Cooperative Agreement AP25PPQFO000C427

AWARD PURPOSE: WISCONSIN TRIBAL CONSERVATION ADVISORY COUNCIL (WTCAC) WILL PROVIDE EDUCATION AND INFORMATION TO KEY GROUPS, INCLUDING YOUTH, TRIBAL LEADERS, CONSUMERS, AND VOLUNTEERS, ON PREVENTING THE INTRODUCTION AND SPREAD OF HIGH-CONSEQUENCE PESTS. TRIBAL NATIONS IN WISCONSIN RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS PROJECT, AS IT OFFERS VALUABLE INFORMATION ABOUT PESTS AND DISEASES AND IDENTIFIES METHODS TO PREVENT THEIR SPREAD. THIS WILL BE ACHIEVED BY RECRUITING AND HIRING NATIVE AMERICAN SEASONAL WORKERS (NASW) TO WORK ON EXOTIC PEST SURVEYS AND OUTREACH TO TRIBAL COMMUNITIES CENTERED ON EXOTIC PEST AWARENESS. WTCAC WILL RECRUIT FOUR COLLEGE-LEVEL TRIBAL MEMBERS TO HIRE AS SEASONAL WORKERS. THE SEASONAL WORKERS WILL GAIN KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE IN MITIGATION TOOLS AND TECHNOLOGIES USED TO REDUCE THE NEGATIVE IMPACT OF INVASIVE SPECIES ON TRIBAL LANDS. WTCAC WILL COLLABORATE WITH ALL 11 TRIBAL NATIONS IN WISCONSIN, PLACING SEASONAL WORKERS IN UP TO 4 TRIBAL OFFICES, WHERE THEY WILL WORK DIRECTLY WITH TRIBAL NATURAL RESOURCES DEPARTMENTS DURING THE FIELD SEASON. ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED: WTCAC WILL ASSIST TRIBES IN RECRUITING AND IDENTIFYING FOUR NATIVE AMERICAN SEASONAL WORKERS WITH THE REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, INTERESTS, AND ABILITIES. EACH NASW WILL BE PLACED IN A TRIBAL NATURAL RESOURCE OFFICE DURING THE FIELD SEASON AND WILL HAVE A DESIGNATED SUPERVISOR IN THAT OFFICE. WTCAC WILL COLLABORATE WITH PROJECT PARTNERS TO DEVELOP WORK PLANS FOR EACH NASW, INCORPORATING COMPONENTS ON VOLUNTEER TRAINING AND TEAMWORK. ONCE HIRED, THE NASWS WILL ATTEND AN ORIENTATION AND CARRY OUT THE APPROVED WORK PLAN WHILE EMPLOYING BEST PRACTICES THROUGHOUT THE FIELD SEASON. NASWS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR DOCUMENTING THEIR DAILY WORK ACHIEVEMENTS IN DETAIL IN A JOURNAL, WHICH THEY WILL SHARE WITH WTCAC STAFF AND THEIR SUPERVISOR. THE WTCAC PROJECT COORDINATOR AND EACH NASW SUPERVISOR WILL REVIEW THE PROGRESS REPORTS OF THE WORK PLANS DURING EACH BIWEEKLY PAY PERIOD. PROJECT STAFF AND NASWS WILL UTILIZE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, INCLUDING FIELD-RELATED APPLICATIONS, ADOBE, AND G SUITE, TO COMMUNICATE AND TO COLLECT AND SHARE DATA. AT THE END OF THE NASW PLACEMENTS, EACH NASW WILL PRESENT TO THE WTCAC BOARD OF DIRECTORS ABOUT THEIR SEASONAL EXPERIENCES AND THE WORK THEY COMPLETED. LASTLY, THE WTCAC BOARD WILL HOLD A FINAL MEETING WITH TRIBAL PARTNERS AND USDA APHIS TO EVALUATE THE PROJECT AND DECIDE ON FUTURE DIRECTIONS. DELIVERABLES AND EXPECTED OUTCOMES: IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TRIBAL NATIONS IN WISCONSIN, WTCAC WILL DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT BEST PRACTICES TO SUPPORT NASWS IN THEIR PLACEMENTS. WTCAC WILL TRAIN NATIVE AMERICAN STUDENTS AS SEASONAL WORKERS, EQUIPPING THEM TO IMPLEMENT SURVEY PROTOCOLS AND OUTREACH METHODS IN A CULTURALLY RESPECTFUL MANNER. ADDITIONALLY, WTCAC WILL RESEARCH, SHARE, AND ASSIST IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF INVASIVE SPECIES TRAINING AND WORKSHOPS FOR SEASONAL WORKERS, TRIBAL PARTNERS, CONSUMERS, AND VOLUNTEERS. THESE EFFORTS WILL ENSURE PARTICIPANTS ARE EQUIPPED WITH THE KNOWLEDGE TO RE-DUCE THE INTRODUCTION AND SPREAD OF INVASIVE PESTS, ULTIMATELY PROTECTING AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES. INTENDED BENEFICIARY(IES): TRIBAL COMMUNITIES, FARMERS, ORCHARDS, TIMBER INDUSTRY, FORESTERS, ARBORISTS, PLANT NURSERY INDUSTRY, LANDSCAPERS, FIREWOOD PRODUCERS, HUNTERS/CAMPERS/OTHER OUTDOORS RECREATIONISTS, AND MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC. THIS WILL SERVE ALL RESIDENTS OF WISC ONSIN AND VISITORS TO THE STATE WHO BENEFIT FROM OUR NATURAL LANDSCAPE RESOURCES. SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES, IF KNOWN OR SPECIFIED AT THE TIME OF AWARD: ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCIAL REPORTING SERVICES WILL BE CONTRACTED TO INNOVATIVE FUNDING LLC FOR 150 HOURS AT $75/HR.