Youth Conservation
Active
- Assistance listing
- 15.546
- Agency
-
Bureau of Reclamation
Department of the Interior
- Grant awards
- 115 $15,110,663 in federal obligations
Program facts
- Assistance types
-
- Cooperative Agreement
- Project Grant
- Treasury account
-
- 14-0680-0-1-301
- More information
Program details come from SAM.gov Assistance Listings. Updated . Grant award figures come from USAspending.gov.
About this program
The Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation funds youth conservation and natural resource stewardship activities through employment, internship, and field project placements in the western United States, CFDA 15.546, with the most recent grant award made on May 20, 2025.
The program supports youth and conservation corps organizations in recruiting and placing individuals ages 15–25 in meaningful work on Reclamation lands and facilities. Funded activities span environmental education, ecological restoration, species preservation, fuels treatments, cultural resource documentation, research and monitoring, trail maintenance and construction, riparian restoration, wildfire mitigation through vegetation management, and administrative support to Reclamation's water and power resource mission. Recent awards funded watershed partnership coordination in the San Juan–Chama region, experiential education programs along the Colorado River and Colorado Plateau canyons, desalination and renewable energy internships, conservation crew work at multiple reservoirs, and youth intern placements at Reclamation offices across technical services, water quality, engineering, and financial assistance divisions. Work is performed across Reclamation facilities and lands in the 17 western states west of the Mississippi River, with administrative oversight at Bureau of Reclamation headquarters.
The program is overwhelmingly dominated by the Bureau of Reclamation, which obligated $13.9 million across 114 awards; the Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District obligated $1.2 million in a single award. Combined federal dollars obligated total $15.1 million against $22 million in total obligated dollars, indicating recipients contribute substantial cost-share. The assistance-type portfolio is predominantly Cooperative Agreements (90 percent, 104 awards) with a smaller share of Project Grants (10 percent, 11 awards). Recent annual award volume has declined from a peak of nine awards in 2022 to two awards in 2025, though the program maintains historical continuity since 2011.
Typical individual award magnitudes range from under $10 thousand for short-term interns to several hundred thousand dollars for multi-year conservation crews and master cooperative agreements. Representative recent awards include a $1.9 million cooperative agreement to recruit and place engineering and science interns at the Technical Service Center through 2029, a $50 thousand project grant for Grand Canyon Youth experiential education and science engagement through 2029, and a $173 thousand cooperative agreement for desalination and renewable energy internships running through 2025.
The most recently posted opportunity was solicitation R23AS00166, posted July 24, 2023 with a due date of September 26, 2023, seeking master cooperative agreement proposals from nonprofit organizations to recruit and place youth interns and resource assistants across Reclamation's Direct Hire Authority for Resource Assistant Internship Program, Public Lands Corps Program, and Indian Youth Service Corps Program. Eligible applicants are nonprofit organizations other than institutions of higher education, qualified youth or conservation corps, state and local government entities, and Indian tribes capable of involving youth in conservation activities. Environmental compliance for recipients is not required; Reclamation addresses all compliance prior to activity start.
Objective and description
- Objective
Promote and stimulate public purposes such as education, job training, development of responsible citizenship, productive community involvement, and furthering the understanding and appreciation of natural and cultural resources through the involveme
- Description
Promote and stimulate public purposes such as education, job training, development of responsible citizenship, productive community involvement, and furthering the understanding and appreciation of natural and cultural resources through the involvement of local youth and young adults in the care and enhancement of public resources.
Eligibility
- Applicant eligibility
Eligibility for conservation activities is limited to qualified youth or conservation corps that are able to involve youth ages 15-25 in the 17 states west of the Mississippi river. Eligibility for the Intern Program is limited to non-profit organizations other than institutions of higher education that are capable of recruiting qualified youth interns for positions located at Reclamation offices and facilities. A qualified service and conservation corps means any program established by a State, or local government, by the governing body of any Indian tribe, or by a nonprofit organization that 1) is capable of offering meaningful, full-time, productive work for individuals between the ages of 16 and 30, inclusive, in a natural or cultural resource setting; 2) gives participants a mix of work experience, basic and life skills, education, training and support services; and 3) provides participants with the opportunity to develop citizenship values and skills through service to their community and the United States.
- Beneficiary eligibility
Youth and local communities that benefit from conservation improvements and involvement in youth programs activities on Reclamation-owned lands and facilities.
- Use restrictions
All not listed above.
- Length and time phasing of assistance
Master Cooperative Agreements are generally awarded for one to five years, with a reassessment of program accomplishment on an annual basis.
How to apply
- Preapplication coordination
Environmental compliance for this program by the Recipient is not required. Reclamation will address all environmental compliance requirements prior to the start of activities funded under this program.
- Criteria for selecting proposals
The Corps shall consist of individuals between the ages of 16 and 30. The Secretary is authorized to enter into contracts and cooperative agreements with any qualified youth or conservation corps to perform appropriate conservation projects. The Secretary is also authorized to enter into cooperative agreements with nonprofit organizations (other than institutions of higher education) for the recruitment and placement of youth resource assistants (interns).
- Award procedure
All applications will be initially screened for eligible and compliance with the requirements stated in the program funding opportunity announcement. Applications passing this screening process will be forwarded for review by the proposal evaluation criteria, and any additional review factors, as stated in the funding opportunity announcement. Final selection will be determined by the Commissioner, Bureau of Reclamation, or regional officials, as applicable to the project.
- Time to approval or disapproval
Approximately 90 Days.
- Appeals
None. Final award decisions are not subject to appeal; however, the Bureau of Reclamation will provide all applicants with information why their proposals were not selected for award.
Grant opportunities
Show all 14
Grant awards
Latest 10 of 115 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Top recipients by federal obligations
| Rank | Recipient | Federal obligations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Great Basin Institute | $6,438,456 | 43% |
| 2 | Conservation Legacy | $1,487,732 | 10% |
| 3 | California Conservation Corps | $1,420,847 | 9% |
| 4 | Southern California Mountains Foundation | $1,192,472 | 8% |
| 5 | Rocky Mountain Youth Corps | $1,067,400 | 7% |
| 6 | American Conservation Experience | $980,041 | 6% |
| 7 | National Fish And Wildlife Foundation | $732,154 | 5% |
| 8 | Montana Conservation Corps, Inc. | $702,950 | 5% |
| 9 | Fresno County Economic Opportunities Commission | $260,058 | 2% |
| 10 | Hispanic Access Foundation | $251,156 | 2% |
10 of 18 recipients listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Federal obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Federal obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2026 | -$6,367 |
| FY2025 | $1,493,066 |
| FY2024 | $1,423,140 |
| FY2023 | $1,464,168 |
| FY2022 | $2,210,940 |
| FY2021 | $1,227,124 |
| FY2020 | $1,073,433 |
| FY2019 | $1,384,260 |
| FY2018 | $1,172,928 |
| FY2017 | $1,156,553 |
| FY2016 | $887,220 |
| FY2015 | $823,631 |
| FY2014 | $308,989 |
| FY2013 | $14,500 |
Show all 14
Quick answers
What is Assistance Listing 15.546?
Assistance Listing 15.546 is Youth Conservation, a federal grant program run by Bureau of Reclamation (Department of the Interior).
What is the CFDA number for Youth Conservation?
Its CFDA number is 15.546: Assistance Listing numbers were called CFDA numbers before 2018.
How much funding has Assistance Listing 15.546 awarded?
115 grant awards under 15.546 have obligated $15,110,663 in federal funds to 18 recipients.
Who receives the most funding from 15.546?
The recipients obligated the most under Youth Conservation are The Great Basin Institute ($6,438,456), Conservation Legacy ($1,487,732) and California Conservation Corps ($1,420,847).
How much did 15.546 obligate in fiscal year 2025?
Grants under 15.546 obligated $1,493,066 in federal funds in fiscal year 2025.
Are there open grant opportunities under 15.546?
No opportunity listed under 15.546 is open now. The latest, Reclamation Youth Interns and Resource Assistants Master Cooperative Agreement, was posted on July 24, 2023.
On GovTribe
See this program's full record
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