FY26 Bureau of Land Management Abandoned Mine Lands and Hazardous Materials - Bureau wide

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is offering up to $1.5 million per award to partners who can help clean up abandoned mine lands and hazardous materials across BLM-administered lands in the United States. This grant cycle will fund three awards, with each award ranging from $100,000 to $1,500,000. The BLM manages over 160,000 abandoned mine features on its lands, many of which pose physical safety hazards or environmental contamination risks. The program focuses on two core areas. First, the Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) program addresses physical safety hazards like open shafts and adits, and contamination that threatens human health and the environment. Second, the program handles hazardous materials response, including work under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) and Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration (NRDAR) authorities. Projects may involve fencing, back-filling, bat-friendly grates, watershed restoration, and removal of hazardous substances. The BLM wants to build partnerships with States, local governments, Tribal Nations, and voluntary environmental and citizen groups. These cooperative agreements aim to protect surface water, groundwater, soil, sediment, and air from abandoned mine sites, address hazardous substance releases, safeguard dangerous sites, and restore lands to productive uses like recreation, fish and wildlife habitat, and preservation of historical and cultural resources. The BLM is a federal agency within the U.S. Department of the Interior. It manages over 245 million acres of public land, primarily in the western United States, including Alaska. The agency's mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. Working with the BLM means operating across diverse landscapes, from desert canyons to alpine forests, with regional offices coordinating projects at the state and field level. Living and working in the United States varies significantly by region. Monthly living costs average $1,200 to $2,200 depending on housing, health insurance, and location. The country offers world-class research infrastructure and vibrant campus cultures if you partner with universities. Regional climates range from coastal to continental, so project conditions depend heavily on where the work takes place. For international partners, visa requirements depend on the nature of the collaboration, but F-1 visa holders can work up to 20 hours per week on-campus during academic terms and may apply for CPT/OPT for off-campus training.