BLM-Alaska, State of Alaska Review of Title Recovery Native Allotments | L17AS00012

Opportunity Information: Apply for L17AS00012

The grant opportunity titled "BLM-Alaska, State of Alaska Review of Title Recovery Native Allotments" (Funding Opportunity Number L17AS00012) is a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) cooperative agreement intended to support a very specific land title cleanup effort in Alaska. The core issue is that some parcels previously conveyed from the federal government to the State of Alaska may still be subject to valid federal Native allotment applications. When that happens, BLM and the State must work through a formal "title recovery" process to determine whether, and under what conditions, the State should return title back to the United States so the federal government can properly resolve the Native allotment claim. In practical terms, the opportunity exists to fund the State's work to evaluate these parcels and move stalled cases toward resolution.

The work described is not a simple records check. It requires due diligence steps that typically include researching land status and conveyance history, evaluating the validity and overlap of allotment applications, preparing and issuing public notice, and completing a formal "best interest finding" that determines whether returning the land to federal ownership is in the State's best interest. That best interest determination matters because these parcels are State lands at the time of review, and the State has obligations to manage lands for the benefit of Alaskans. The opportunity emphasizes that the State has a fiduciary responsibility to ensure "color of title" is clear, meaning the chain of ownership and legal rights attached to the land are not clouded by unresolved claims or conflicting conveyance histories.

A key justification for this funding is that the title recovery process creates a substantial cost burden for the State that stems from historical conveyance errors made by federal agencies. Even though the underlying problem originated from past federal actions, the State must still spend time and resources to participate in the legally required review and decision-making process. The notice-and-finding requirements, along with the technical nature of land status work, make this a resource-intensive effort. The announcement also notes that Alaska's budget constraints have pushed this work down the priority list, which has led to a significant slowdown in how quickly these cases are being resolved. This cooperative agreement is framed as "mission critical" because it directly supports conveyance and title resolution work that otherwise risks continuing to lag.

Eligibility is narrow and intentional: the only eligible applicant is a State government, and the announcement explicitly states that the State of Alaska is the only entity that can carry out the review. The reasoning is straightforward: the parcels are on State land, only the State can authoritatively decide whether returning title is in its best interest, and the State has the local expertise to weigh land management impacts, existing and future uses, and other State-specific considerations. In other words, BLM cannot substitute another party for this role because the decision is tied to State ownership and responsibilities.

Administratively, this is a discretionary funding opportunity offered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, under CFDA 15.224 (Natural Resources). The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, which generally indicates that BLM expects to have substantial involvement in coordinating or overseeing the work rather than simply issuing a pass-through grant with minimal federal participation. The opportunity anticipated a single award (Expected Awards: 1) with an award ceiling of $500,000. The opportunity was created on January 19, 2017, with an original closing date of February 21, 2017, signaling it was designed as a time-bound solicitation to address a defined workload and help restore momentum on pending title recovery and Native allotment-related conveyance issues.

Overall, the grant is aimed at accelerating the resolution of land title conflicts involving Native allotment applications on lands already conveyed to the State. By funding the State's required review, public notice, and best interest determinations, BLM seeks to reduce the backlog created by limited State resources, clear title uncertainties, and ultimately enable lawful, orderly correction of past conveyance errors so that affected parcels can be properly administered and rightful claims can be addressed.

• The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BLM-Alaska, State of Alaska Review of Title Recovery Native Allotments" 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 Jan 19, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 21, 2017. (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 $500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments.

Apply for L17AS00012

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