Opportunity Information: Apply for L20AS00029
The ORWA Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number L20AS00029) is a federal discretionary funding program run by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM). It is tied to CFDA 15.234 and uses a cooperative agreement as the primary funding instrument, which generally means BLM expects to have an active role in the project beyond simply issuing a check, such as collaborating on planning, oversight, or implementation details.
The program exists to help counties that historically depended on timber revenue from federal lands. Timber harvest levels on federal lands dropped significantly in the 1990s, and many rural counties lost a major source of funding that had supported local services and economic stability. Secure Rural Schools (SRS) was designed to offset that long-term revenue decline by providing federal payments and project-based support that can benefit rural communities connected to federal land management.
This particular grant announcement is only for Title II funds under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act. Title II focuses on special projects conducted on federal land, rather than general revenue sharing or county-controlled spending. In other words, the emphasis here is on work that improves or maintains federal lands and resources while also benefiting local communities. The notice references the three parts of the SRS legislation to clarify scope: Title I covers secure payments to states and counties with federal land; Title II supports special projects on federal land; and Title III covers certain county projects and obligations. Only Title II is in play for this opportunity, and BLM is the administering federal agency for these awards in this instance.
Eligibility is broad and includes multiple levels of government and community-based entities. Eligible applicants listed include state, county, and city/township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations both with and without 501(c)(3) status; and even individuals. This wide eligibility suggests BLM anticipated proposals from a range of local and regional partners that can carry out on-the-ground projects connected to federal lands and rural community needs.
Funding details in the announcement indicate an award ceiling of $100,000, with an expectation of around 50 awards. The opportunity was created on June 8, 2020, with an original closing date of September 30, 2020, and the announcement notes that all applications received would be reviewed for FY21 funding. The activity category is Natural Resources, which aligns with Title II project work typically associated with land stewardship, resource improvement, and related community benefits on or tied to federal lands.
Overall, this opportunity can be understood as a project-focused slice of the Secure Rural Schools program: BLM-funded cooperative agreements intended to support special projects on federal land that help rural counties and communities adapt to the economic impacts of reduced federal timber harvest while advancing natural resource and land management outcomes.Apply for L20AS00029
- The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "ORWA Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.234.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jun 08, 2020.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 30, 2020 All applications received will be reviewed for FY21 funding. (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 50 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, Individuals.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the ORWA Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination funding opportunity?
The ORWA Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination opportunity is a federal discretionary funding program administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM). It supports projects connected to federal land stewardship and rural community benefits under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) for this program?
The Funding Opportunity Number is L20AS00029.
Which federal agency runs and administers this opportunity?
This opportunity is run by the U.S. Department of the Interior and administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?
The announcement is tied to CFDA 15.234.
What type of funding instrument is expected for awards?
The primary funding instrument is a cooperative agreement.
What does it mean that this program uses a cooperative agreement?
A cooperative agreement generally means BLM expects to have an active role in the project beyond issuing funds, such as participating in planning, oversight, and/or implementation details.
Why does the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) program exist?
The program exists to help counties that historically depended on timber revenue from federal lands. Timber harvest levels on federal lands dropped significantly in the 1990s, which reduced revenue that had supported local services and economic stability in many rural counties. SRS was designed to offset that long-term revenue decline through federal payments and project-based support.
Which part (Title) of the Secure Rural Schools Act is covered by this announcement?
This announcement is only for Title II funds under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act.
What is the focus of Title II funding?
Title II focuses on special projects conducted on federal land. The emphasis is on work that improves or maintains federal lands and resources while also benefiting local communities.
Are Title I or Title III funds included in this opportunity?
No. The notice clarifies the three parts of the legislation (Title I, Title II, and Title III), but only Title II is included in this specific opportunity.
How does Title II differ from other SRS titles mentioned in the notice?
According to the notice: Title I covers secure payments to states and counties with federal land; Title II supports special projects on federal land; and Title III covers certain county projects and obligations. This opportunity is limited to Title II special projects on federal land.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes: state governments; county governments; city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; other tribal organizations; public housing authorities; Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status; nonprofit organizations without 501(c)(3) status; and individuals.
Can nonprofit organizations apply even if they do not have 501(c)(3) status?
Yes. The eligible applicant list includes nonprofit organizations both with and without 501(c)(3) status.
Are individuals eligible applicants under this opportunity?
Yes. Individuals are explicitly listed as eligible applicants.
Are Tribal governments and Tribal organizations eligible?
Yes. Federally recognized Native American tribal governments and other tribal organizations are listed as eligible applicants.
What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling is $100,000.
About how many awards does the announcement expect to make?
The announcement indicates an expectation of around 50 awards.
When was this opportunity created?
The opportunity was created on June 8, 2020.
What was the original closing date for applications?
The original closing date was September 30, 2020.
What fiscal year were applications reviewed for, according to the announcement?
The announcement notes that all applications received would be reviewed for FY21 funding.
What is the activity category for this opportunity?
The activity category is Natural Resources.
What kinds of projects is this opportunity intended to support?
Based on the announcement description, the opportunity is intended to support project-focused work under Title II that improves or maintains federal lands and resources while providing benefits to rural counties and communities affected by reduced federal timber harvest.
Where do Title II projects take place?
Title II focuses on special projects conducted on federal land.
Is this opportunity more like general revenue sharing or project-based funding?
This opportunity is project-based. It is described as a Title II special-project slice of the Secure Rural Schools program, rather than general revenue sharing or county-controlled spending.
What is the overall purpose of this specific announcement in plain terms?
It is a BLM-administered cooperative agreement program that funds special projects on federal land to support rural counties and communities adapting to the economic impacts of reduced federal timber harvest, while also advancing natural resource and land management outcomes.
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