FY24 IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management New Mexico (NM) Wildlife Program | L24AS00183

Opportunity Information: Apply for L24AS00183

The FY24 IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management New Mexico (NM) Wildlife Program (Funding Opportunity Number L24AS00183; CFDA 15.247) is a discretionary federal funding opportunity from the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), focused on natural resource and wildlife-related work in New Mexico. Awards are issued as cooperative agreements, which generally means BLM expects to have substantial involvement during the project (for example, coordination on planning, technical direction, deliverables, or field implementation) rather than simply providing a pass-through grant with minimal federal participation. The opportunity was created on December 4, 2023, and the original application closing date was March 27, 2024. The listed award ceiling is $135,000.

Eligibility is limited to public and nonprofit entities and certain educational and tribal organizations. Eligible applicant types include state, county, city/township, and special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments; other tribal organizations (non-federally recognized tribal entities, as allowed under the notice); public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; and nonprofits both with and without 501(c)(3) status. Individuals and for-profit organizations are explicitly ineligible, so proposals from private companies or individual consultants cannot be submitted as the applicant under this NOFO.

A key restriction in the notice is that this particular wildlife program NOFO does not support applicants proposing to hire interns or crews under the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993. The notice emphasizes that the Public Lands Corps Act (16 USC Chapter 37, Subchapter II) is the legislative authority that allows BLM to "hire" interns under that framework, and that projects intended to engage eligible Youth Conservation Corps must be pursued under a different funding opportunity: NOFO 15.243, titled "BLM Youth Conservation Opportunities on Public Lands." In practical terms, applicants should avoid building proposals around youth crew or intern hiring models under this NM Wildlife Program announcement and instead keep staffing and project design aligned with what BLM can support under this specific authority.

The announcement also highlights the role of Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESUs). CESUs are partnership networks designed to support research, monitoring, assessment, technical assistance, and education services that align with federal land management needs. If an award is made to a CESU partner under a formally negotiated Master CESU agreement, and the project is consistent with the CESU purpose, then 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 instructed to state whether their proposal furthers the purpose of the CESU program and, if it does, to identify which CESU Network should be considered as the host. This matters for budgeting and compliance because the CESU indirect cost limitation can affect the overall cost proposal and the organization’s recoverable overhead.

Overall, the opportunity funds wildlife and natural resource-related efforts tied to BLM priorities in New Mexico, delivered through cooperative agreements with eligible governmental, tribal, nonprofit, and educational partners. Prospective applicants should pay close attention to the ineligibility of individuals and for-profits, the explicit exclusion of Public Lands Corps-style intern/crew hiring under this NOFO, and the indirect cost cap that may apply when applying as a CESU partner under an established CESU framework.

• The Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY24 IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management New Mexico (NM) Wildlife Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.247.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-12-04.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-03-27. (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 $135,000.00 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 L24AS00183

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