Department of the Interior - Bureau of Land Management Montana/Dakotas Cultural and Paleontological Resource Management | L21AS00394

Opportunity Information: Apply for L21AS00394

The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is offering a discretionary funding opportunity focused on cultural and paleontological resource management in the Montana/Dakotas area. The opportunity is identified as Funding Opportunity Number L21AS00394, and awards are made through a cooperative agreement, meaning recipients should expect a more active partnership with BLM than a standard grant, often involving coordination on project design, deliverables, and oversight tied to BLM resource management needs on public lands. The funding activity category is Natural Resources and the program is associated with CFDA number 15.224. The posted maximum award amount (award ceiling) is $30,000 per award, and the original closing date listed for applications was May 29, 2021, with a creation date of March 30, 2021.

The purpose of the program is to support work that helps identify, document, evaluate, protect, or manage cultural resources (such as archaeological sites, historic properties, and traditional cultural places) and paleontological resources (such as fossil localities and related scientific data) on lands managed by BLM in the Montana/Dakotas jurisdiction. While the short description does not list specific project types, opportunities under this kind of BLM resource management umbrella commonly include activities like inventories and surveys, condition assessments, site documentation and record updates, research and analysis that informs management decisions, planning support that helps BLM meet legal responsibilities, and other efforts that contribute to stewardship of sensitive cultural and fossil resources.

Eligibility is restricted to a broad set of public and nonprofit entities, but it explicitly excludes individuals and for-profit organizations. 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, private institutions of higher education, federally recognized Native American tribal governments, Native American tribal organizations other than federally recognized tribal governments, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, and nonprofit organizations both with and without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education when applying under the nonprofit category). This structure indicates BLM is aiming to partner with established public-serving institutions, educational organizations, tribes, and nonprofits that can carry out technical cultural and paleontological resource work consistent with federal standards and BLM management priorities.

Several restrictions are emphasized in the notice. First, individuals and for-profit organizations cannot apply. Second, the NOFO does not support entities hiring interns or crews under this program. The notice explains that the only legislative authority allowing BLM to "hire" interns is the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 (16 USC, Chapter 37, Subchapter II - Public Lands Corps). As a result, youth corps or youth conservation corps organizations that want to propose projects involving interns or crew-style hiring must apply under a different funding opportunity: NOFO 15.243, titled BLM Youth Conservation Opportunities on Public Lands. In practical terms, applicants should not build proposals for this Montana/Dakotas cultural and paleontological resource management program around paid intern positions or youth crews, because that approach is directed to a separate BLM program authority and solicitation.

Overall, this opportunity is a small-scale (up to $30,000) cooperative agreement intended to help BLM meet stewardship and compliance needs for cultural and paleontological resources in the Montana/Dakotas region, using partners such as governments, tribes, universities, and nonprofits. Applicants considering this program should frame projects as technical resource management support rather than workforce development or intern/crew hiring, and should be prepared to collaborate closely with BLM as part of the cooperative agreement structure.

• The Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Department of the Interior - Bureau of Land Management Montana/Dakotas Cultural and Paleontological Resource Management" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.224.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2021-03-30.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-05-29. (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 $30,000.00 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.

Apply for L21AS00394

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