Opportunity Information: Apply for L22AS00382
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Colorado Youth Conservation Opportunities on Public Lands grant (Funding Opportunity Number L22AS00382) is a discretionary federal funding opportunity intended to support hands-on conservation work on public lands in Colorado while creating paid, structured pathways for young people to gain job experience, training, and life skills. The award is offered as a cooperative agreement, which generally means the BLM expects to be actively involved with recipients in planning, coordinating, and carrying out project activities rather than simply providing funds with minimal federal engagement. The work supported under this opportunity falls under the Natural Resources funding activity category (CFDA 15.243) and is designed to advance BLM's multiple-use mission through practical, on-the-ground projects.
A central purpose of this opportunity is youth workforce development tied directly to conservation outcomes. Projects must be built around providing employment, education, and public-service opportunities for U.S. citizens and legal residents, specifically youth ages 16 to 30 (inclusive) and military veterans up to age 35 (inclusive). The program emphasizes recruiting participants from local and surrounding communities, reflecting a strong community-based workforce model where public land stewardship also serves as an entry point to careers and continued civic engagement. In addition to conservation and public service, the program is explicitly meant to help participants develop transferable life skills and work habits that benefit their broader communities and their long-term employability.
Eligibility is narrow and focused on organizations that function as "qualified youth or conservation corps." Applicants must be a youth conservation corps established by a state or local government, by the governing body of an Indian tribe, or by a qualified nonprofit organization. The opportunity explicitly states that no other entities are eligible to respond, meaning proposals must come from programs that genuinely operate as conservation corps rather than general environmental nonprofits or unrelated service organizations. For nonprofit applicants, submission must include proof of IRS recognition, specifically a copy of the Section 501(c)(3) determination letter. While the eligibility list includes a range of government entities and institutions, the narrative makes clear that the intent is to fund corps-style programs that can recruit, employ, train, and supervise youth crews in conservation settings in partnership with the BLM.
To be considered a "qualified youth or conservation corps" under this opportunity, the program must be capable of offering meaningful, full-time, productive work in a natural or cultural resource setting for the eligible age groups. It must also provide more than just labor: participants are expected to receive a mix of work experience, education, training, basic life skills development, and other supports aligned with BLM's mission. In other words, the corps model here is not just about completing projects efficiently; it is also about structured participant development, including mentorship, employability skills, and exposure to resource management work that can translate into future jobs in conservation, land management, and related fields.
Funding is available up to an award ceiling of $1,000,000. The original closing date listed for this opportunity was September 19, 2022, and the opportunity was created on July 19, 2022. Although the listing does not specify the exact number of expected awards in the provided source text, the structure suggests the BLM is seeking one or more partners capable of developing and administering multiple projects, potentially across different sites or program areas, consistent with the phrase "multiple-use conservation projects." Successful applicants should be prepared to coordinate closely with BLM staff, operate safely and effectively on public lands, and demonstrate the capacity to manage crews, training, logistics, compliance, and reporting typical of federally supported cooperative agreements.
In practical terms, a strong proposal under this opportunity would clearly connect three things: the conservation needs of BLM-managed lands in Colorado, the design of meaningful corps-based work experiences, and the participant development outcomes (employment, training, education, life skills, and public service). The BLM is looking for partners who can deliver real resource benefits while also running a credible youth corps program that recruits locally, provides full-time productive work, and helps participants build skills and work ethics that carry forward beyond the project period.Apply for L22AS00382
- The Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Bureau of Land Management Colorado Youth Conservation Opportunities on Public Lands" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.243.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2022-07-19.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-09-19. (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 $1,000,000.00 in funding.
- 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), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, 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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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the BLM Colorado Youth Conservation Opportunities on Public Lands grant?
This is a discretionary federal funding opportunity from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to support hands-on conservation work on BLM-managed public lands in Colorado while creating paid, structured workforce pathways for young people. The focus is on completing practical on-the-ground projects that also provide job experience, training, education, public service, and life-skills development for participants.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) for this program?
The Funding Opportunity Number is L22AS00382.
What type of award is being offered?
The award is offered as a cooperative agreement. This generally means BLM expects to be actively involved with recipients in planning, coordinating, and carrying out project activities, rather than simply providing funds with minimal federal engagement.
What is the main purpose of the opportunity?
The opportunity is designed to connect youth workforce development directly to conservation outcomes on public lands in Colorado. Projects are expected to produce real resource benefits while also delivering paid employment and structured development opportunities for eligible participants.
What kinds of activities or projects does this funding support?
The work is described as hands-on, practical conservation and public-service work on public lands in Colorado, aligned with BLM's multiple-use mission. Projects should be "on-the-ground" and tied to natural or cultural resource settings, consistent with the Natural Resources funding activity category.
What funding category and CFDA number apply to this opportunity?
The opportunity falls under the Natural Resources funding activity category and references CFDA 15.243.
Who is the intended participant population?
The program is intended to provide employment, education, and public-service opportunities for U.S. citizens and legal residents who are youth ages 16 to 30 (inclusive), and military veterans up to age 35 (inclusive).
Are there specific recruitment expectations for participants?
Yes. The opportunity emphasizes recruiting participants from local and surrounding communities, reflecting a community-based workforce model connected to public land stewardship and local civic engagement.
Is this opportunity only about completing conservation work, or does it require training and development too?
It requires both. The corps model described is not just about labor or project completion. Projects are expected to include structured participant development such as job experience, education, training, basic life skills development, mentorship, and employability skills aligned with BLM's mission.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is limited to organizations that function as a "qualified youth or conservation corps." Applicants must be a youth conservation corps established by a state or local government, by the governing body of an Indian tribe, or by a qualified nonprofit organization.
Are any other entity types eligible to apply?
No. The opportunity explicitly states that no other entities are eligible to respond. Proposals must come from programs that genuinely operate as conservation corps (not general environmental nonprofits or unrelated service organizations).
What documentation is required for nonprofit applicants?
Nonprofit applicants must include proof of IRS recognition, specifically a copy of the Section 501(c)(3) determination letter.
What does it mean to be a "qualified youth or conservation corps" for this grant?
Based on the opportunity description, a qualified corps must be capable of offering meaningful, full-time, productive work in a natural or cultural resource setting for the eligible age groups. It must also provide participant supports and development, including work experience, education, training, life skills development, and other structured components aligned with BLM's mission.
Is the work required to take place in Colorado?
Yes. The opportunity is specifically focused on conservation work on public lands in Colorado.
How much funding is available?
The award ceiling is up to $1,000,000.
How many awards will be made?
The provided information does not specify the exact number of expected awards. The description suggests BLM is seeking one or more partners capable of developing and administering multiple projects that support multiple-use conservation objectives.
What was the original posting date and closing date?
The opportunity was created on July 19, 2022. The original closing date listed was September 19, 2022.
What should applicants be prepared to do as part of a cooperative agreement with BLM?
Applicants should be prepared to coordinate closely with BLM staff, including collaboration in planning and implementation. Recipients should also be able to operate safely and effectively on public lands and manage typical federal award responsibilities such as crew supervision, training, logistics, compliance, and reporting.
What does a strong proposal look like based on the description?
A strong proposal clearly connects (1) conservation needs on BLM-managed lands in Colorado, (2) meaningful corps-based work experiences, and (3) participant development outcomes such as paid employment, training, education, life skills, and public service. It should demonstrate the ability to deliver real resource benefits while running a credible youth corps program with local recruitment and full-time productive work.
What outcomes does BLM appear to value for participants?
The opportunity emphasizes job experience and training, education, structured public-service opportunities, transferable life skills, work habits, mentorship, and exposure to resource management work that can translate into future employment in conservation, land management, and related fields.
What mission is this opportunity intended to advance?
The program is designed to advance BLM's multiple-use mission through practical, on-the-ground conservation projects that also build a community-based workforce pipeline.
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