FY24 Bureau of Land Management Eastern States (ES) Cultural and Paleontology Resource Management

Background
The Bureau of Land Management Eastern States (ES) manages archaeological and historic sites, artifact collections, places of traditional cultural importance to Native Americans and other communities, and paleontological resources that occur on federal lands in the ES. The program supports projects funded through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Sections 40601 and 40806, as well as the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), Sections 50221 Resilience, 50222 Ecosystems Restoration and 50303 DOI. The program seeks to establish partnerships that encourage the public to learn about and engage with heritage resources in ES, with the goals of building a meaningful conservation stewardship legacy through expanding recreation opportunities on public lands, ensuring meaningful consultation and self-determination for Tribes, enhancing visitor experience on public lands by better meeting infrastructure and maintenance needs, and eliminating unnecessary steps and duplicative reviews while maintaining rigorous environmental standards.

Grant Details
The BLM ES Cultural Heritage and Paleontology Programs aim to protect and preserve cultural heritage and paleontological resources for future generations, improve understanding of the nation’s cultural and natural history, provide educational, recreational, and economic opportunities for local communities and the public, increase Native American access to locations important to traditional cultural practices, manage heritage resource collections to appropriate standards, identify opportunities for repatriation of ancestors and objects in museum collections to descendant Native American tribes. The program legislation authority applicable includes the Archaeological Resource Protection Act of 1979, National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) of 1990, Paleontological Resources Preservation Act of 2009 among others.

Eligibility Requirements
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 without 501(c)(3) status with the IRS other than institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education. Individuals and For-Profit Organizations are ineligible to apply for awards under this NOFO. The program does not support entities hiring interns or crews under the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993.

Period of Performance
Projects funded through this NOFO will start upon issuance of a notice of award by the BLM Grants Management Officer executed through GrantSolutions. Agreement terms for funded projects are estimated to range between one and no more than five years. Projects cannot be funded for more than a five-year period.

Grant Value
$150,000

Place of Performance
Projects will be based out of district or field offices where the project occurs.