Alaska BLM Fuels Management and Community Fire Assistance Program Activities | L20AS00051

Opportunity Information: Apply for L20AS00051

The Alaska BLM Fuels Management and Community Fire Assistance Program Activities grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number L20AS00051) is a discretionary funding program offered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM). It is structured as a cooperative agreement, which generally means the BLM expects to have substantial involvement in the project during the performance period (for example, coordinating priorities, providing technical input, or aligning work with federal fuels and community wildfire goals). The overall purpose is to reduce the risk and impacts of catastrophic wildfires on local communities in Alaska by supporting practical fuels management work, improving coordination among partners, and expanding education and outreach so landowners better understand wildfire prevention and mitigation.

At its core, the opportunity focuses on hazardous fuels reduction and related community assistance activities. Projects supported under this program are meant to lower wildfire intensity and spread potential by reducing or managing fuels in strategic areas, while also strengthening local readiness through planning, coordination, and public education. The description emphasizes three main outcomes: better coordination to address wildfire risk, tangible reductions in hazardous fuels, and improved landowner knowledge and engagement around prevention and mitigation. The activity category is Natural Resources, and the program is listed under CFDA 15.228.

Eligible applicants are broad and include many common public, tribal, academic, and nonprofit entities. Specifically, the opportunity is open to state governments; county governments; city or township governments; special district governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; and nonprofit organizations, including both 501(c)(3) nonprofits and nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education). This range of eligibility suggests the BLM is interested in partnering with organizations that can implement on-the-ground fuels work, coordinate across landownership boundaries, and deliver credible outreach or training to local residents and landowners.

Funding is relatively small and competitive. The maximum award amount (award ceiling) is $40,000, and the BLM expected to make about two awards under this announcement. Because the ceiling is modest and the number of expected awards is low, applicants would typically need to propose tightly scoped, high-impact projects with clear deliverables, strong local partnerships, and a direct connection to reducing wildfire risk for communities. Proposals that combine on-the-ground fuels treatment with measurable community assistance or education components would align well with the stated purpose.

Timing and submission rules are clearly defined. The opportunity opened January 29, 2020 and closed March 30, 2020. Applications had to be submitted by 5:00 PM Alaska Standard Time (AST) on March 30, 2020, and submissions were required to be in English. Late applications were not accepted, so meeting the deadline was a strict requirement.

In practical terms, this grant was designed to help Alaska communities and partner organizations take concrete, near-term steps to reduce wildfire hazards and strengthen community resilience. By funding targeted fuels management and community fire assistance activities through cooperative agreements, the BLM aimed to support collaborative, locally grounded work that reduces hazardous fuels, improves coordination across stakeholders, and increases landowner awareness and action on wildfire prevention and mitigation.

• The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Alaska BLM Fuels Management and Community Fire Assistance Program Activities" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.228.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jan 29, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 30, 2020 Open from January 29, 2020 through March 30, 2020. Applications must be submitted by 500 PM AST on March 30, 2020. Applications must be submitted in English. Late applications will not be accepted.. (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 $40,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 2 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), 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.

Apply for L20AS00051

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