BLM AK Fisheries and Aquatic Resource Management | L19AS00103

Opportunity Information: Apply for L19AS00103

The BLM AK Fisheries and Aquatic Resource Management opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number L19AS00103) is a discretionary federal funding announcement from the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management. It is offered as a cooperative agreement, which generally means funded projects are expected to involve active collaboration with BLM staff during planning and implementation rather than functioning as a hands-off grant. The program sits within the natural resources funding category (CFDA 15.244) and focuses on protecting and improving aquatic ecosystems on BLM-managed public lands in Alaska.

At its core, the opportunity supports BLM Aquatic Habitat Management efforts that balance conservation with multiple-use public land objectives. The work emphasizes protecting sensitive riparian and wetland areas, maintaining or restoring how streams function, and improving or preserving stream access to floodplains. In practical terms, this can include actions that stabilize or rehabilitate streambanks, reconnect channels to their floodplains to improve habitat and reduce erosion, and protect wetlands and riparian corridors that serve as critical habitat and water quality buffers.

The scope of eligible project activities is broad but clearly centered on fisheries and aquatic resource stewardship. Priority themes include fish and aquatic habitat conservation, riparian and wetland conservation, and the control of aquatic invasive species. It also highlights aquatic organism passage, which typically refers to restoring connectivity for fish and other aquatic species by addressing barriers such as undersized culverts, road crossings, or other impediments that block movement. In addition, the opportunity supports monitoring of riparian and instream habitat conditions along with tracking water quantity and water quality conditions and trends, indicating an interest not only in on-the-ground restoration but also in the data collection needed to measure change over time and guide management decisions.

Eligible applicants include a wide range of public and nonprofit entities: state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations (excluding higher education institutions in that specific nonprofit category). This eligibility structure suggests BLM intended to partner with agencies, tribes, universities, and conservation organizations capable of conducting field work, monitoring, community coordination, and technical planning in Alaska aquatic systems.

In terms of timing and scale, the opportunity opened July 22, 2019 and closed September 20, 2019 at 5:00 PM Alaska Standard Time, with two submission rounds. Round One applications were due August 22, 2019 at 5:00 PM AKST, and Round Two applications were due September 20, 2019 at 5:00 PM AKST. The maximum award amount (ceiling) was $150,000, and BLM anticipated making about three awards, indicating a small number of moderately sized projects rather than many small awards.

Overall, this funding opportunity was designed to advance aquatic habitat protection and restoration on BLM lands in Alaska through collaborative, partner-driven projects. It supports both implementation (restoration, passage improvements, invasive species efforts) and the monitoring needed to understand habitat condition and water trends, with an emphasis on protecting riparian and wetland systems while keeping public lands usable for multiple purposes.

• The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BLM AK 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 22, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 20, 2019 Open from July 22, 2019 - September 20, 2019, 500 PM AKST Round One - Applications Due August 22, 2019, 500 PM AKST Round Two - Applications Due September 20, 2019 500 PM AKST. (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 $150,000.00 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, Special district 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.

Apply for L19AS00103

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