BLM-MT, Youth Natural Resources Education, Montana State Office | L17AS00065

Opportunity Information: Apply for L17AS00065

The BLM-MT, Youth Natural Resources Education, Montana State Office opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number L17AS00065) is a Bureau of Land Management, Montana State Office discretionary funding announcement that supports youth-focused natural resources education and hands-on training tied to public lands stewardship. Issued by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, the funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, reflecting BLMs intent to work closely with a non-federal partner in planning and delivering the project rather than simply issuing a standalone grant. The opportunity is categorized under Natural Resources (CFDA 15.243) and, according to the listing, is open to an unrestricted pool of eligible applicants, meaning any entity type may apply as long as it meets any eligibility notes provided in the full announcement.

At its core, the program builds on BLMs longstanding practice of partnering with outside organizations to connect young people with conservation work that protects, restores, and enhances public lands. The opportunity is aligned with BLMs youth strategy, which emphasizes engaging young people early so they learn, recreate, and develop a lasting relationship with public lands. Funding is meant to support real work and training experiences for youth across a range of natural resource program areas, using public lands as "natural classrooms" where students can learn by doing and by working alongside professionals.

A central example highlighted in the announcement is the Montana Natural Resources Youth Camp, a long-running program with roughly 30 years of history that serves Montana youth ages 14 to 18. The camp model is described as an outdoor classroom that blends scientific principles with practical realities such as economics, land-use tradeoffs, historic heritage, and social perspectives. In addition to building knowledge, it is designed to help shape future leaders and community members by giving them an informed, progressive perspective on natural resource issues in Montana. A key feature is direct exposure to professional natural resource specialists, allowing participants to see how conservation and land management work happens in practice and what career paths exist in the field.

The opportunity lists two overarching objectives: first, to expose youth to natural resource management while deepening their understanding and appreciation of Montanas natural and cultural resources; and second, to spark interest in conservation careers by showing participants common natural resource career pathways. The camp framework provides a detailed set of instructional and developmental goals that illustrate what a successful project might include. These goals include delivering an enjoyable outdoor learning experience; combining instruction and experiential learning across topics like forests, rangelands, soils, watersheds, wildlife, recreation, geology, and land ownership; and demonstrating a range of management approaches from utilization to preservation, along with the environmental and economic consequences those choices can have for landowners and communities.

Beyond technical content, the program emphasizes personal development and civic outcomes. It aims to promote a desire to keep learning about natural resources, build self-esteem, and strengthen leadership skills and responsible citizenship. It also includes a historical component, giving students perspective on how conservation and land management have evolved. Another prominent element is decision-making practice: students are challenged to work in teams on realistic land-use management decisions that require balancing environmental, economic, legal, and social concerns, and then considering the long-term consequences of those decisions. The announcement also notes that the resulting cooperative agreement may be used as a vehicle for additional youth education and training opportunities in the future, suggesting the partnership could extend beyond a single camp session or event.

The stated public benefit centers on youth development and active participation in conservation-related work. Specifically, the program is intended to promote education, job training, responsible citizenship, and productive community involvement by involving young people directly in the care and enhancement of public natural resources. As participants gain experience in natural and cultural resource management, they are expected to develop a stronger appreciation for public lands and a clearer understanding of conservation career fields. The long-term intent is that these students, as future citizens and community leaders, will be better prepared to make informed decisions about how natural resources should be managed.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity was created on April 20, 2017, with an original closing date of June 19, 2017. The award ceiling listed is $5,000, and the posting anticipated one award.

• The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BLM-MT, Youth Natural Resources Education, Montana State Office" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.243.
• This funding opportunity was created on Apr 20, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 19, 2017. (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 $5,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

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