The Bureau of Land Management is seeking applications to provide employment for participants and opportunities to learn about and gain work experience in public lands and natural resources management while promoting long-term interest in public lands stewardship and the BLM.
Donor Name: Bureau of Land Management
State: Oregon and Washington
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 03/15/2023
Size of the Grant: $200,000
Details:
This program supports the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) Public Law 117-58, Sec. 40804(b) Ecosystem Restoration and Section 40803 Wildfire Risk Reduction. The Oregon/Washington Bureau of Land Management (BLM) offices have collaborated with Qualified Youth and Conservation Corps, as authorized by the Public Lands Corps Act (PLC), to accomplish conservation projects for numerous years. This program’s projects provide employment for participants and opportunities to learn about and gain work experience in public lands and natural resources management while promoting long-term interest in public lands stewardship and the BLM. The BLM Youth Program assists the BLM with diversifying the workforce while exposing participants to complex cultural and natural resource issues.
The BLM Youth Program partners with qualified youth and conservation corps to engage individuals between the ages of 16 and 30 (inclusive) and veterans up to age 35 (inclusive) including tribal members. Recruitment efforts should focus on young, diverse people from local communities to assist with conservation projects that protect and promote multiple-use on public lands.
Projects developed for this fiscal year will be identified in Grants.gov on the “Related Documents” tab. These project will include but not limited to the following:
- Enhancement of recreation opportunities through trail building, maintenance and restoration, and other improvements to visitor and recreation facilities (e.g. kiosks, campgrounds, signage etc.).
- Monitoring riparian area vegetation and hydrological functions, collecting soil and stream data, timber stand improvement projects for wildlife habitat and overall forest health.
- Habitat restoration and wildlife protection, including reduction of invasive species, tree planting, fence removal/installation, riparian area restoration, etc.
- Development and implementation of natural and cultural resource stewardship plans or educational and informational materials for visitors.
- Performance of studies such as resource inventories, historic or archival research, archaeological excavation or stabilization, oral histories, historic preservation, habitat surveys, etc.
- Preservation of cultural resources, including historic structures.
- Seed collection for restoration of lands affected by natural disasters such as catastrophic wildfires and landslides; as well as protection, conservation, and restoration of threatened, endangered, and special status species with the goal of preventing or delisting of species.
- Reduction of wildfire risk to communities, watersheds, and other public land ecosystems.
- Production of materials and programs on natural, cultural, and/or paleontological resources, communication, education, and interpretation of natural and cultural resources.
- Performance of in-house projects, such as science, policy, or program internships, with a clear benefit for natural or cultural resources. In-house projects to include a field component of at least 120 hours.
Expected Program Outcomes
Projects may vary in length, but none should last longer than five years. Projects may be located in different geographic locations on BLM administered lands. The overall project success shallbe validated and tracked by the BLM project coordinator using various criteria such as:
- Expose young people to public service, furthering their understanding and appreciation of the nation’s natural and cultural resources, while implementing Secretarial Orders and priorities.
- Stimulate interest in conservation careers by working with BLM conservation professionals and providing qualified conservation projects that will allow corps members to be certified for two-year noncompetitive hiring status upon completion of the projects and 640 hours.
- Promote job creation to strengthen America’s economy and foster relationships with organizations advocating for balanced stewardship and use of public lands.
- Promote and stimulate public purposes by providing education, job training, development of responsible citizenship, and productive community involvement in the care and enhancement of natural and cultural resources.
- Assist qualified conservation corps to enhance and maintain public lands and waters by engaging youth in conserving or developing natural and cultural resources.
- Engage young people within the local area or within the states to provide opportunities to stimulate interest in conservation activities
Funding Information
- Award Ceiling: $200,000
- Award Floor: $15,000
Eligibility Criteria
- State governments
- Independent school districts
- Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
- Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
- Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
- Private institutions of higher education
- Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
- City or township governments
- Special district governments
- Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities
- County governments
- Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
- Additional Eligibility Criteria
- This opportunity is open to any qualified youth conservation corps established by a state or local government, by the governing body of any Indian tribe, or by a qualified nonprofit organization interested in working cooperatively with the OR/WA BLM to develop and administer multipleuse conservation projects. Conservation projects must focus on providing employment, education, and public-service opportunities for U.S. citizens and legal residents (between ages 16 and 30 inclusive and veterans up to age 35 inclusive) recruited from local and surrounding communities to assist with projects on public lands.
- No other entities are eligible to respond. All responding non-profit entities must provide a copy of their Section 501(c) (3) status determination letter received from the Internal Revenue Service.
- The term “qualified youth or conservation corps” means any program established by a state or local government, by the governing body of any Indian tribe, or by a nonprofit organization that:
- Is capable of offering meaningful, fulltime, productive work for individuals between the ages of 16 and 30, inclusive, and veterans up to age 35 in a natural or cultural resource setting;
- Provides participants a mix of work experience, basic life skills, education, training, and support BLM’s mission; and
- Provides participants opportunities to develop life skills and work ethics through their work on BLM lands that transfer to their community and the United States.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
