BLM NM 2018 Youth Opportunities for Conservation Projects on NM Public Lands | L18AS00017

Opportunity Information: Apply for L18AS00017

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) New Mexico State Office (covering New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, and Kansas) released this 2018 funding opportunity to support youth-focused conservation work on BLM-managed public lands. Built on a long-running partnership with Youth Conservation Corps organizations, the program is designed to tackle priority stewardship, restoration, and rehabilitation needs across natural, cultural, historic, archaeological, recreational, and scenic resources. A core theme of the opportunity is workforce development: projects are structured to provide paid, hands-on experience that helps participants build practical skills, learn how public lands are managed, and stay engaged with conservation and land management career pathways over time. The program also aligns with BLM goals around broadening participation and diversifying the conservation workforce by actively creating entry points for people who may not otherwise have access to these experiences.

The primary objective is to work through a qualified Youth Conservation Corps partner to recruit and engage youth and young adults ages 16 to 30, including veterans, tribal youth, and participants from local and surrounding communities across New Mexico. The intent is not only to complete on-the-ground projects that protect and enhance public lands, but also to pair that work with training, mentorship, and exposure to real-world natural and cultural resource challenges. BLM staff are expected to provide professional mentoring and technical guidance so participants can develop competencies in resource management, field methods, and conservation-related problem solving, while also gaining a stronger appreciation for public lands and the many career fields connected to their stewardship.

Projects funded under this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) are developed collaboratively between the BLM New Mexico Youth Program State Lead and BLM District and Field Offices, with a strong emphasis on meaningful fieldwork and structured learning. The work described spans a wide range of conservation and public benefit outcomes, including improving sustainable recreation access and experiences on BLM lands. Examples of eligible project types include building and maintaining trails; restoring recreation sites; improving visitor infrastructure such as kiosks, campgrounds, and signage; monitoring riparian vegetation and hydrologic function; collecting soil and stream data; conducting timber stand improvement work to enhance wildlife habitat and forest health; restoring habitat through invasive species reduction, tree planting, and riparian restoration; and installing, removing, or modifying fences to improve habitat connectivity and resource protection. The NOFO also supports research and documentation efforts such as scientific studies, resource inventories, habitat surveys, historic or archival research, oral histories, archaeological fieldwork, historic preservation activities, and the preservation of cultural resources including historic structures. Additional priorities include reducing wildfire risk to communities, watersheds, and public land ecosystems, and monitoring rare plant populations.

From an implementation standpoint, the program allows for two main project models. The first is a crew-based format where participants work together intensively under the supervision of trained and experienced crew leaders or conservation professionals. The second model places participants as individuals or in small teams on defined tasks that require focused attention, again under the direction and direct supervision of the partner organization. A key administrative requirement is that the Youth Conservation Corps partner provides the day-to-day supervision through qualified leaders or staff; BLM professionals may mentor and guide the work, but they are not intended to serve as the direct supervisors.

This opportunity was offered as a discretionary cooperative agreement through the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, under CFDA 15.243 (Natural Resources). The funding opportunity number is L18AS00017, posted June 27, 2018, with an original closing date of July 30, 2018 (corrected from July 28). The award ceiling listed is $1,730,000, with an estimated 15 awards anticipated. Eligibility is broadly described as “Others” with further clarification referenced in the opportunity’s additional eligibility information, reflecting that the program is meant to be carried out through appropriate Youth Conservation Corps-type partners rather than individual applicants.

Finally, the program includes participation limits connected to Public Lands Corps (PLC) service: while there is no stated maximum number of hours a participant may serve overall, an individual may not be assigned to the same PLC project for more than two years in a part-time capacity or more than one year in a full-time capacity. This reinforces the program’s workforce-entry focus by encouraging participants to gain experience and then transition to new projects or next-step opportunities, rather than remaining indefinitely in the same assignment.

• The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BLM NM 2018 Youth Opportunities for Conservation Projects on NM 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 Jun 27, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 30, 2018 Close date has been corrected from July 28, 2018 to July 30, 2018. (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 $1,730,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 15 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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