IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management Alaska Recreation and Visitor Services | L25AS00126

Opportunity Information: Apply for L25AS00126

The IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management Alaska Recreation and Visitor Services opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number L25AS00126) is a discretionary funding notice from the Bureau of Land Management that will be awarded through cooperative agreements under CFDA 15.225. The core purpose is to support BLM Alaska recreation and visitor services work that strengthens public access to outdoor recreation while also advancing broader federal priorities tied to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), along with related policy and conservation direction such as the Great American Outdoors Act, the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act, and Executive Orders 13985 (racial equity and support for underserved communities) and 14008 (climate). In practical terms, BLM is looking for projects that improve recreational opportunities and visitor services on public lands in ways that are safer, more equitable, and more environmentally resilient, while benefiting local communities and economies.

For fiscal year 2025, the program emphasizes projects that build healthy communities and economies, advance environmental justice, address the climate crisis, and expand safe and equitable access to outdoor recreation for all Americans. The opportunity highlights several priority outcomes: connecting with youth, Tribes, and underserved communities to encourage stewardship of public lands; improving access to high-quality recreation opportunities while incorporating climate resiliency; identifying and reducing barriers that keep people from enjoying outdoor recreation and expanding opportunities for broader participation; and modernizing the visitor experience by delivering current, engaging, and sustainable visitor information both online and in person. Taken together, these themes point to projects that do more than maintain recreation sites; they should also demonstrate inclusive community benefit, thoughtful communication and outreach, and an awareness of climate impacts and long-term sustainability.

Eligibility is limited to public and nonprofit or educational entities. Eligible applicants include state, county, city or township, and special district governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Tribal governments and other Tribal organizations; and nonprofits both with and without 501(c)(3) status. Individuals and for-profit organizations are explicitly ineligible under this notice, which is an important constraint for groups that might otherwise participate as contractors or partners rather than as applicants.

There are also two key program restrictions called out in the notice. First, this NOFO does not support hiring interns or crews under the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993. BLM notes that the Public Lands Corps Act is the only authority that allows BLM to hire interns under that framework, and applicants interested in youth corps-style projects must use the separate funding opportunity identified as NOFO 15.243, BLM Youth Conservation Opportunities on Public Lands, if they are an eligible Youth Conservation Corps and the project fits that program. Second, the notice addresses Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESUs). CESUs are partnership networks designed to deliver research, technical assistance, monitoring, education, and related services. If an award is made to a CESU partner under a formally negotiated Master CESU agreement and the work 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 asked to indicate whether their proposal supports the CESU mission and, if so, which CESU Network should serve as the host.

The award ceiling listed is $100,000, and the posted closing date is March 17, 2025. While the notice does not spell out the exact number of awards in the provided text, the use of cooperative agreements signals that BLM expects substantial involvement in shaping, coordinating, or overseeing project activities during implementation, rather than simply issuing a grant with minimal federal interaction. Overall, the opportunity is best suited for governments, Tribes, universities, and nonprofits that can partner with BLM Alaska to improve recreation access and visitor services while clearly tying outcomes to equity, climate resilience, environmental justice, and durable community benefit.

• The Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management Alaska 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 2024-11-22.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-03-17. (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 $100,000.00 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.

Apply for L25AS00126

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