FY24 IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management Idaho (ID) Cultural and Paleontology Resource Management | L24AS00075

Opportunity Information: Apply for L24AS00075

The FY24 IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management Idaho (ID) Cultural and Paleontology Resource Management opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number L24AS00075; CFDA 15.224) is a discretionary Bureau of Land Management (BLM) funding opportunity issued as a cooperative agreement. It is focused on supporting work tied to BLM Idaho's Cultural Heritage and Paleontology Programs, which generally covers activities that help identify, protect, document, manage, and interpret cultural resources (such as archaeological sites, historic properties, and traditional cultural places) and paleontological resources on public lands. Because it is a cooperative agreement rather than a standard grant, applicants should expect substantial involvement from BLM staff in shaping, coordinating, or overseeing project work, deliverables, and outcomes.

Eligibility is limited to a wide range of public and nonprofit entities, including 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; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; and nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)). Individuals and for-profit organizations are explicitly not eligible to apply. That restriction is important for organizations that sometimes use fiscal sponsors or contractor-driven models; if the applying entity is ineligible, the proposal cannot be funded under this notice.

A key program limitation is that this NOFO does not support projects that involve hiring 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 this particular NOFO is not the vehicle for those types of youth/intern crew projects. As a result, Youth Conservation Corps-type efforts that are built around interns or crews under that Act must be pursued under a different BLM funding opportunity: NOFO 15.243, BLM Youth Conservation Opportunities on Public Lands. Applicants planning field-based cultural or paleontology work should account for this and structure staffing accordingly (for example, using qualified staff, partners, or other allowable arrangements rather than proposing PLC intern hiring through this award).

The opportunity also calls out the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) program. CESUs are partnership networks designed to support research, monitoring, technical assistance, assessments, and education services that align with federal land management needs. If an applicant is a CESU partner and a cooperative agreement is awarded under a formally negotiated Master CESU agreement consistent with CESU purposes, indirect costs are capped. Specifically, indirect costs are limited to 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 expected to state whether their proposal advances CESU program purposes and, if so, identify which CESU Network should be considered as the host. This matters for budgeting, since it can change the allowable indirect cost recovery even if the organization has a higher NICRA rate.

The BLM listed an award ceiling of $32,000, indicating the maximum anticipated federal funding per award under this notice. The original closing date was December 11, 2023, and the opportunity was created on October 2, 2023. While the summary information provided does not specify the number of expected awards, the relatively modest ceiling suggests projects are likely scoped as targeted, discrete efforts, such as focused surveys, documentation and evaluation work, specific paleontology inventory or monitoring tasks, condition assessments, small-scale stabilization planning, data management, or educational/interpretive products tied to resource stewardship in Idaho BLM-managed areas.

In practical terms, a competitive application would typically align tightly with BLM Idaho cultural resource and paleontology management priorities, clearly describe methods and deliverables, show the applicant's technical qualifications and relevant experience, and present a realistic budget that respects the ceiling and any indirect cost limits (especially for CESU partners). Proposals should also be careful to avoid building the project around PLC intern hiring, since the NOFO explicitly directs that those youth crew/intern concepts belong under the separate youth-focused NOFO rather than this cultural and paleontology resource management opportunity.

• The Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY24 IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management Idaho (ID) Cultural and Paleontology Resource Management" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.224.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-10-02.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-12-11. (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 $32,000.00 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.

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