FY24 IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management Oregon/Washington (ORWA) Forest and Woodlands Resource Management | L24AS00045

FAQs: FY24 IIJA/IRA BLM Oregon/Washington (ORWA) Forest and Woodlands Resource Management (L24AS00045)

What is this funding opportunity?

This is a discretionary funding opportunity from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) titled the FY24 IIJA/IRA BLM Oregon/Washington (ORWA) Forest and Woodlands Resource Management opportunity. The Funding Opportunity Number is L24AS00045 and the CFDA listing is 15.233. It supports forest and woodland resource management work on BLM-managed landscapes in Oregon and Washington.

What type of award will BLM use for this opportunity?

BLM will use cooperative agreements. Under a cooperative agreement, BLM expects to have substantial involvement during project planning and implementation. That involvement can include coordinating priorities, reviewing deliverables, and aligning field work with agency standards and schedules, rather than acting as a pass-through funder with minimal federal engagement.

What does "substantial involvement" mean in practice?

Based on the notice language, applicants should expect BLM to be actively engaged in the project. Examples provided include coordinating priorities, reviewing deliverables, and aligning field work with BLM standards and schedules. Projects should be designed with that collaboration in mind.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is limited to public and mission-driven entities. 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
• Private institutions of higher education
• Federally recognized Native American tribal governments
• Other tribal organizations
• Public housing authorities / Indian housing authorities
• Nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (excluding higher education institutions where noted)
• Nonprofit organizations without 501(c)(3) status (excluding higher education institutions where noted)

Who is not eligible to apply?

Individuals and for-profit organizations are explicitly ineligible under this opportunity. Private individuals and businesses should not apply.

What is the main purpose of the funding?

The funding is intended to support forest and woodland resource management work in BLM-managed landscapes in Oregon and Washington. While the excerpt does not list specific project types, it indicates projects should directly support management of forest and woodland resources on public lands and align with BLM OR/WA priorities.

What kinds of activities does BLM expect projects to support?

The description frames eligible work as activities consistent with BLM resource objectives for forests and woodlands, such as improving forest condition, supporting resilience, addressing vegetation management needs, and providing related monitoring, assessment, or technical services, as appropriate to BLM Oregon/Washington priorities.

Is this opportunity meant to fund internships or youth crews?

No. A key restriction is that this specific Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is not intended to support organizations that want to hire interns or field crews under the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993.

What is the Public Lands Corps (PLC) restriction?

The notice explains that the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 (16 USC, Chapter 37, Subchapter II) is the legislative authority that allows BLM to "hire" interns under that framework, and that this forest and woodlands NOFO is not the correct pathway for youth/internship-focused proposals. Proposals should be structured around forest and woodland resource management outcomes rather than staffing models centered on PLC internships or crews.

Where should an organization apply if it wants to propose a PLC-style youth crew or internship project?

Organizations interested in youth crew, internship, or related Public Lands Corps-style projects are directed to apply under NOFO 15.243, titled "BLM Youth Conservation Opportunities on Public Lands."

Can an eligible Youth Conservation Corps apply to this NOFO anyway?

The notice indicates that if the intent is to propose youth crew, internship, or Public Lands Corps-style work, this NOFO is not the intended pathway and the applicant should instead use NOFO 15.243 (BLM Youth Conservation Opportunities on Public Lands). This NOFO is framed around forest and woodland resource management outcomes rather than PLC hiring models.

What is the maximum award amount?

The maximum federal award amount (award ceiling) listed is $250,000.

What is the funding activity category?

The funding activity category is Natural Resources.

What geographic area does this opportunity cover?

The geographic focus implied by the title is BLM-managed landscapes within the BLM Oregon/Washington (ORWA) State Office area of responsibility, meaning Oregon and Washington.

What are the key dates mentioned for this opportunity?

The posting was created on October 31, 2023. The original application closing date was February 26, 2024.

What is CFDA 15.233?

CFDA 15.233 is the assistance listing associated with this opportunity as provided in the notice excerpt.

What are Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESUs), and how do they relate to this opportunity?

CESUs are formal research and technical assistance partnerships designed to promote and provide research, assessments, monitoring, technical assistance, and educational services that support public land management. The opportunity notes that CESU status can affect how an award is routed and how indirect costs are handled when the award is made under a formally negotiated Master CESU agreement aligned with the CESU mission.

Is there an indirect cost cap for CESU awards?

Yes. If an applicant is a CESU partner and the award is made under a formally negotiated Master CESU agreement that aligns with the CESU mission, indirect costs may not exceed 17.5 percent of the indirect cost base that is recognized in the partner's federally approved Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA).

What is a NICRA and why is it mentioned?

A NICRA is a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement. It is mentioned because, for CESU-based awards under this opportunity, the indirect cost policy is capped and is calculated against the indirect cost base recognized in the applicant's federally approved NICRA.

If we are a CESU partner, what must we include in our proposal?

Applicants are instructed to state whether their proposal advances the CESU purpose and, if it does, to identify which CESU Network should serve as the host. This is important for both alignment and administrative routing under the CESU structure, and it can affect budgeting due to the CESU indirect cost cap.

Is this grant more suitable for certain types of organizations?

Based on the stated eligibility and the cooperative agreement structure, the opportunity is best suited for tribes, nonprofits, universities, and public agencies that can partner closely with BLM on forest and woodland management work in Oregon and Washington and can manage cooperative agreement requirements.

What is the biggest "fit check" before applying?

The key fit considerations highlighted are: (1) the project should be forest and woodland resource management work aligned with BLM OR/WA priorities; (2) the applicant must be an eligible public or mission-driven entity (not an individual or for-profit); (3) the applicant should be prepared for substantial BLM involvement under a cooperative agreement; and (4) proposals centered on Public Lands Corps internship/youth crew hiring should use NOFO 15.243 instead.