FY24 IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management MT/DAK Fuels Management and Community Fire Assistance Program | L24AS00118

Opportunity Information: Apply for L24AS00118

The FY24 IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management (BLM) MT/DAK Fuels Management and Community Fire Assistance Program is a discretionary federal funding opportunity from the BLM focused on natural resource work tied to wildfire risk reduction and community fire assistance in the Montana and Dakotas BLM context. The funding is offered through cooperative agreements, which generally means recipients should expect substantial involvement or collaboration with BLM during project implementation rather than a hands-off pass-through award. The opportunity is cataloged under CFDA 15.228 and is positioned to support projects that help manage hazardous fuels, improve wildfire preparedness, and strengthen community resilience in landscapes and communities influenced by BLM-managed lands in the MT/DAK region.

A wide range of public and nonprofit entities are eligible to apply. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city/township governments; 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 and Indian housing authorities; and nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)). Individuals and for-profit organizations are explicitly ineligible, so proposals must come from an eligible governmental, Tribal, educational, housing, or nonprofit organization.

A key restriction in this notice is that it does not support 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 as a result, projects proposing youth intern or crew hiring under that Act are not supported through this particular NOFO. Instead, eligible Youth Conservation Corps organizations are directed to apply through a different opportunity: NOFO 15.243, titled BLM Youth Conservation Opportunities on Public Lands. In practical terms, applicants should avoid structuring their project budgets and staffing plans around Public Lands Corps intern or crew hiring under this funding opportunity, and should use the separate youth-focused NOFO if that is central to their approach.

The notice also highlights a specific rule for applicants that are part of a Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) network. CESUs are partnerships designed to promote and deliver research, studies, assessments, monitoring, technical assistance, and educational services, typically through a framework anchored by a Master CESU agreement. If a cooperative agreement under this opportunity is awarded to a CESU partner 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 approved Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA). Applicants are expected to state whether their proposal advances CESU purposes and, if it does, to identify which CESU Network should be considered the host. This matters for budgeting because it can limit the recoverable indirect cost rate compared with what an organization might otherwise apply under its NICRA.

From an award sizing perspective, the listed award ceiling is $275,000. The notice shows an original closing date of March 18, 2024, and it was created on January 16, 2024. While the number of expected awards is not provided in the source text, applicants should treat the ceiling as the upper bound for a single award under this opportunity and plan scopes, deliverables, and match or leveraged resources accordingly (to the extent the full NOFO requires or encourages leveraging, which is not specified in the excerpt provided).

Overall, the opportunity is best suited for government entities, Tribes, eligible educational institutions, housing authorities, and nonprofits that can partner with BLM on fuels management and community fire assistance activities in the MT/DAK area, can operate under a cooperative agreement model, and can structure staffing and project delivery without relying on Public Lands Corps intern or crew hiring under this specific NOFO. For CESU-affiliated applicants, the indirect cost limitation and the need to identify the appropriate CESU network are important compliance details to address directly in the proposal narrative and budget.

• The Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY24 IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management MT/DAK Fuels Management and Community Fire Assistance Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.228.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-01-16.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-03-18. (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 $275,000.00 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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