FY25 IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management Colorado Aquatic Resource Management | L25AS00158

FY25 IIJA/IRA BLM Colorado Aquatic Resource Management (L25AS00158) - FAQs

1) What is this funding opportunity?

This is the FY25 IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Colorado Aquatic Resource Management funding opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number L25AS00158; CFDA 15.244). It is a discretionary funding program delivered through cooperative agreements to support on-the-ground and technical work that protects and restores aquatic resources on BLM-managed public lands in Colorado.

2) What is the main purpose of the program?

The core purpose is to improve aquatic ecosystem condition and management outcomes on BLM-managed lands in Colorado by addressing persistent and emerging pressures such as habitat fragmentation and degradation, drought and water scarcity, declining water quality, and the spread of aquatic invasive species.

3) What types of lands or locations are in scope?

Projects must relate to aquatic resources on BLM-managed public lands in Colorado, including riparian areas, wetlands, streams, and other aquatic habitats influenced by public land management activities.

4) What federal investments or authorities does this opportunity connect to?

Projects funded under this notice are tied to major federal investments and priorities, specifically the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) ecosystem restoration authorities (Section 40804(b)) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) provisions focused on resilience and ecosystem restoration (Sections 50221, 50222, and 50303).

5) What kinds of problems or stressors is the funding intended to address?

The notice highlights pressures including habitat fragmentation and degradation, drought and water scarcity, declining water quality, climate change and habitat loss impacts, wildfire and flooding impacts, and aquatic invasive species establishment and spread.

6) What are the main program functions or focus areas applicants can support?

The opportunity is organized around several program functions, including:

• Protecting and restoring ecosystem structure and function in riparian and wetland systems
• Improving and safeguarding water quality (chemical, physical, and biological integrity of surface and groundwater)
• Ensuring water availability, including confirming water is legally and physically available to support beneficial uses and restoration goals
• Direct riparian, wetland, and aquatic habitat protection and restoration to sustain diverse, self-supporting native species
• Supporting special status species where relevant
• Decision support through inventory, assessment, and monitoring to inform management and support regulatory compliance

7) Are on-the-ground restoration projects eligible?

Yes. The program emphasizes practical restoration and protection actions for riparian areas, wetlands, streams, and other aquatic habitats on BLM-managed public lands in Colorado.

8) Are planning, data, or technical projects eligible?

Yes. The program explicitly includes planning, data development, inventory, assessment, monitoring, and related technical work that supports effective, durable restoration and protection actions and strengthens decision-making and compliance.

9) Does the program support environmental compliance and coordination work?

Yes. The opportunity places strong weight on environmental compliance and coordination. Projects should align with applicable federal laws, regulations, Executive Orders, and policy, and with state law when consistent with federal law.

10) Does the program encourage collaboration and partnering?

Yes. The notice emphasizes internal and external involvement and encourages applicants to consult, coordinate, and collaborate with federal, state, tribal, and local governments, communities, and other partners.

11) Is education and outreach an allowable or encouraged component?

Yes. Education and outreach are explicitly part of the approach, with an emphasis on expanding public knowledge of aquatic habitats on BLM lands and intentionally reaching communities of color, low-income families, rural communities, and Indigenous communities.

12) How does this opportunity address climate resilience and disturbance?

The funding is intended to help aquatic systems withstand and recover from stressors that are intensifying in the West. Competitive projects may include work that increases ecosystem resistance, resilience, and adaptability to drought, wildfire, and flooding, and that reconnects and restores degraded aquatic habitats.

13) Are invasive species projects eligible?

Yes. Preventing the establishment and spread of aquatic invasive species is an explicit priority area under this opportunity.

14) Can projects include setting targets or thresholds for acceptable hydrologic and ecological change?

Yes. The notice calls out the need to determine acceptable levels of hydrologic and ecological change given BLM objectives, including analytical or planning efforts that help managers set realistic targets and thresholds under changing climate conditions.

15) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is limited to governmental, educational, tribal, and nonprofit entities. Eligible applicant types include:

• State governments
• County governments
• City or township governments
• Special district governments
• Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education
• Private institutions of higher education
• Federally recognized tribal governments
• Tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments)
• Nonprofits, including 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3) organizations

16) Are individuals eligible to apply?

No. Individuals are not eligible to apply under this notice.

17) Are for-profit organizations eligible to apply?

No. For-profit organizations are not eligible to apply under this notice.

18) Can this funding be used to hire youth crews or interns under the Public Lands Corps Act?

No. This NOFO does not support entities hiring interns or crews under the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993. Organizations seeking to propose youth crew or intern hiring under that authority are directed to NOFO 15.243 (BLM Youth Conservation Opportunities on Public Lands).

19) What is the award type?

The instrument type is a cooperative agreement.

20) What does it mean that the award is a cooperative agreement?

Because the instrument is a cooperative agreement, applicants should expect substantial involvement by BLM in project oversight, coordination, and/or technical participation compared to a standard grant.

21) What is the maximum award amount?

The award ceiling listed in the notice is $45,000.

22) What is the application deadline?

The posted closing date is February 28, 2025.

23) How does this opportunity relate to the BLM Colorado Aquatic Resources Program mission?

The opportunity is rooted in the BLM Colorado Aquatic Resources Program mission of maintaining healthy, functioning riparian and wetland areas, aquatic habitats, and water resources so they can continue to support fish and wildlife, multiple public land uses, and long-term watershed health for future generations.

24) Are projects expected to use best management practices?

Yes. The notice describes BLM staff using this funding collaboratively with partners and applying best management practices to avoid or minimize impacts to riparian areas, wetlands, streams, and other aquatic habitats influenced by public land management activities.

25) What is "decision support" in the context of this opportunity?

Decision support refers to inventory, assessment, and monitoring work that strengthens understanding of current conditions and trends, informs management choices, and supports regulatory compliance.

26) Are there special indirect cost rules for CESU partners?

Yes. If a CESU partner receives a cooperative agreement under a negotiated Master CESU agreement consistent with CESU purposes, indirect costs are capped at no more than 17.5 percent of the applicable indirect cost base recognized in the organization’s federally approved NICRA.

27) If an applicant is a CESU partner, what should they include in their proposal?

Applicants are encouraged to state whether their proposal advances CESU purposes and, if so, identify which CESU Network should be considered as host.

28) What compliance framework should projects align with?

Projects should align with applicable federal laws, regulations, Executive Orders, and policy, and with state law when consistent with federal law, as described in the notice.