NM FY25 IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management New Mexico Plant Conservation and Restoration Management | L25AS00202

Opportunity Information: Apply for L25AS00202

The NM FY25 IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management (BLM) New Mexico Plant Conservation and Restoration Management opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number L25AS00202, CFDA 15.245) is a discretionary funding program that will make awards through cooperative agreements to partners who can help BLM New Mexico advance native plant conservation, restoration, and the long-term supply and use of native seed. The program is framed around Department of the Interior priorities that emphasize responding to the climate crisis, restoring balance on public lands and waters, advancing environmental justice, and supporting a clean energy future. For FY 2025, BLM New Mexico highlights alignment with the National Seed Strategy, signaling that proposals that strengthen native seed systems, seed-based restoration, and science-driven decision-making will be especially competitive.

At its core, the program treats native plants and intact native plant communities as essential "green infrastructure" that supports biodiversity, ecosystem function, and resilience. A major theme is that without reliable supplies of native seed and genetically appropriate plant materials, it becomes difficult to restore landscapes after wildfire and other disturbances, or to reduce vulnerability to climate-driven impacts like drought and extreme weather. Projects are therefore expected to contribute to practical, on-the-ground restoration outcomes while also strengthening the knowledge base and capacity needed to sustain restoration at scale across New Mexico.

BLM New Mexico is looking for projects that protect biodiversity, increase resilience to climate change, and leverage natural climate solutions, while also contributing to the broader national goal of conserving at least 30 percent of lands and waters by 2030. Another explicit priority is equity and community engagement: proposals are encouraged to include meaningful participation and benefits for communities of color, low-income families, and rural and Indigenous communities, particularly in ways that create or enhance economic opportunities connected to native seed production, restoration, and related supply chains. The program also stresses using the best available science and data, which points to an interest in proposals that are evidence-based, measurable, and designed to generate transferable lessons for future restoration work.

The eligible scope of work is broad but clearly centered on native plant materials, habitat restoration, and applied research that improves restoration success. BLM identifies opportunities such as reducing threats to sage grouse, rare plants, and other sensitive species by restoring high-priority habitats, including support for habitat that benefits keystone wildlife and pollinators. Another major activity area is working with growers and producers to develop genetically appropriate native plant material suitable for restoration and rehabilitation, which can include steps like seed collection planning, increase production, and matching plant materials to appropriate ecoregions or seed transfer zones. BLM also invites studies that improve conservation and restoration effectiveness, including research in plant ecology, plant genetics, ecophysiology, seed bank persistence, propagation methods, agronomic production practices, and evaluations of traits and seed sources. This can extend to developing or refining seeding treatments, restoration tools, and approaches that increase establishment and long-term persistence.

Pollinator-related work is also explicitly encouraged, particularly projects and studies that clarify how native plant communities support pollinators and how pollinator dynamics, in turn, affect restoration durability and ecosystem function. In addition, BLM emphasizes rare plant conservation, including implementing conservation actions for high-priority rare plant species, improving understanding of rare plant biology and threats, and monitoring, protecting, and restoring habitat for an exceptionally large rare flora (more than 1,800 rare plant species overall, with more than 300 species found exclusively on BLM lands). The program also seeks strategies that increase adoption of genetically appropriate native plant materials across many BLM program areas, not just restoration-focused offices. This includes integrating native plant material use into activities associated with wildlife management, oil and gas, minerals, fuels, emergency stabilization and rehabilitation, rangeland management, and renewable energy development, reflecting a desire for consistency and best practices across the agency's broader footprint.

Education and public engagement are another important component through an emphasis on citizen science and expanded public-facing programming. BLM encourages projects that increase public understanding of native plants and plant communities by creating technical guidance, videos, plant guides and floras, workshops, webinars, and apps. This signals that the agency values both professional capacity-building (training and guidance for practitioners) and broader community participation that can improve data collection, stewardship, and support for restoration.

Eligibility is limited to non-federal partners such as state, county, and local governments; special district governments; 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 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3), excluding institutions of higher education). Individuals and for-profit organizations are not eligible to apply. The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, which generally indicates that BLM expects substantial involvement during project implementation (for example, coordination on technical approaches, priority locations, data standards, or deliverables).

There are also key administrative constraints to note. This NOFO does not support projects that involve hiring interns or crews under the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993; youth corps-type proposals must instead be pursued through the separate BLM Youth Conservation Opportunities NOFO (15.243). For applicants participating through Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESUs), the indirect cost rate is capped at 17.5 percent, and applicants are expected to indicate whether they will use the CESU mechanism and identify the relevant CESU network host.

Key dates and funding parameters included in the posting indicate an original application closing date of February 26, 2025, and an award ceiling of $500,000. Overall, the opportunity is designed for partners who can combine practical restoration and native plant material development with strong science, measurable outcomes, and inclusive community benefits, all tied to BLM's seed strategy and broader climate and conservation priorities in New Mexico.

• The Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NM FY25 IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management New Mexico 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 2024-12-19.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-02-26. (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.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district 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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