BLM-CO: Strengthening Partnerships for Invasive and Noxious Plant Management | L19AS00042

Opportunity Information: Apply for L19AS00042

The BLM-CO: Strengthening Partnerships for Invasive and Noxious Plant Management opportunity is a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Colorado grant designed to support collaborative, on-the-ground work that addresses invasive and noxious weeds on public rangelands and across shared landscapes. BLM Colorado manages public lands under a multiple-use and sustained yield framework, meaning these areas are expected to support a wide mix of values and activities at the same time, such as livestock grazing, recreation, healthy watersheds, and wildlife habitat. The program frames invasive plant spread as one of the most significant barriers to maintaining or restoring ecosystem health, particularly because weed infestations do not stop at administrative boundaries and often expand across multiple jurisdictions.

The need for this work is substantial and clearly stated in the opportunity description. While BLM manages roughly 245 million acres nationally, more than 79 million of those acres are reported as infested with noxious and invasive weeds. These species can outcompete native plant communities and in many cases lead to long-lasting or permanent ecological changes. The impacts described go beyond vegetation alone: invasive plants can strain water resources, degrade watershed function, and reduce the quality and availability of habitat for wildlife. They can also restrict or complicate traditional land uses, including grazing and other agricultural purposes, which ties weed management directly to both conservation goals and local economic and community uses of public lands.

This funding opportunity is built around BLM's Invasive and Noxious Plant Management Program and the core set of actions that program emphasizes: prevention, early detection, inventory, control, and monitoring of weed populations on public lands. In practical terms, projects supported under this kind of program commonly include activities such as surveying and mapping infestations, implementing treatment strategies to reduce or eradicate target species, and then returning to treated sites to measure outcomes and prevent reinfestation. The emphasis on partnerships is central: BLM highlights that invasive vegetation affects both the agency and the public, and that coordinated efforts with external partners are a key way to expand capacity, align approaches across boundaries, and improve results at a landscape scale rather than only on isolated parcels.

Another important component described is public-facing education and outreach. BLM Colorado notes that it works with partners to develop and distribute weed education materials, which can help reduce the spread of invasive plants by improving awareness and encouraging best practices. Education can be especially relevant where recreation, livestock movement, road and trail use, equipment transport, and other routine activities inadvertently move seeds and plant fragments from one place to another. By supporting partners who can help reach local communities, user groups, and adjacent landowners, the program aims to reduce new introductions and slow expansion while also building broader support for management actions.

Administratively, this opportunity is a discretionary funding program offered by the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, and the award instrument is a cooperative agreement. A cooperative agreement generally indicates that BLM expects to have substantial involvement during the project period, such as coordination on priorities, technical input, or joint implementation. The funding opportunity number is L19AS00042, and it is categorized under the Natural Resources funding activity area with CFDA number 15.230. The original posting timeline shows a creation date of May 9, 2019, with an original closing date of July 9, 2019, indicating it was a time-limited competition during that period.

The maximum award amount listed is $100,000 (award ceiling), and BLM anticipated making about three awards under this announcement. Eligible applicants are broad and include state, county, and local governments (including special districts), public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, federally recognized tribal governments, other tribal organizations, and nonprofits with IRS 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education). This eligibility range is consistent with a partnership-driven approach, where weed management work can be carried out by a variety of organizations that already have local knowledge, operational capacity, and relationships across landownership boundaries.

Applications for this opportunity are submitted through Grants.gov. The announcement directs applicants to download the application package, instructions, and templates from that site, which is where the official requirements, forms, and submission steps would be provided for the competition.

• The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BLM-CO: Strengthening Partnerships for Invasive and Noxious Plant Management" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.230.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 09, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 09, 2019. (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 $100,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 3 candidate(s).
• 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.

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