Opportunity Information: Apply for L23AS00168
The FY23 IIJA Bureau of Land Management Headquarters (HQ) Recreation and Visitor Services opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number L23AS00168) is a discretionary federal grant program run by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM). It is offered as a cooperative agreement, which generally means recipients should expect substantial involvement from BLM in planning, coordination, technical input, or oversight during the project rather than a hands-off pass-through award. The program’s activity area is Natural Resources, and it is associated with CFDA/Assistance Listing 15.225. The overall focus, as indicated by the title and program office, is to support recreation and visitor services work connected to BLM-managed public lands, aligning with infrastructure and public access priorities that are often tied to IIJA-related investments.
Eligibility is limited to public and nonprofit or educational entities, and the notice is explicit about who cannot apply. Individuals and for-profit organizations are ineligible under this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). Eligible applicants include a broad range of government and public-serving organizations such as 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 Native American tribal governments; other Native American tribal organizations; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; and nonprofit organizations both with and without 501(c)(3) status (in both cases, excluding institutions of higher education when the nonprofit category is used). In practical terms, the program is structured to fund entities that can deliver public benefit projects and coordinate effectively with BLM, rather than private commercial operators or individual applicants.
A key restriction in this NOFO is that it does not support entities 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 legislative authority that allows BLM to "hire" interns under that specific framework, and that this particular funding opportunity is not the vehicle for that type of youth or internship engagement. As a result, Youth Conservation Corps or similar youth-focused applicants are directed away from this program and toward a different opportunity specifically meant for that purpose: NOFO 15.243, titled BLM Youth Conservation Opportunities on Public Lands. This distinction matters for project design, because proposals that center on internship hiring or youth crews under that statute would be considered out of scope here and would be more appropriately submitted under the youth conservation-focused NOFO.
The administrative details provided indicate the opportunity was created on January 23, 2023, with an original closing date of March 24, 2023. The award ceiling listed is $350,000, meaning applicants should plan budgets at or below that maximum per award (unless the full NOFO text specifies exceptions). While the dataset excerpt does not state the total available funding or the exact number of expected awards, it does signal an intent to make one or more awards through cooperative agreements for projects that strengthen recreation and visitor services connected to BLM’s mission and public lands management responsibilities.
Taken together, the opportunity is best understood as a BLM HQ-managed, IIJA-era cooperative agreement program intended to fund eligible public, tribal, educational, and nonprofit partners to carry out recreation and visitor service improvements or related natural resource visitor-facing work on or tied to BLM lands, with clear exclusions for individuals, for-profit entities, and projects that rely on Public Lands Corps internship or crew hiring authorities.Apply for L23AS00168
- The Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY23 IIJA Bureau of Land Management Headquarters (HQ) 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 2023-01-23.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-03-24. (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 $350,000.00 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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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is this funding opportunity?
This is the FY23 IIJA Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Headquarters (HQ) Recreation and Visitor Services discretionary federal grant opportunity. The Funding Opportunity Number (FON) is L23AS00168, and it is administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
What type of award is being offered?
The opportunity is offered as a cooperative agreement. This generally means the recipient should expect substantial involvement from BLM during the project (such as planning support, coordination, technical input, and/or oversight), rather than a hands-off, pass-through grant.
What is the program focus or purpose?
Based on the title and program office, the focus is to support recreation and visitor services work connected to BLM-managed public lands. It aligns with infrastructure and public access priorities commonly associated with IIJA-related investments, and it falls within the Natural Resources activity area.
What is the Assistance Listing (CFDA) number associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is associated with CFDA/Assistance Listing 15.225.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is limited to public and nonprofit or educational entities. Examples of eligible applicant types explicitly listed 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 Native American tribal organizations
- Public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities
- Nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education when using the nonprofit category)
- Nonprofit organizations without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education when using the nonprofit category)
Who is not eligible to apply?
The notice explicitly excludes individuals and for-profit organizations from applying under this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).
Are individuals allowed to apply if they partner with an eligible organization?
The information provided only states that individuals are ineligible as applicants. It does not describe whether or how an individual could participate through an eligible applicant (for example, as a contractor or team member). Any such approach would need to be consistent with the NOFO terms, but those terms are not included in the excerpt.
Can for-profit organizations apply or receive funding under this NOFO?
No. For-profit organizations are explicitly ineligible to apply under this NOFO.
Is this opportunity appropriate for Youth Conservation Corps or youth crew proposals?
This opportunity is not intended for entities hiring interns or crews under the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 (16 USC, Chapter 37, Subchapter II). Proposals centered on that type of youth or internship engagement would be out of scope for this funding opportunity.
Does this NOFO allow hiring interns under the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993?
No. The notice emphasizes that the Public Lands Corps Act is the only legislative authority that allows BLM to "hire" interns under that specific framework, and that this funding opportunity is not the vehicle for those internships or crews.
If my organization wants to do youth conservation internship or crew work, where should we apply instead?
Youth-focused applicants (including Youth Conservation Corps or similar youth-focused entities) are directed to a different opportunity: Assistance Listing/NOFO 15.243, titled "BLM Youth Conservation Opportunities on Public Lands."
What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The listed award ceiling is $350,000. Applicants should plan budgets at or below this maximum per award unless the full NOFO provides an exception (the excerpt provided does not describe any exceptions).
Is the total funding available or the expected number of awards stated?
The excerpt provided does not state the total available funding amount or the expected number of awards. It does indicate that BLM intends to make one or more awards through cooperative agreements.
What are the key dates for this opportunity?
The administrative details provided indicate the opportunity was created on January 23, 2023, and the original closing date was March 24, 2023.
Is this a discretionary grant program?
Yes. The opportunity is described as a discretionary federal grant program.
Which BLM office is managing this opportunity?
This opportunity is described as BLM Headquarters (HQ) Recreation and Visitor Services.
What kinds of projects fit within the scope of this opportunity?
Based on the information provided, projects should strengthen recreation and visitor services connected to BLM’s mission and public lands management responsibilities, and relate to visitor-facing natural resource work on or tied to BLM-managed public lands. The excerpt does not list specific project categories beyond that general focus.
Why does the cooperative agreement structure matter for applicants?
Because it is a cooperative agreement, applicants should plan for active engagement from BLM throughout the project. In practical terms, that often affects project planning, coordination approaches, and how technical decisions or oversight will be handled during implementation.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is L23AS00168.
Which federal agency is offering the program?
The program is run by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
Does this NOFO support private commercial recreation operators?
The excerpt indicates the program is structured to fund public benefit projects delivered by eligible public, tribal, educational, and nonprofit partners, and it explicitly excludes for-profit organizations. Based on that, private commercial operators (as for-profit applicants) would not be eligible to apply.
Are nonprofits required to have 501(c)(3) status to be eligible?
No. The eligibility list includes nonprofit organizations with and without 501(c)(3) status (with the noted caveat that the nonprofit category, when used, excludes institutions of higher education).
Are institutions of higher education eligible?
Yes. Both public/state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education are listed as eligible applicant types.
Are tribal governments eligible?
Yes. Federally recognized Native American tribal governments are listed as eligible, along with other Native American tribal organizations.
Are public housing authorities eligible?
Yes. Public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities are listed as eligible applicant types.
Is this opportunity connected to IIJA?
Yes. The title and description indicate it is an FY23 IIJA-related opportunity supporting recreation and visitor services connected to BLM-managed public lands.
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