BLM CA Fisheries and Aquatic Resource Management | L19AS00078

Opportunity Information: Apply for L19AS00078

The BLM CA Fisheries and Aquatic Resource Management opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number L19AS00078) is a discretionary grant offered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, using a cooperative agreement as the funding instrument. It is focused on protecting, maintaining, and restoring aquatic ecosystems on public lands, especially the riparian corridors, wetlands, streams, rivers, lakes, and reservoirs that support fish, wildlife, and invertebrates. The program is rooted in the idea that healthy riparian and wetland systems are not just wildlife habitat, but working natural infrastructure that supports clean water, reduces erosion, improves water quality, and sustains outdoor recreation and other community benefits.

The core purpose of the funding is to support BLM aquatic habitat management efforts that balance conservation with multiple uses of public lands. Projects supported under this opportunity are expected to help conserve fish and aquatic habitats, protect and restore riparian and wetland areas, and improve overall stream function, including reconnecting streams to their floodplains where appropriate. The description highlights that BLM manages an exceptionally large and diverse aquatic footprint nationwide, including more than 150,000 miles of streams and rivers, over 3 million acres of lake and reservoir habitat, and nearly 13 million acres of wetlands. Because of that scale, BLM emphasizes partnerships and coordinated strategies that can be applied effectively across landscapes and watersheds.

The work areas called out in the opportunity include several specific management themes. One is riparian and wetland conservation, which can involve actions that stabilize streambanks, improve riparian vegetation conditions, support natural hydrology, and protect sensitive areas that provide outsized ecological benefits. Another is fish and aquatic habitat conservation, which may include improving habitat complexity, addressing limiting factors for native species, and supporting recovery needs where species are sensitive or at risk. The opportunity also explicitly includes control of aquatic invasive species, reflecting the ongoing need to prevent introduction, limit spread, and reduce impacts of non-native organisms that can disrupt aquatic food webs, habitat conditions, and native populations.

A further emphasis is on aquatic organism passage, which generally refers to improving connectivity for fish and other aquatic species by addressing barriers such as culverts, small dams, diversions, or other structures that block movement. Projects in this area often aim to restore access to spawning or rearing habitat and improve resilience by allowing species to move in response to seasonal flows and changing conditions. In addition, the opportunity prioritizes monitoring of riparian and instream habitat conditions, along with monitoring water quantity and water quality condition and trends. This monitoring component signals that BLM is interested not only in on-the-ground restoration and protection, but also in measuring outcomes and building reliable data that can guide adaptive management over time.

Eligibility is broad and includes state, county, and city or township governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; and nonprofit organizations, including both 501(c)(3) nonprofits and nonprofits that do not hold 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education). The cooperative agreement structure typically implies substantial involvement by the federal agency during project implementation, meaning applicants should expect active coordination with BLM staff on planning, execution, reporting, and potentially technical approaches.

The opportunity was created July 19, 2019, with an open application window from July 18, 2019 through September 19, 2019, closing at 4:30 PM Eastern Time. It was structured with two submission deadlines: Round One applications due August 19, 2019 at 4:30 PM ET, and Round Two applications due September 19, 2019 at 4:30 PM ET. The award ceiling listed is $100,000, and BLM anticipated making approximately three awards under this announcement. Overall, the funding is aimed at partnership-driven, practical aquatic resource work that protects and restores riparian and wetland function, improves habitat connectivity and resilience, addresses invasive species risks, and strengthens monitoring of ecological and water condition trends across BLM-managed landscapes.

• The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BLM CA Fisheries and Aquatic Resource Management" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.244.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jul 19, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 19, 2019 Open from July 18, 2019 to September 19, 2019, 430 PM ET Round One Applications Due August 19, 2019, 430 PM ET Round Two Applications Due September 19, 2019, 430 PM ET. (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.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 3 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), 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.

Apply for L19AS00078

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