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

Opportunity Information: Apply for L25AS00158

The FY25 IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Colorado Aquatic Resource Management opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number L25AS00158; CFDA 15.244) 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. The program 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. 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).

The core purpose is to improve aquatic ecosystem condition and management outcomes 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. The program emphasizes practical restoration and protection actions as well as the planning, data, and compliance work needed to make those actions effective and durable. BLM staff use this funding to work collaboratively with partners and to apply best management practices that avoid or minimize impacts to riparian areas, wetlands, streams, and other aquatic habitats influenced by public land management activities.

The opportunity is organized around several program functions that applicants can help advance. These include protecting and restoring ecosystem structure and function (the physical and ecological processes that keep riparian and wetland systems working), improving and safeguarding water quality (chemical, physical, and biological integrity of surface and groundwater), and ensuring water availability (including confirming water is legally and physically available to support beneficial uses and restoration goals). It also prioritizes direct riparian, wetland, and aquatic habitat protection and restoration to sustain diverse, self-supporting native species and to support special status species where relevant. Another major focus is decision support, meaning inventory, assessment, and monitoring work that strengthens understanding of current conditions and trends, informs management choices, and supports regulatory compliance.

In addition to field restoration and monitoring, the program 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. The notice also highlights the importance of internal and external involvement, encouraging applicants to consult, coordinate, and collaborate with federal, state, tribal, and local governments, communities, and other partners. Education and outreach are explicitly part of this 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.

From a climate and disturbance perspective, the funding is meant to help aquatic systems withstand and recover from stressors that are intensifying in the West. Competitive projects may include work that combats climate change and habitat loss impacts, reconnects and restores degraded aquatic habitats, and increases ecosystem resistance, resilience, and adaptability to drought, wildfire, and flooding. The program also calls out the need to determine acceptable levels of hydrologic and ecological change given BLM objectives, which can include analytical or planning efforts that help managers set realistic targets and thresholds under changing climate conditions. Preventing the establishment and spread of invasive species is another explicit priority area.

Eligibility is limited to governmental, educational, tribal, and nonprofit entities. Eligible applicants include state governments; county and city/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); and nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)). Individuals and for-profit organizations are not eligible to apply under this notice. The opportunity also clarifies a specific limitation related to youth and internships: 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 instead to NOFO 15.243 (BLM Youth Conservation Opportunities on Public Lands).

The award structure includes an award ceiling of $45,000, and the posted closing date is February 28, 2025. Because the instrument type is a cooperative agreement, applicants should expect substantial involvement by BLM in project oversight, coordination, or technical participation compared to a standard grant. The notice also includes guidance for applicants associated with Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESUs). 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. Applicants are encouraged to state whether their proposal advances CESU purposes and, if so, identify which CESU Network should be considered as host.

• The Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY25 IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management Colorado 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 2024-12-02.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-02-28. (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 $45,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district 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 L25AS00158

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