BLM NM Aquatic Habitat Management | L19AS00083

Opportunity Information: Apply for L19AS00083

The BLM NM Aquatic Habitat Management grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number L19AS00083) is a Bureau of Land Management, New Mexico-focused cooperative agreement designed to support practical, on-the-ground work that protects and improves aquatic, riparian, and wetland resources on public lands while still accommodating multiple uses. The program emphasis is on keeping streams and wetlands functioning naturally, reconnecting streams to their floodplains where possible, and improving conditions that sustain fish and other aquatic life. In addition to habitat work, the opportunity explicitly supports monitoring and data activities that help track water quantity and quality and overall habitat condition trends over time.

Projects funded under this opportunity are meant to be collaborative and watershed-oriented, with the BLM looking to partner with organizations that can help plan, implement, and coordinate actions across stakeholders. The scope is broad, covering both planning and implementation. On the planning and capacity-building side, examples include developing or carrying out watershed management plans, building local capacity to protect water quality and conserve water, and creating forums that improve communication among diverse watershed stakeholders. The goal is not only ecological improvement, but also increased resilience of ecosystems, nearby communities, and local economies that depend on healthy watersheds.

On the implementation side, the opportunity targets restoration and risk-reduction work that measurably improves aquatic systems. That includes improving hydraulic and geomorphic stream conditions, restoring access to floodplains, stabilizing aquatic and riparian habitats in both flowing waters (lotic) and still waters (lentic), and reducing erosion, sediment, and salinity inputs that degrade habitat and water quality. The grant also highlights riparian invasive vegetation removal to improve fish habitat and stream physical characteristics, and it supports projects that influence water temperature or improve the timing and volume of flows at specific locations to benefit aquatic conditions.

A major theme is maintaining or restoring aquatic organism passage. The grant encourages inventorying, modernizing, or constructing infrastructure such as culverts and diversion structures specifically to improve fish passage and connectivity. Another major focus is aquatic invasive species prevention and response, including immediate threats like quagga and zebra mussels. Eligible work can span mapping, monitoring, control, prevention, education, data analysis, modeling, risk assessment, biosecurity measures, and eDNA surveillance, reflecting a strong interest in both field actions and analytical tools that help detect and manage invasions early.

Monitoring, assessment, and data management are also central to the opportunity. The BLM lists activities such as collecting and analyzing water resources data, monitoring surface and groundwater quality, conducting baseline inventories and assessments that support many land uses, and managing geospatial and biometric data. The opportunity also encourages engaging citizen-scientists and students in monitoring and directed research related to BLM-dependent aquatic and riparian species and habitats, which can expand sampling coverage while building public understanding and stewardship.

The program also recognizes public use benefits tied to healthy aquatic resources. It allows for work that supports recreational and subsistence fishing opportunities, including improving public access and infrastructure (for example, fishing piers) and offering outreach, education, and job-mentoring activities for youth, families, and veterans. Habitat conservation is framed broadly to include native species as well as non-native game and non-game species, as long as projects align with BLM aquatic habitat management goals.

Administratively, this was released by the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, under CFDA 15.244, categorized as discretionary funding and awarded through a cooperative agreement (meaning the BLM expects to be substantially involved in the project’s direction or execution compared with a more hands-off grant). The opportunity was created June 11, 2019, with two application deadlines noted: Round One due July 12, 2019 at 4:30 PM ET, and Round Two due August 12, 2019 at 4:30 PM ET. The listed award ceiling is $25,000, with an expected number of awards of 1.

Eligibility is relatively expansive and includes state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; and nonprofit organizations both with and without 501(c)(3) status. Overall, the opportunity is best understood as a small, targeted partnership award intended to advance aquatic habitat protection, restoration, connectivity, invasive species prevention, and water/habitat monitoring in New Mexico BLM-managed landscapes through collaborative, watershed-based projects.

• The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BLM NM Aquatic Habitat Management" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.244.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jun 11, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 12, 2019 Round One Applications Due July 12, 2019, 430 PM ET Round Two Applications Due August 12, 2019, 430 PM ET. (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 $25,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, 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.

Apply for L19AS00083

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