Arizona Fisheries and Aquatic Resource Management | L20AS00093

Opportunity Information: Apply for L20AS00093

The Arizona Fisheries and Aquatic Resource Management grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number L20AS00093) is a discretionary cooperative agreement offered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM). It is focused on protecting and improving fish and aquatic species, along with the waters and habitats they depend on, across Arizona public lands. The overall purpose is to support practical, on-the-ground and data-driven work that keeps aquatic ecosystems healthy and functioning for the long term, while coordinating closely with federal and state wildlife agencies and other partner organizations so efforts are consistent across boundaries and jurisdictions.

The projects supported under this opportunity center on core aquatic resource priorities such as inventorying aquatic species and habitats, maintaining and restoring key waters and wetlands, and conserving vulnerable fish and aquatic wildlife populations. A major emphasis is addressing Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) through control and containment actions, paired with education to reduce the risk of new introductions and spread. The opportunity also supports wetland habitat management and restoration, including vegetation restoration, which can involve improving riparian condition, re-establishing native plant communities, and stabilizing areas that affect water quality and habitat structure. Another priority is improving habitat resiliency and connectivity across jurisdictional boundaries, reflecting the reality that rivers, streams, wetlands, and aquatic corridors often cross land ownership lines and require coordinated planning to be effective.

Beyond restoration work, the grant also targets planning and monitoring efforts that help agencies and partners make better management decisions over time. This includes monitoring priority aquatic habitat areas and tracking the status and performance of existing habitat improvement projects to ensure investments are working as intended. It also includes maintaining datasets and geospatial information, which can cover mapping, database updates, and spatial analyses that support habitat planning, invasive species response, and long-term conservation strategies. In addition, the opportunity encourages identifying areas where fishing access, angling quality, and other recreational opportunities can be improved in ways that align with conservation and sustainable use of aquatic resources.

Public communication and education are also built into the scope of work. The opportunity calls for educational outreach that explains how stressors such as drought, wildland fire, and insect or disease impacts can affect fish populations, aquatic wildlife, and their habitats. These outreach efforts are intended to inform the public and partners, build support for responsible recreation and prevention behaviors (especially related to AIS), and help communities understand the management steps needed to protect aquatic systems under changing environmental conditions.

Administratively, the opportunity is under CFDA 15.244 and uses a cooperative agreement structure, meaning substantial federal involvement is typical compared to a standard grant. Eligible applicants are broad and include state, county, and local governments; special districts; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; and nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not higher education institutions in the nonprofit category). The announcement was created on April 23, 2020, with an original closing date of June 23, 2020. Funding details list an award ceiling of $500,000, with an expected three awards, indicating a competitive process aimed at supporting a small set of relatively substantial projects aligned with BLM aquatic resource priorities in Arizona.

• The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Arizona Fisheries and Aquatic Resource Management" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.244.
• This funding opportunity was created on Apr 23, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 23, 2020. (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.
• 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, 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 L20AS00093

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: