Opportunity Information: Apply for L16AS00128
Apply for L16AS00128
- The DOI-BLM in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BLM AZ, Southern Arizona Project Border Restoration Youth, Tucson Field Office, AZ" 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 May 19, 2016 and posted on May 19, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 18, 2016. (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: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Tucson Field Office in Arizona is seeking a partner to run a youth-focused borderlands restoration and rehabilitation effort tied to Operation Reclaim Our Arizona Monuments (ROAM). This work responds to the environmental damage associated with cross-border smuggling activity (including both human and drug trafficking) on BLM-managed lands in Southern Arizona. The grant is designed to keep building on six years of experience using Public Lands Corps-style programs to put young adults and recent graduates into real, field-based conservation work that also strengthens their career readiness in areas like natural resources, recreation and visitor services, biology, and environmental science. The overall emphasis is twofold: repairing and restoring impacted public lands, and developing a workforce pipeline by giving participants practical skills, certifications, and professional experience in the types of tasks BLM and its partners regularly perform.
At the core of the project is a combination of individual placement internships and youth crew opportunities. The internships are more immersive and may involve patrolling areas that are prone to illegal smuggling activity to document resource damage and help plan or carry out restoration responses. Interns are expected to work across a wide range of environments, from remote undeveloped backcountry to urban interface areas, and to produce usable management products such as inventories, written reports, complete and accurate databases, maps, and GIS deliverables (including ArcGIS shapefiles). In contrast, youth crews are intended to complete clearly defined, pre-scoped projects and would not conduct patrols. Crew assignments are more task-specific and typically center on hands-on restoration and maintenance work like fence repair, barrier or cattle guard work, and trash cleanup operations.
The opportunity places heavy weight on teaching and practicing applied land management skills that matter in arid and borderland settings. Participants are expected to learn and use arid lands restoration techniques, erosion control methods, and approaches for rehabilitating unauthorized roads and disturbed sites. They may also perform invasive species control, including herbicide application, and assist with re-establishing native vegetation while removing non-native plants. The work is not limited to restoration alone; it also includes natural and recreation resource monitoring and data collection, with an expectation that participants understand and use standard government workflows for documenting work, managing data quality, and applying GPS and GIS tools. Beyond field tasks, the program builds competency in project planning and implementation, risk management and safety assessment, logistics, and leadership, including coordination of volunteer groups and educational outreach.
Another major theme is collaboration. BLM is looking for a partner that can help connect interns and crews to cooperative projects with other stakeholders, including state and federal agencies, non-governmental organizations, and private landowners. The intent is to strengthen resource management through shared effort and to advance broader national expectations for conserving, protecting, and restoring ecosystems and landscape values on National Conservation Lands and other public lands held in the public trust. Outreach and education are also explicitly part of the desired outcomes, with participants potentially supporting public presentations and community-facing activities alongside technical monitoring and restoration.
Funding is offered as a discretionary cooperative agreement under DOI-BLM, cataloged under CFDA 15.231. The funding opportunity number is L16AS00128, with an award ceiling of $500,000 and an expectation of one award. Eligibility is listed as unrestricted (open to any entity type, subject to any additional eligibility clarifications in the full notice). The original and current closing date for the opportunity was July 18, 2016, and it was posted May 19, 2016. In addition to supporting on-the-ground project work, the funding can cover external training and certifications for individual placement interns, such as Wilderness First Aid and state herbicide applicator licensing, along with related travel and fees, and even hepatitis immunizations. This reflects the practical, job-preparation focus of the program and the realities of working in remote, rugged environments where safety training and medical preparedness are part of responsible field operations.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is this grant opportunity?
This is a discretionary cooperative agreement from the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Tucson Field Office (Arizona), seeking a partner to operate a youth-focused borderlands restoration and rehabilitation effort connected to Operation Reclaim Our Arizona Monuments (ROAM).
Which BLM office is offering the opportunity?
The opportunity is offered through the BLM Tucson Field Office in Arizona.
What is Operation Reclaim Our Arizona Monuments (ROAM) in this context?
ROAM is the operational context tied to the restoration and rehabilitation work described here. The project responds to environmental damage on BLM-managed lands associated with cross-border smuggling activity, including human and drug trafficking.
What problem is the grant trying to address?
The project is designed to repair and restore public lands in Southern Arizona that have been impacted by cross-border smuggling activity, including damage to soils, vegetation, routes/roads, and sites affected by trash and other disturbances.
What are the two main goals of the program?
The emphasis is twofold: (1) repairing and restoring impacted BLM-managed public lands, and (2) developing a workforce pipeline by providing young adults and recent graduates with practical skills, certifications, and professional experience relevant to land management careers.
What kinds of participant experiences are included (internships vs. crews)?
The program combines (a) individual placement internships and (b) youth crew opportunities. Internships are more immersive and can include patrol-related responsibilities and management products. Youth crews focus on clearly defined, pre-scoped projects and do not conduct patrols.
What do individual placement internships involve?
Internships may involve patrolling areas prone to illegal smuggling activity to document resource damage and help plan or carry out restoration responses. Interns are expected to work across diverse environments and produce usable management products such as inventories, written reports, accurate databases, maps, and GIS deliverables (including ArcGIS shapefiles).
Do interns need to create GIS products?
Yes. The description explicitly expects interns to produce GIS deliverables, including maps and ArcGIS shapefiles, and to use GPS and GIS tools as part of standard government workflows.
What environments will participants work in?
Participants may work in settings ranging from remote, undeveloped backcountry to urban interface areas in Southern Arizona borderlands.
What do youth crews do?
Youth crews complete task-specific, pre-scoped field projects that typically involve hands-on restoration and maintenance work such as fence repair, barrier or cattle guard work, and trash cleanup operations.
Do youth crews conduct patrols related to smuggling activity?
No. The opportunity states that youth crews would not conduct patrols; patrol-related work is associated with the more immersive internship placements.
What types of restoration and rehabilitation work are expected?
Expected work includes arid lands restoration techniques, erosion control methods, rehabilitation of unauthorized roads and disturbed sites, invasive species control (including herbicide application), re-establishing native vegetation, and removing non-native plants.
Is invasive species control part of the work?
Yes. The scope includes invasive species control and specifically mentions herbicide application.
Does the program include monitoring and data collection?
Yes. Beyond restoration, the work includes natural and recreation resource monitoring and data collection, with an expectation that participants follow standard government workflows for documentation and data quality.
What kinds of professional skills are participants expected to build?
The program is designed to build applied land management skills and career readiness in areas such as natural resources, recreation and visitor services, biology, and environmental science. It also builds competency in project planning, risk management and safety assessment, logistics, leadership, volunteer coordination, and educational outreach.
How does this opportunity support career readiness?
It builds on six years of experience using Public Lands Corps-style programs to place young adults and recent graduates into field-based conservation work, while also providing practical skills, certifications, and professional experience aligned with tasks BLM and partners regularly perform.
Does the project include outreach and education?
Yes. Outreach and education are explicitly included in desired outcomes, and participants may support public presentations and community-facing activities along with technical monitoring and restoration work.
Is collaboration with other organizations expected?
Yes. BLM is looking for a partner that can connect interns and crews to cooperative projects with stakeholders such as state and federal agencies, non-governmental organizations, and private landowners.
How many awards does BLM expect to make?
The opportunity indicates an expectation of one award.
What is the maximum funding amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling is $500,000.
What type of funding instrument is this?
This is offered as a discretionary cooperative agreement under DOI-BLM.
What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?
The opportunity is cataloged under CFDA 15.231.
What is the funding opportunity number?
The funding opportunity number is L16AS00128.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is listed as unrestricted (open to any entity type), subject to any additional eligibility clarifications that may be included in the full notice.
When was the opportunity posted?
The opportunity was posted on May 19, 2016.
What was the application closing date?
The original and current closing date listed for the opportunity was July 18, 2016.
Can grant funds be used for training and certifications?
Yes. In addition to on-the-ground project work, the funding can cover external training and certifications for individual placement interns, including Wilderness First Aid and state herbicide applicator licensing.
Can grant funds cover travel and fees related to training?
Yes. The description states that related travel and fees associated with external training and certifications can be covered.
Can grant funds be used for medical preparedness items like immunizations?
Yes. The opportunity notes that funding can cover hepatitis immunizations, reflecting the safety and medical preparedness needs of remote, rugged field operations.
What management products are expected from interns?
Interns are expected to produce usable products such as inventories, written reports, complete and accurate databases, maps, and GIS deliverables (including ArcGIS shapefiles).
Is safety and risk management part of the program?
Yes. The program includes competency-building in risk management and safety assessment, and it references safety training such as Wilderness First Aid as part of responsible field operations in remote settings.
What kinds of field maintenance tasks are mentioned for crew projects?
Examples include fence repair, barrier or cattle guard work, and trash cleanup operations.
What geographic area does the work focus on?
The work focuses on BLM-managed lands in Southern Arizona, specifically within the borderlands context associated with cross-border smuggling impacts.
What is the broader public land purpose referenced by BLM?
The opportunity references broader national expectations for conserving, protecting, and restoring ecosystems and landscape values on National Conservation Lands and other public lands held in the public trust.
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