FY25 IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management Idaho (ID) Plant Conservation and Restoration Management | L25AS00146

Opportunity Information: Apply for L25AS00146

The FY25 IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management Idaho (ID) Plant Conservation and Restoration Management opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number L25AS00146) is a discretionary funding program offered by the Bureau of Land Management through cooperative agreements under CFDA 15.245 (Natural Resources). It is designed to support on-the-ground and science-driven work that strengthens native plant conservation and restoration across Idaho BLM-managed lands, with a strong emphasis on implementing the National Seed Strategy (www.blm.gov/seedstrategy). The program frames native plants and intact native plant communities as essential "green infrastructure" that underpins ecosystem health, biodiversity, and long-term resilience, especially as landscapes face increasing pressures from wildfire, drought, invasive species, and other climate-driven disturbances. A central idea behind the funding is that without an adequate supply of appropriate native seed and plant materials, large-scale restoration after disasters becomes far less effective, and opportunities to mitigate climate impacts are lost.

Program priorities align with broader Department of the Interior goals, including addressing the climate crisis, restoring balance on public lands and waters, advancing environmental justice, and investing in a clean energy future. In practical terms, BLM Idaho is looking for projects that protect biodiversity, increase resilience to climate change, and leverage natural climate solutions. The program also ties its work to the national conservation objective of conserving at least 30 percent of lands and waters by 2030. Another notable priority is meaningful community engagement, particularly efforts that involve communities of color, low-income families, and rural and Indigenous communities, in ways that expand economic opportunities connected to native seed production and restoration. Across all topic areas, applicants are expected to use the best available science and data to guide decisions, design projects, and evaluate outcomes.

The activities encouraged under this opportunity span both applied restoration and supporting research, monitoring, and tool development. A major focus is reducing threats to sage-grouse, rare plants, and other sensitive species by restoring high-priority habitats, including work that benefits keystone wildlife and pollinators. BLM Idaho is also interested in partnerships with native seed growers and producers to develop genetically appropriate native plant materials suited for restoration and rehabilitation, which typically means selecting the right species and the right seed sources for specific ecoregions and site conditions. In addition, the program supports studies intended to improve restoration effectiveness, including research in plant ecology, plant genetics, ecophysiology, seed bank persistence, propagation methods, agronomic production practices, trait and seed-source evaluations, and improvements to seeding treatments and restoration tools. Pollinator-related projects are explicitly encouraged as well, particularly work that clarifies how native plant communities support pollinators and how pollinators, in turn, affect restoration durability and ecological function over time.

Rare plant work is another core pillar of the opportunity. Projects may implement conservation actions for high-priority rare plant species, expand understanding of rare plant biology and threats, and monitor, protect, and restore habitats that support an exceptionally large pool of rare flora. The notice highlights that these efforts relate to more than 1,800 rare plant species overall, with more than 300 species occurring exclusively on BLM lands, underscoring why BLM sees itself as having a unique stewardship responsibility. The program also seeks projects that help mainstream the use of genetically appropriate native plant materials across many BLM programs beyond botany, including Wildlife, Oil and Gas, Minerals, Fuels, Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation, Rangeland management, and Renewable Energy. In other words, BLM wants restoration-quality native plant materials and practices to become standard across the agency, not siloed within a single program.

Public engagement and education are also eligible and encouraged, particularly through citizen science and outreach that expands knowledge of native plants and native plant communities. Examples given include developing technical guidance, educational videos, native plant guides and floras, workshops, webinars, and apps. The notice also mentions rare plant and animal surveys as eligible project types, indicating that inventory and monitoring work remains an important need, especially when tied to management decisions and restoration planning.

Eligibility is limited to organizations and governmental entities rather than individuals or for-profit businesses. Eligible applicants include state, county, and local governments (including special districts), public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, federally recognized Tribal governments, other Tribal organizations, and nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)). Individuals and for-profit organizations are explicitly ineligible for awards under this notice of funding opportunity. The program also states that it does not support entities hiring interns or crews under the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993; applicants interested in youth corps-style projects are directed instead to a separate BLM Youth Conservation funding opportunity (NOFO 15.243).

For applicants partnering through Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESUs), the notice clarifies an indirect cost limitation: for cooperative agreements with CESU partners, indirect costs are capped at no more than 17.5 percent. Applicants are expected to indicate whether they will participate in the CESU program and, if so, identify which CESU Network would serve as the host.

Key administrative details include an original closing date of February 3, 2025, an award ceiling of $40,000 per award, and use of the cooperative agreement instrument, which generally implies substantial involvement by BLM staff in coordinating, guiding, or collaborating on project activities compared to a more hands-off grant. Overall, the opportunity is aimed at practical, partner-driven projects that increase the supply and use of appropriate native plant materials, improve restoration outcomes through science and innovation, protect sensitive species and habitats, and expand public participation and equitable economic opportunities tied to native seed and restoration work in Idaho.

• The Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY25 IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management Idaho (ID) Plant Conservation and Restoration Management" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.245.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-11-21.
• 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 $40,000.00 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.

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