FY25 IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management Colorado Forest and Woodlands Resource Management | L25AS00143

Opportunity Information: Apply for L25AS00143

The FY25 IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management Colorado Forest and Woodlands Resource Management opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number L25AS00143) is a discretionary federal funding program run by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to support on-the-ground and project-support work that improves forest and woodland conditions on public lands. Awards are made as cooperative agreements, which generally means BLM expects to remain actively involved during the project period through collaboration, coordination, and shared implementation responsibilities. The program is focused on high-priority forest and woodland needs tied to broad public benefits such as healthier forests, reduced wildfire risk, stronger habitat outcomes, and improved recovery from disturbances like insects, disease, and fire. While the title references Colorado, the notice also describes priority work in terms of treating forest and woodlands nationally, so applicants should pay close attention to how their proposed work aligns with BLM priorities and where the work would occur.

Projects supported under this program are centered on forest and woodland health and resilience. The notice emphasizes sustainable forest management, fire resiliency, biomass utilization (including bioenergy-related uses), habitat conservation needs, and recovery actions following insect outbreaks, disease impacts, and wildfires. The types of activities BLM is willing to fund are broad and can include both field implementation and the technical and compliance work required to make implementation possible. Examples listed include tree planting; pre-commercial and commercial thinning; salvage or sanitation treatments (often used after disturbance to remove dead, dying, or hazardous trees or to reduce pest and disease spread); control of competing vegetation; fuels reduction work; and riparian or upland restoration. Beyond field treatments, the program can also support project development and layout work, planning analyses, and document preparation needed to support or complete compliance requirements under NEPA, the Endangered Species Act, and cultural resource clearances. Data collection and monitoring are also explicitly included, which is important for demonstrating treatment results, tracking ecological responses, and supporting adaptive management.

BLM identifies three priority lanes for the work it wants to fund: preparation, administration, and implementation tied to land management outcomes. First, project preparation can include site surveys, environmental clearances, NEPA preparation tasks, project layout, timber cruising, timber marking, boundary designation, and similar “up-front” steps that are necessary before treatment can occur. Second, project administration can include procurement and contracting steps such as subcontracting, advertising for bids, awarding subcontracts or timber sales, and subcontract performance inspections. Third, the program supports implementation that directly achieves BLM land management goals (as defined in the BLM Stewardship Manual) and produces measurable outputs such as acres treated or units of forest and woodland work completed. In practice, a strong proposal typically connects these lanes by explaining how planning and administration activities lead to timely, defensible implementation and measurable results on the ground.

Eligibility is limited to certain non-federal entity types. Eligible applicants include state, county, and local governments (including city or township governments and special districts); 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; and nonprofit organizations (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)). Individuals and for-profit organizations are explicitly ineligible under this notice, so proposals cannot be submitted by private individuals or commercial firms as the applicant (though eligible applicants may be able to engage contractors or partners consistent with federal award rules, as long as the applicant remains the responsible recipient).

There are also specific restrictions related to youth hiring and the Public Lands Corps. This NOFO does not support projects that involve entities hiring interns or crews under the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993. The notice explains that the Public Lands Corps Act is the only legislative authority that allows BLM to “hire” interns under that framework, and directs eligible Youth Conservation Corps applicants instead to the separate funding opportunity under CFDA 15.243, titled BLM Youth Conservation Opportunities on Public Lands. In other words, if the project concept is primarily about engaging youth corps crews through the PLC authority, this is not the correct funding opportunity to use.

The notice includes important guidance for Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) partners. CESUs are described as partnerships intended to promote and provide research, studies, assessments, monitoring, technical assistance, and educational services. If a cooperative agreement is awarded to a CESU partner under an existing Master CESU agreement and the proposal is consistent with the CESU purpose, the indirect cost rate is capped at no more than 17.5 percent of the indirect cost base recognized in the partner’s federally approved NICRA. Applicants are expected to state whether their proposal furthers the CESU program purpose and, if it does, identify which CESU Network should be considered as host. This matters for budgeting because indirect cost treatment and documentation expectations can differ depending on whether the award is processed through CESU.

Key administrative details provided in the source include an original closing date of February 3, 2025, an award ceiling of $120,000, and a funding activity category of Natural Resources under CFDA 15.233. The opportunity was created on December 4, 2024. While the expected number of awards is not clearly listed in the provided text, applicants should assume the program is competitive and design proposals that are tightly scoped to deliver clear, measurable outcomes, especially given the modest award ceiling and the emphasis on priority, high-impact work that supports forest health, wildfire resilience, and restoration on public lands.

• The Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY25 IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management Colorado Forest and Woodlands Resource Management" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.233.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-12-04.
• 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 $120,000.00 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), 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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