BLM-(WO), Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Support | L17AS00038

Opportunity Information: Apply for L17AS00038

The BLM-(WO) Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Support opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number L17AS00038) is a Bureau of Land Management cooperative agreement program under the Department of the Interior focused on protecting and improving aquatic resources across the western United States. It sits within the Natural Resources funding activity area (CFDA 15.231) and is designed to pair BLM with partners who can help deliver outreach, planning support, and on-the-ground restoration that benefits fisheries and associated habitats. The opportunity was posted March 17, 2017, with an original closing date of May 19, 2017, and anticipated up to three awards with a maximum award size of $90,000.

A major emphasis of the work is invasive species prevention through coordinated public outreach aimed at the people most likely to unintentionally spread aquatic invasive plants and animals: anglers, hunters, and boaters. The grant prioritizes collaborative development and deployment of messaging and materials that reinforce the widely used Clean Drain Dry standard. Delivery channels are practical and high-visibility, including paid advertisements in state hunting/fishing and boating regulation booklets, placements in sportsmen magazines, and production of awareness materials intended for use at public boat launches and similar access points. The overall intent is to reduce spread and impacts by making prevention steps routine and easy to remember at the exact moments when users are entering or leaving the water.

Beyond outreach, the opportunity supports tangible habitat improvement for cold-water fisheries, specifically restoration projects that benefit native trout and other cold-water species. These are described as "on-the-ground" projects, indicating a preference for implementation rather than purely planning or research. Restoration actions under this umbrella typically include improving stream function, water quality, and habitat complexity in ways that support resilient fish populations, especially where cold-water refugia are critical.

The program also explicitly links fisheries work with broader landscape conservation priorities by encouraging cold-water fisheries habitat restoration that simultaneously advances riparian restoration in Greater Sage-Grouse priority habitats. This signals an integrated approach where stream and riparian improvements are selected and designed to create overlapping benefits: healthier riparian corridors for aquatic species while also improving conditions in sage-grouse priority areas, such as by enhancing riparian vegetation structure, stabilizing banks, and improving hydrologic function where it influences adjacent habitats.

Another core component is technical support for aquatic resource assessments during BLM land use planning. Rather than starting from scratch, applicants are expected to leverage existing landscape-scale or regional assessment tools and datasets, with the notice specifically calling out examples like the Conservation Success Index and the Native Salmonid Population Viability Analysis. In practical terms, this part of the grant is about strengthening the scientific and analytical foundation for planning decisions, helping BLM integrate fisheries and aquatic considerations into land use plans using established methodologies and comparable metrics.

The opportunity also promotes conservation through working lands by supporting initiatives framed as working lands or conservation ranching. The goal here is to maintain viable operations while applying land management practices that protect or enhance native trout fisheries and sustain healthy, balanced ecosystems. This implies collaboration with private landowners, grazing operators, and local partners to implement practices that improve riparian function, manage grazing pressure, maintain streambank stability, and protect water quality, while keeping the land economically productive.

Finally, the grant includes a capacity-building and workforce development element for BLM staff. It supports professional development and networking through participation in a national professional society, including attendance and involvement at regional and national annual meetings. The intent is to strengthen professional skills, improve information sharing, and keep staff connected to current best practices and emerging science in fisheries and aquatic resource management.

Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning any entity type may apply as long as they meet any additional eligibility conditions that might be described elsewhere in the full notice. Overall, this grant opportunity is structured around partnership-driven delivery: combining targeted invasive species prevention messaging, field restoration for cold-water and riparian systems, planning and assessment support using established tools, collaborative working-lands conservation, and professional development to improve BLM’s aquatic resource outcomes across the West.

• The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BLM-(WO), Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Support" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.231.
• This funding opportunity was created on Mar 17, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 19, 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 $90,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 3 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

Apply for L17AS00038

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