FY25 IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management Headquarters (HQ) Plant Conservation and Restoration Management | L25AS00193

Opportunity Information: Apply for L25AS00193

The FY25 IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Headquarters (HQ) Plant Conservation and Restoration Management opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number L25AS00193) is a discretionary federal funding program that will make awards through cooperative agreements to support native plant conservation, native seed capacity, and on-the-ground restoration work tied to national climate and biodiversity priorities. The program is framed around Department of the Interior priorities such as addressing the climate crisis, restoring balance on public lands and waters, advancing environmental justice, and supporting a clean energy future. For 2025, BLM HQ is explicitly aligning this funding with the National Seed Strategy (www.blm.gov/seedstrategy), reflecting a strong emphasis on making sure restoration and reclamation efforts have reliable access to genetically appropriate native plant materials and the science needed to use them effectively.

At its core, the program treats native plants and intact native plant communities as essential "green infrastructure" that underpins ecosystem health, biodiversity, and resilience. The premise is straightforward: without sufficient supplies of appropriate native seed and the know-how to deploy it, restoring functional ecosystems after wildfire, drought, floods, and other disturbances becomes much harder, and opportunities to use nature-based approaches to climate adaptation and mitigation are lost. As a result, BLM HQ is looking for projects that protect biodiversity, increase resilience to climate change, and leverage natural climate solutions, while also supporting the national goal of conserving at least 30 percent of U.S. lands and waters by 2030. Another major throughline is community engagement and equity, particularly projects that involve and benefit communities of color, low-income families, and rural and Indigenous communities by expanding economic opportunities connected to native seed production, plant materials development, and restoration work.

The eligible project types described in the notice span practical restoration, research and development, and public engagement. A major focus is habitat improvement in high-priority landscapes, including work that reduces threats to sage-grouse and other sensitive species by restoring habitats for keystone wildlife and pollinators. The program also emphasizes strengthening the native plant materials pipeline by partnering with growers and other producers to develop genetically appropriate native plant materials suitable for restoration and rehabilitation. In addition, BLM is encouraging studies that improve restoration effectiveness, including research in plant ecology, genetics, and ecophysiology; investigations of seed bank persistence; advances in plant propagation; development of agronomic production practices; trait testing and seed source evaluation; and improving seeding treatments and restoration tools. Pollinator-related work is specifically called out as well, including studies and projects that clarify how pollinators and native plant communities contribute to long-term restoration durability and ecological function.

Rare plant conservation is another centerpiece of the opportunity. BLM notes that its lands support more than 1,800 rare plant species, with more than 300 found exclusively on BLM lands. The opportunity therefore includes implementing conservation actions for high-priority rare plant species, improving understanding of rare plant biology and threats, and monitoring, protecting, and restoring habitats that sustain rare plants. Complementing the field and science components, BLM also wants strategies that drive broader adoption of genetically appropriate native plant materials across BLM programs beyond traditional restoration units. The notice specifically references integrating native plant material use across programs such as Wildlife, Oil and Gas, Minerals, Fuels, Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation, Range, and Renewable Energy, signaling an intent to standardize best practices wherever BLM-authorized activities disturb land and require reclamation.

The program also supports expansion of citizen science and public education related to native plants and plant communities. The notice highlights deliverables such as technical guidance, videos, native plant guides and floras, workshops, webinars, and apps, indicating that proposals can include strong outreach and knowledge-transfer components, not only field implementation or laboratory research. Across all these areas, BLM emphasizes the use of the best available science and data to guide decisions, which suggests that proposals that include clear monitoring frameworks, evidence-based methodologies, and measurable outcomes are likely to align well with program intent.

Eligibility is limited to non-federal entities such as state, county, and 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; and nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)). Individuals and for-profit organizations are explicitly ineligible. There are also important administrative limitations: this notice does not support projects where the applicant plans to hire interns or crews under the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993, because that hiring authority is limited and must be pursued under a different BLM funding opportunity (NOFO 15.243, BLM Youth Conservation Opportunities on Public Lands). For applicants working through Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESUs), the notice flags that CESU cooperative agreements have an indirect cost cap of no more than 17.5 percent, and applicants should disclose whether they are participating in CESU and identify the host CESU Network.

From a funding and timing standpoint, the opportunity is administered by the Bureau of Land Management under CFDA 15.245 (Natural Resources), uses the cooperative agreement instrument (which typically involves substantial federal involvement in project execution or oversight), and lists an award ceiling of $5,000,000. The opportunity was created on 2024-12-18, and the original closing date is 2025-02-21. In practical terms, this is a national-level BLM HQ program looking for partners who can deliver high-impact native plant and seed strategy outcomes, whether that is expanding native seed supply chains, improving restoration science and tools, protecting rare plants, strengthening pollinator and wildlife habitat, or building the public-facing guidance and citizen science capacity needed to sustain restoration efforts over time.

• The Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY25 IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management Headquarters (HQ) Plant Conservation and Restoration Management" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.245.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-12-18.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-02-21. (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 $5,000,000.00 in funding.
• 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), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), 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, Private institutions of higher education.

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