FY25 IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management Wyoming Threatened and Endangered Species Program | L25AS00178

Opportunity Information: Apply for L25AS00178

The FY25 IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Wyoming Threatened and Endangered Species Program (Funding Opportunity Number L25AS00178; CFDA 15.246) is a discretionary cooperative agreement opportunity that supports projects on BLM-managed lands in Wyoming aimed at conserving and recovering federally listed species, BLM sensitive species, and other rare wildlife and plants. The program is framed around Department of the Interior priorities, with an emphasis on protecting biodiversity, slowing extinction rates, improving resilience to climate change, leveraging natural climate solutions, and contributing to the national goal of conserving at least 30 percent of lands and waters by 2030. It also highlights coordination that helps State agencies meet wildlife population objectives and a clear expectation that projects engage communities that are often underserved or overlooked, including communities of color, low-income families, rural communities, and Indigenous communities, in ways that can enhance economic opportunity related to wildlife. Across all project types, the opportunity stresses using the best available science and data to guide decisions.

BLM is looking to partner with eligible organizations on a mix of practical, on-the-ground conservation work and science-based support activities. Fundable work includes direct conservation and recovery actions for listed, sensitive, and rare species; targeted inventory and monitoring to clarify species status, distribution, trends, and conservation options; and research or applied studies that improve understanding of species and habitats, including propagation methods, genetics, ecology, and threats. The opportunity also covers proactive habitat protection or management consistent with Endangered Species Act (ESA) section 7(a)(1), and it explicitly allows augmentation approaches such as translocations, seed collection, and propagation when appropriate for species recovery or conservation. On the program operations side, it supports efforts that improve efficiency and effectiveness for ESA section 7(a)(2) consultations and section 7(a)(1) conservation programs, which can include tools, processes, data improvements, or coordination approaches that help BLM complete its ESA responsibilities more effectively.

A notable component is public-facing work. The program encourages projects that increase public knowledge of threatened, endangered, sensitive, and rare species on BLM lands, with particular attention to outreach that reaches and benefits communities of color, low-income families, and rural and Indigenous communities. Related communications work is also eligible, including outreach and education products and updates to program web content, suggesting BLM is interested not only in field outcomes but also in improving awareness, transparency, and community connection to conservation efforts.

Eligibility is limited to government entities and nonprofit or academic organizations. Eligible applicants include State, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; public and State-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Tribal governments; other Tribal organizations; and nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status. Individuals and for-profit organizations are explicitly ineligible under this notice of funding opportunity (NOFO). The NOFO also draws a bright line around youth hiring: it does not support entities hiring interns or crews under the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993. If an organization is seeking to propose Youth Conservation Corps-style intern or crew projects, BLM directs applicants to a separate funding path (NOFO 15.243, BLM Youth Conservation Opportunities on Public Lands), since that is the authority BLM uses for that type of engagement.

For applicants connected to Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESUs), the NOFO includes a key cost note. CESUs are partnerships intended to support research, monitoring, technical assistance, and education, and if an award is made to a CESU partner under a formally negotiated Master CESU agreement 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 asked to state whether their proposal furthers CESU purposes and, if so, which CESU Network should serve as host.

Administratively, this is a cooperative agreement (not a contract), meaning BLM expects substantial involvement in the project, such as collaboration on planning, implementation, or technical direction consistent with cooperative agreement structures. The opportunity was created on December 16, 2024, and the original closing date is February 17, 2025. The listed award ceiling is $100,000, indicating BLM anticipates proposals scoped to a modest, project-scale budget, though applicants should still design rigorous work plans that clearly connect activities to conservation outcomes, ESA program support, and inclusive public engagement where relevant.

• The Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY25 IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management Wyoming Threatened and Endangered Species Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.246.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-12-16.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-02-17. (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 $100,000.00 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 L25AS00178

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