical assistance, monitoring, assessments, and education aligned with federal land management needs. If a cooperative agreement is awarded to a CESU partner under a formally negotiated Master CESU agreement, and the proposed work is consistent with the CESU purpose, then indirect costs are capped: they may not exceed 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 clearly whether their proposal advances the purpose of the CESU program and, if it does, identify which CESU Network should serve as the host. This matters for budgeting and compliance because the CESU indirect cost limitation can differ from an organization's otherwise applicable rate structure.

In terms of funding size and timing, the opportunity lists an award ceiling of $1,000,000, with an original closing date of April 12, 2024, and a creation date of February 12, 2024. The number of expected awards is not specified in the provided source data, so applicants would typically need to design proposals that are competitive in scope and budget while being realistic about BLM capacity and priorities in Nevada. Overall, the notice is best understood as a BLM Nevada aquatic resources cooperative agreement program aimed at on-the-ground and technical work to improve or protect aquatic systems, with clear eligibility restrictions (no individuals, no for-profits), clear guidance steering youth/intern-focused concepts to a different NOFO, and specific indirect cost rules for CESU-based applicants.

• The Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY24 IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management Nevada (NV) 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 2024-02-12.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-04-12. (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 $1,000,000.00 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 L24AS00248

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