FY25 IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management Colorado Cultural and Paleontological Resource Management | L25AS00144

FAQs: FY25 IIJA/IRA BLM Colorado Cultural and Paleontological Resource Management (L25AS00144)

What is this funding opportunity?

This is the FY25 IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Colorado Cultural and Paleontological Resource Management funding opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number L25AS00144). It is a discretionary funding announcement that will make awards through cooperative agreements to partners working on cultural heritage and paleontological resource management associated with BLM-managed lands in Colorado.

What is the overall goal of the program?

The overall goal is partnership-driven work that protects, studies, manages, and shares cultural heritage and paleontological resources tied to BLM-managed lands in Colorado. Projects are expected to improve access to and appropriate use of heritage resources, while promoting their educational, scientific, cultural, and recreational value.

What kinds of outcomes is BLM looking for?

The announcement emphasizes clear, publicly beneficial outcomes that are also resource-protective. Expected outcomes include stronger stewardship, knowledge-building (such as improved understanding of natural and cultural history), and responsible public engagement with heritage resources.

Do projects need to align with any specific priorities or program goals?

Yes. Projects are expected to align with U.S. Department of the Interior priorities and the BLM Cultural Heritage and Paleontology Program goals. The work should support responsible use and improved access while protecting resources.

Where must the project take place?

The opportunity is focused on cultural and paleontological resources associated with BLM-managed lands in Colorado.

What is the funding mechanism used for awards?

Funding is provided through cooperative agreements. This typically means BLM expects substantial federal involvement during the project, such as collaboration on planning, technical direction, review, coordination, or shared implementation.

What is the maximum award amount?

The award ceiling listed in the announcement is $500,000.

When is the application deadline?

The closing date is February 3, 2025.

What is the Assistance Listing (CFDA) number for this opportunity?

The Assistance Listing (CFDA) number associated with this program is 15.224.

What is the funding activity category?

The funding activity category is Natural Resources.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is limited to non-federal entities. The eligible applicant types listed include:

• State governments
• County governments
• City or township governments
• Special district governments
• Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education
• Private institutions of higher education
• Federally recognized tribal governments
• Tribal organizations that are not federally recognized tribal governments
• Nonprofits (501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3))

Are individuals eligible to apply?

No. Individuals are explicitly ineligible under this notice of funding opportunity.

Are for-profit organizations eligible to apply?

No. For-profit organizations are explicitly ineligible under this notice of funding opportunity.

What types of projects or activities are eligible?

Projects must support at least one core objective described in the announcement. Eligible activities include:

• Research and field-based studies (inventories, excavations, records research, and collections-based research) that deepen understanding of Americas natural and cultural history
• Monitoring of at-risk heritage resources to track condition trends and evaluate the effectiveness of management actions
• Stabilization efforts for vulnerable sites or resources facing deterioration, vandalism, erosion, or other threats
• Workforce development (training future cultural resource management practitioners and paleontologists through research projects, field schools, and internships highlighting BLM resources and management contexts)
• Cultural heritage data and records management (organizing, maintaining, and scanning site and survey records; creating, digitizing, and maintaining geospatial datasets; and data entry to improve accessibility and long-term usability)
• Collection care at recognized curation facilities (archival housing, stabilization, or conservation treatments)
• Expanding public access to museum collections (improving discoverability, interpretive access, or other responsible methods that increase public benefit while maintaining professional standards for care and security)
• Engagement with Native American communities and partnership-building with tribal governments and programs
• Support for BLM tribal consultation efforts through partnership activities that help consultation be conducted effectively and respectfully
• Heritage education and outreach programs, events, and products that build conservation and preservation ethics among visitors and local communities
• Developing and maintaining historic sites with interpretive and educational potential, including on-the-ground improvements that enhance visitor understanding and site sustainability while protecting resources

Does the opportunity support archaeological and paleontological fieldwork?

Yes. The eligible activities explicitly include inventories, excavations, and other field-based studies, as well as records research and collections-based research that deepen understanding of natural and cultural history.

Is monitoring of threatened or at-risk sites eligible?

Yes. Monitoring at-risk heritage resources is an eligible activity, including tracking condition trends and evaluating whether management actions are effective.

Are stabilization or protection measures for vulnerable resources eligible?

Yes. Stabilization efforts for vulnerable sites or resources are eligible, particularly where deterioration, vandalism, erosion, or other threats are present.

Does the program support workforce development like field schools or internships?

Yes. The announcement emphasizes workforce development, including training for future cultural resource management practitioners and paleontologists through research projects, field schools, and internships that highlight BLM resources and management contexts.

Can a project focus on cultural heritage data, digitization, and records management?

Yes. The opportunity highlights strengthening the information backbone for heritage management. Eligible tasks include organizing, maintaining, and scanning site and survey records; creating, digitizing, and maintaining geospatial datasets; and performing data entry to improve accessibility and long-term usability.

Is collections care at curation facilities eligible?

Yes. Preservation work at recognized curation facilities is explicitly included, such as archival housing, stabilization, and conservation treatments to protect existing collections.

Can projects improve public access to museum collections?

Yes. Beyond preservation, the BLM is interested in expanding public access to museum collections through improved discoverability, interpretive access, or other methods that responsibly increase public benefit while maintaining professional standards for care and security.

Are projects involving Native American community engagement encouraged?

Yes. Public and community engagement is a central focus, and the BLM is looking for projects that promote engagement with Native American communities and build partnerships with tribal governments and programs.

Can projects support BLM tribal consultation efforts?

Yes. Projects can be designed to support BLM tribal consultation efforts through partnership activities that help the agency conduct consultation more effectively and respectfully while improving stewardship outcomes.

Are education and outreach projects eligible?

Yes. The opportunity encourages heritage education and outreach programs, events, and products that build conservation and preservation ethics among visitors and local communities.

Can projects include work at historic sites with interpretive potential?

Yes. The program supports developing and maintaining historic sites that have interpretive and educational potential, including on-the-ground improvements that enhance visitor understanding and site sustainability, as long as the work protects the resource.

Does this opportunity support hiring interns or crews under the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993?

No. The notice clarifies that it does not support entities hiring interns or crews under the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993. If a proposal is primarily a youth corps-style effort, it should be pursued under a separate BLM funding opportunity identified in the notice: NOFO 15.243, BLM Youth Conservation Opportunities on Public Lands.

What should CESU-affiliated applicants know about indirect costs?

The notice includes an indirect cost limitation tied to the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) program. If a cooperative agreement is awarded to a CESU partner under a formally negotiated Master CESU agreement that fits the CESU purpose, indirect costs are capped at no more than 17.5 percent of the applicable indirect cost base recognized in the partner's federally approved NICRA.

If a proposal furthers the CESU purpose, what does the applicant need to state?

Applicants are expected to state whether their proposal furthers the CESU purpose and, if it does, identify which CESU Network should be considered as the host.

What does "substantial federal involvement" mean in this context?

Because awards are cooperative agreements, BLM anticipates being involved during the project. The notice describes examples of involvement such as collaboration on planning, technical direction, review, coordination, or shared implementation.