Department of the Interior - Bureau of Land Management Arizona Youth Conservation Opportunities on Public Lands | L21AS00412

Opportunity Information: Apply for L21AS00412

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Arizona is offering a discretionary funding opportunity, issued as a cooperative agreement, to support youth conservation work on public lands. The program is designed to pair on-the-ground conservation projects with structured youth employment and development, meaning the funded work is not only about completing resource projects but also about giving young people paid, meaningful experience in natural or cultural resource settings. The opportunity is titled "Department of the Interior - Bureau of Land Management Arizona Youth Conservation Opportunities on Public Lands" and is listed under Funding Opportunity Number L21AS00412, within the Natural Resources funding activity category (CFDA 15.243). The original closing date for applications was June 23, 2021, and the maximum award amount (award ceiling) is listed as $1,580,000.

Eligibility is narrowly defined and centers on "qualified youth or conservation corps" programs. Only youth conservation corps established by a state or local government, by the governing body of an Indian tribe, or by a qualified nonprofit organization may apply, and the notice explicitly states that no other entities are eligible to respond. For nonprofit applicants, the requirement is especially clear: they must submit documentation of their IRS Section 501(c)(3) status determination letter. While the broader eligible applicant list in the source data includes various government entities, tribal governments and organizations, nonprofits (both with and without 501(c)(3) status), and higher education institutions, the narrative description emphasizes that the competition is intended specifically for qualified youth conservation corps structures and excludes applicants that do not meet that definition.

The core purpose of the grant is to develop and administer multiple-use conservation projects on BLM-managed public lands in Arizona while providing employment, education, and public service opportunities for participants. Participants must be U.S. citizens or legal residents, generally between ages 16 and 30 inclusive, with an expanded age limit for veterans up to age 35 inclusive. Recruitment is expected to focus on local and surrounding communities, reinforcing the program's goal of creating nearby pathways into conservation, land management, and public service careers. In practice, this often aligns with projects that benefit public lands and visitors while also building a workforce pipeline for land stewardship and related fields.

A "qualified youth or conservation corps" is defined in functional terms rather than by name alone. The program must be capable of providing meaningful, full-time, productive work for eligible participants in a natural or cultural resource setting. It must also provide a balanced experience that goes beyond job tasks, mixing hands-on work with basic life skills, education, training, and participant support. Another key expectation is that the experience should build transferable life skills and work habits that participants can carry back into their communities and into future employment, including an emphasis on work ethic, responsibility, and practical competencies gained through service on BLM lands.

Because the funding instrument is a cooperative agreement rather than a standard grant, applicants should expect substantial involvement from BLM in planning, coordination, and implementation. Cooperative agreements typically indicate a partnership model where the agency may have an active role in project design, technical guidance, alignment with BLM priorities, and oversight of deliverables. The opportunity is therefore best suited for organizations that can not only manage crews and participant support systems, but also collaborate closely with federal land managers to execute conservation projects safely, effectively, and in compliance with public-land standards.

In short, this opportunity funds youth corps-based conservation work in Arizona on BLM public lands, with a dual emphasis on tangible land stewardship outcomes and paid, structured development opportunities for young adults and veterans. Applicants must be a qualifying youth conservation corps program formed by government, tribal leadership, or an eligible nonprofit (with documented 501(c)(3) status if applicable), and they must be prepared to run full-time, meaningful conservation work experiences that include training, life-skills development, and participant support alongside the field projects themselves.

• The Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Department of the Interior - Bureau of Land Management Arizona 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 2021-04-22.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-06-23. (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 $1,580,000.00 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.

Apply for L21AS00412

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