FY25 IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management Oregon/Washington (ORWA) Cultural and Paleontological Resource Management | L25AS00172

Opportunity Information: Apply for L25AS00172

The FY25 IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management Oregon/Washington (ORWA) Cultural and Paleontological Resource Management opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number L25AS00172) is a discretionary funding program from the Bureau of Land Management that will make awards through cooperative agreements. Its central aim is to build and strengthen partnerships that improve access to, and appropriate use of, cultural and paleontological resources on BLM-managed lands in Oregon and Washington, while highlighting their educational, scientific, cultural, and recreational value. Projects are expected to align with U.S. Department of the Interior priorities and the goals of BLM's Cultural Heritage and Paleontology Program, with a clear emphasis on stewardship, public benefit, and responsible management of heritage resources.

The program is broad in the kinds of projects it will support, as long as proposed work advances one or more of the stated objectives. Eligible projects include studies that deepen understanding of Americas natural and cultural history, such as inventories, excavations, archival and records research, and collections-based research. It also supports monitoring of at-risk heritage resources to document condition trends and evaluate whether management actions are working, as well as hands-on stabilization efforts to protect resources that are vulnerable to damage, deterioration, vandalism, or environmental threats. Another major focus is workforce development: projects can train future cultural resource management practitioners and paleontologists through research-based efforts, field schools, and internships that are centered on BLM resources.

A significant portion of the opportunity is geared toward improving how cultural heritage information is managed and made usable. This includes practical data and records management work such as organizing and maintaining site and survey files, scanning and digitizing records, creating and maintaining geospatial datasets, and completing data entry tasks that improve the accuracy and accessibility of heritage information. The NOFO also supports collections care at recognized curation facilities, including archival rehousing and conservation or stabilization treatments, and it encourages projects that broaden public access to museum collections, which can include improved discoverability, accessibility, and interpretation consistent with professional standards and any applicable restrictions.

Partnership and engagement goals are explicit throughout the notice. The BLM is looking for projects that promote engagement with Native American communities and strengthen partnerships with tribal governments and programs, including support that complements BLMs tribal consultation efforts. Public engagement is also a priority, with support for education and outreach activities that promote learning opportunities and conservation and preservation ethics through programs, events, and interpretive products. In addition, the opportunity allows for work to develop and maintain historic sites that have interpretive and educational potential, which can help translate stewardship into meaningful public experiences when done in a way that protects resources and respects cultural sensitivities.

Eligibility is limited to public and nonprofit or educational entities rather than private commercial applicants. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments; other tribal organizations; and nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status. Individuals and for-profit organizations are specifically ineligible under this NOFO. The opportunity also draws a clear boundary around youth hiring: it does not support entities seeking to hire interns or crews under the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 through this program. Organizations that want to pursue youth corps-style projects are directed instead to the separate BLM Youth Conservation Opportunities on Public Lands funding route (NOFO 15.243), which is the proper authority for that type of hiring.

The funding is listed under CFDA number 15.224 and falls within the Natural Resources activity category. The award ceiling is $100,000. The original closing date is March 12, 2025, and the opportunity record was created on December 9, 2024. Because awards are made as cooperative agreements, applicants should expect substantial involvement from BLM in project coordination and implementation, which typically means close collaboration on planning, compliance, deliverables, and outcomes rather than a hands-off grant structure.

Finally, the notice includes specific guidance for applicants connected to Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESUs). CESUs are partnerships designed to deliver research, technical assistance, monitoring, and education services, and proposals that further CESU purposes can be considered within that framework. If a cooperative agreement is awarded to a CESU partner under a negotiated Master CESU agreement consistent with CESU objectives, indirect costs are capped at no more than 17.5 percent of the indirect cost base recognized in the partner's federally approved NICRA. Applicants are encouraged to state clearly whether their proposal supports CESU purposes and, if it does, which CESU Network should be considered as the host, since that can affect both administrative handling and indirect cost treatment.

• The Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY25 IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management Oregon/Washington (ORWA) 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 2024-12-09.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-03-12. (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 L25AS00172

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: