FY25 IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management Idaho (ID) Cultural and Paleontological Resource Management | L25AS00072

Opportunity Information: Apply for L25AS00072

The FY25 IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management Idaho (ID) Cultural and Paleontological Resource Management opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number L25AS00072) is a discretionary funding program from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) that will make awards through cooperative agreements. The core purpose is to build and strengthen partnerships that improve access to, stewardship of, and appropriate use of cultural and paleontological (heritage) resources on BLM-managed lands in Idaho. Projects are expected to advance U.S. Department of the Interior priorities while directly supporting the goals of BLM's Cultural Heritage and Paleontology Program, with an emphasis on delivering educational, scientific, cultural, and recreational benefits in ways that protect resources for the long term.

Projects funded under this notice are meant to address real, on-the-ground needs in cultural and paleontological resource management. Proposed work must align with one or more of the program objectives, which span the full lifecycle of heritage resource stewardship. This includes research and knowledge-building activities such as inventories, excavations, archival and records research, and collections-based research that deepen understanding of America's natural and cultural history. It also includes monitoring of at-risk resources to document condition trends and evaluate whether protection measures are working, and stabilization actions to reduce threats to vulnerable sites, objects, or features before they are lost or further damaged.

A major emphasis is also placed on capacity-building and long-term program support. Applicants can propose training efforts that prepare future cultural resource management practitioners and paleontologists, including research projects, field schools, and internships that specifically highlight BLM resources and management needs. The opportunity also supports the less visible but essential infrastructure of heritage management, including cultural heritage data and records management. Examples mentioned include organizing, maintaining, scanning, and digitizing site and survey records; creating and maintaining geospatial datasets; and completing data entry that improves the accuracy, accessibility, and usability of BLM heritage information.

Collections care and access are also eligible themes. Projects may focus on preserving existing collections housed at recognized curation facilities through archival rehousing, stabilization, and conservation actions. Beyond preservation, the program encourages proposals that broaden public access to museum collections, which can include improving discoverability, interpretation, or other access-oriented activities that align with professional standards and resource protection responsibilities.

The notice strongly encourages respectful engagement and partnership with Native American communities. Eligible projects may promote sustained engagement with Tribal nations and programs, support BLM Tribal consultation efforts, and foster partnerships with Tribal governments and Tribal organizations. In addition, proposals can focus on public engagement and education, such as heritage resource outreach programs, events, interpretive products, and initiatives that build conservation and preservation ethics among visitors and communities. Another eligible project type is the development and maintenance of historic sites that have interpretive and educational potential, which can help connect the public to place-based history while ensuring those locations are managed responsibly.

Several specific areas are explicitly referenced as fitting within the scope of this program, including archaeological curation, state historic preservation public outreach, and data management. At the same time, the eligibility rules are clear about who cannot apply: individuals and for-profit organizations are ineligible under this NOFO. The eligible applicant types include state, county, city/township, and 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 nonprofit organizations, including both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3) entities.

There are also important limitations related to youth and internship hiring. This NOFO does not support entities that want to hire interns or crews under the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993. The notice explains that the Public Lands Corps Act is the sole authority that allows BLM to "hire" interns under that framework, so Youth Conservation Corps entities that want to propose youth/crew projects must pursue them under a separate announcement: NOFO 15.243, BLM Youth Conservation Opportunities on Public Lands.

For applicants affiliated with the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) program, the announcement highlights how CESU awards are handled. CESUs are partnerships designed to support research, assessment, monitoring, technical assistance, and education. If a cooperative agreement is awarded to a CESU partner under a formally negotiated Master CESU agreement, and the project is consistent with the CESU purpose, indirect costs are capped at no more than 17.5 percent of the indirect cost base recognized in the partner's federally negotiated indirect cost rate agreement (NICRA). Applicants are expected to state whether their proposal furthers CESU purposes and, if it does, identify which CESU Network should be considered as host.

Key administrative details included in the source information are: the CFDA number is 15.224, the activity category is Natural Resources, the funding instrument is a Cooperative Agreement, and the original application closing date is February 3, 2025. The listed award ceiling is $18,000.

• The Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY25 IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management Idaho (ID) Cultural and Paleontological 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 2024-11-13.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-02-03. (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 $18,000.00 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.

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