Bureau of Land Management Alaska (IIJA) Recreation and Visitor Services | L23AS00122

Opportunity Information: Apply for L23AS00122

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Alaska (IIJA) Recreation and Visitor Services opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number L23AS00122) is a discretionary federal funding program run by the U.S. Department of the Interior through BLM. It is designed to support recreation and visitor services work connected to BLM-managed public lands in Alaska, aligning with the agency's natural resources mission. Awards under this notice are made as cooperative agreements, which typically means BLM expects to have substantial involvement in the project during implementation (for example, coordination on planning, standards, deliverables, or oversight), rather than simply issuing a grant with minimal federal participation. The program is listed under CFDA 15.225 and is framed around improving or supporting recreation-related services, facilities, access, and visitor-facing resources that benefit public land users.

Eligibility is limited to governmental, educational, tribal, housing, and nonprofit entities. Specifically eligible applicants 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; Tribal organizations that are not federally recognized Tribal governments; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; and nonprofits both with and without IRS 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education). Individuals and for-profit organizations are explicitly ineligible, so private citizens, sole proprietors, and commercial businesses cannot apply under this notice.

A key restriction in this NOFO is that it 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 only authority that allows BLM to "hire" interns under that particular framework, and that this specific recreation and visitor services NOFO is not the vehicle for that type of youth internship or crew hiring. If an applicant is a Youth Conservation Corps or is pursuing youth crew or internship-style work intended to fall under Public Lands Corps authorities, BLM directs those efforts to a different funding avenue: NOFO 15.243, titled BLM Youth Conservation Opportunities on Public Lands. In practical terms, organizations should not propose intern/crew hiring models under this opportunity and should instead structure projects around eligible recreation and visitor services activities that do not rely on Public Lands Corps hiring authorities.

The opportunity was created on January 6, 2023, with an original closing date of March 7, 2023. The award ceiling is listed as $1,000,000, indicating that individual awards could be made up to that maximum amount, depending on project scope and available funding. The posting does not clearly state the total number of expected awards in the provided excerpt, but applicants should assume awards are competitive and dependent on BLM priorities, available IIJA-related funding allocations, and the quality and readiness of proposed projects.

Overall, this funding opportunity is aimed at eligible public, tribal, educational, housing, and nonprofit partners that can help BLM Alaska enhance recreation infrastructure, visitor services, and public access experiences on BLM lands, while avoiding proposals centered on Public Lands Corps intern or crew hiring, which must be pursued under the separate youth conservation NOFO.

• The Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Bureau of Land Management Alaska (IIJA) Recreation and Visitor Services" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.225.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-01-06.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-03-07. (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 $1,000,000.00 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 L23AS00122

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