BLM CA Plant Conservation and Restoration Management | L19AS00081

Opportunity Information: Apply for L19AS00081

The BLM CA Plant Conservation and Restoration Management opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number L19AS00081) is a discretionary federal funding program run by the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in California. It is offered as a cooperative agreement, which generally means funded projects are expected to be carried out in active coordination with BLM staff and priorities rather than as fully independent, contractor-style work. The overall purpose is to advance the goals of the BLM Plant Conservation and Restoration Program by supporting practical, on-the-ground habitat work, applied research that improves restoration outcomes, and broader coordination and outreach that helps native plant restoration succeed at scale on public lands.

A major emphasis of the opportunity is habitat management and restoration tied directly to wildlife needs, especially in high-priority landscapes where habitat condition is limiting key species. Projects can include work that restores or improves habitats used by sage grouse, mule deer, and other sensitive wildlife, with an intent to reduce threats and increase the amount and effectiveness of restoration actions on the ground. The program also prioritizes strengthening the supply and use of genetically appropriate native plant materials, including partnerships with growers and producers to develop seed and plant materials suitable for restoration, reclamation, and long-term ecological resilience. This includes attention to sourcing, genetics, and matching plant materials to the ecological conditions where they will be deployed.

Another central theme is improving the science and tools behind restoration so projects become more reliable and durable over time. The solicitation highlights support for studies in plant ecology and ecophysiology, seed bank persistence, propagation methods, and agronomic production practices that can help scale up native plant materials. It also includes evaluating traits and seed sources, along with the development or testing of seeding treatments and restoration tools, potentially coordinated through partners, BLM State Offices, and eco-regional Plant Conservation and Restoration programs. In practice, this points to a mix of field trials, greenhouse or nursery work, monitoring designs, and applied research that can be translated into better restoration specifications and outcomes.

Pollinator-related work is specifically called out as a priority area as well. The program seeks projects and studies that improve understanding of how native plant communities support pollinators and how pollinators, in turn, contribute to restoration success, durability, and ecological function. This can include monitoring and research on pollinator communities, habitat enhancement strategies that benefit pollinators, and restoration designs that intentionally support pollination services as part of a functioning ecosystem.

Rare plant conservation is a particularly significant driver in California, and the opportunity explicitly frames the scale of the challenge: more than 1,700 rare plant species occur in the state, with more than 400 found exclusively on BLM lands. The grant supports monitoring, protection, improved understanding, and habitat restoration tied to these rare plants. The rationale is not only species protection for its own sake, but also recognition that rare plants can be foundational ecological components, contributing forage, structure, and other habitat attributes that support broader wildlife and ecosystem health. Relatedly, the opportunity encourages partnerships to implement priority species conservation actions, which can include targeted management, habitat improvement, threat reduction, and coordinated conservation planning.

The BLM also positions this funding as a way to strengthen restoration capacity across its other programs, including Fuels and Emergency Stabilization and Restoration. Projects that help integrate wider use of native plant materials into post-disturbance rehabilitation and fuels-related vegetation management fit within the scope, reflecting the need to restore public lands after wildfire and other disturbances using appropriate native species and effective techniques. The solicitation also underscores that BLM’s vegetation and resource management is done in cooperation with states, tribes, other federal agencies, and nongovernmental organizations, signaling that collaborative, multi-party projects are welcome and often necessary to achieve landscape-scale outcomes.

Public education and outreach is another eligible and encouraged component. The opportunity supports developing products such as information bulletins, handbooks, webinars, and apps, especially when they strengthen the connection between BLM, partners, and the public. A notable feature is the explicit encouragement of citizen science connections, suggesting that projects which engage volunteers or community-based monitoring, and which translate technical restoration work into accessible information and participation, are aligned with program goals.

In terms of administrative details, the opportunity is listed under CFDA 15.245 and falls in the Natural Resources activity category. Eligible applicants include state, county, and local governments; federally recognized tribes and other tribal organizations; public and private institutions of higher education; and nonprofits both with and without 501(c)(3) status. The posted award ceiling is $1,500,000, with an expectation of about 15 awards. The application window ran from July 18, 2019 through September 19, 2019 (4:30 PM ET), with two submission rounds: Round One due August 19, 2019 and Round Two due September 19, 2019.

• The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BLM CA 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 Jul 19, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 19, 2019 Open from July 18, 2019 to September 19, 2019, 430 PM ET Round One Applications Due August 19, 2019, 430 PM ET Round Two Applications Due September 19, 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 $1,500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 15 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township 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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