NOI_USGS-20-FA-0075.pdf

NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD

This Funding Announcement is not a request for applications. This announcement is to provide public notice of the U.S. Geological Survey’s intention to fund the following project activities without full and open competition.

ABSTRACT

Funding Announcement USGS-20-FA-0075

Project Title Synthesis of Climate impacts, Stakeholder needs, and Adaptation in Northern Great Plains Grassland Ecosystems

Recipient University of Colorado – Boulder Anticipated Federal Amount $317,558

Cost Share $0 Total Anticipated Award Amount $317,558

New Award or Continuation? NEW

Anticipated Period of Performance 03/27/2020 – 02/28/2022

Award Instrument Cooperative Agreement CFDA # and Title 15.820 National Climate Adaptation Science Center USGS Point of Contact

USGS Program Officer: Aparna Bamzai-Dodson, Deputy Director, North Central Climate Adaptation Science Center, abamzai@usgs.gov

USGS Grants Specialist: Maylily Son Le, Grant Specialist, mle@usgs.gov

OVERVIEW

Grasslands in the northern Great Plains are important ecosystems that support local economies, tribal communities, livestock grazing, diverse plant and animal communities, and large-scale migrations of big-game ungulates, grassland birds, and waterfowl. Managing complex grassland landscapes in the face of climate variability and change is challenging, with diverse stakeholder priorities and linked ecological processes such as grassland production, seasonal animal migrations, changes in a species’ distribution, and fire regimes that occur over multiple spatial and temporal scales. Understanding how climate change and climate variability will impact grassland ecosystems and their management in the 21st century first requires a synthesis of what is known across all of these scales and a gap analysis to identify key areas of needed future research.

mailto:abamzai@usgs.gov

This project will conduct a series of synthesis efforts to:

1. Identify and describe known management questions and information needs of stakeholders in this region by synthesizing needs assessments, surveys, reports, ongoing studies, and peer-reviewed literature

2. Assess the state of knowledge in climate science understanding for this region, including trends in climate variability, projections of climate change, and other key climate science questions

3. Describe ecological responses to climate variability and change across the grasslands, including tipping points, changing fire patterns, spreading invasive species, changing species distributions, new interactions with land use, habitat fragmentation, and other changes in ecological and plant communities.

RECIPIENT INVOLVEMENT

University of Colorado – Boulder involvement includes utilizing existing active partnerships with key stakeholders in the region including, but not limited to, the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Managers, Society for Rangeland Management, Native American Fish and Wildlife Agencies, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Regions 6 and 3. Work conducted by the recipient will include convening two inter-connected Working Groups to collaborate on these synthesis efforts that meet multiple times with an Advisory Committee comprised of boundary organizations to facilitate inclusion and consideration of diverse stakeholder needs and interests across the region. A postdoctoral Working Group Coordinator will facilitate collaboration between these groups. The researchers on this project will help ensure that the USGS continues to provide relevant and reliable scientific information to resource managers.

USGS INVOLVEMENT

Substantial involvement on the part USGS is anticipated for the successful completion of the objectives to be funded by this award. USGS involvement is within the Advisory Committee.

The Advisory Committee members ensure that the synthesis efforts include existing federal science and that the products are directly useful and accessible to stakeholders.

SINGLE-SOURCE JUSTIFICATION

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

SINGLE SOURCE POLICY REQUIREMENTS

Department of the Interior Policy (505 DM 2) requires a written justification which explains why competition is not practicable for each single-source award. The justification must address one or more of the following criteria as well as discussion of the program legislative history, unique capabilities of the proposed recipient, and cost-sharing contribution offered by the proposed recipient, as applicable.

In order for an assistance award to be made without competition, the award must satisfy one or more of the following criteria:

(1) Unsolicited Proposal – The proposed award is the result of an unsolicited assistance application which represents a unique or innovative idea, method, or approach which is not the subject of a current or planned contract or assistance award, but which is deemed advantageous to the program objectives;

(2) Continuation – The activity to be funded is necessary to the satisfactory completion of, or is a continuation of an activity presently being funded, and for which competition would have a significant adverse effect on the continuity or completion of the activity;

(3) Legislative intent – The language in the applicable authorizing legislation or legislative history clearly indicates Congress’ intent to restrict the award to a particular recipient of purpose;

(4) Unique Qualifications – The applicant is uniquely qualified to perform the activity based upon a variety of demonstrable factors such as location, property ownership, voluntary support capacity, cost-sharing ability if applicable, technical expertise, or other such unique qualifications;

(5) Emergencies – Program/award where there is insufficient time available (due to a compelling and unusual urgency, or substantial danger to health or safety) for adequate competitive procedures to be followed.

(6) Cooperative Agreements - USGS Unique Authority cited at 43 U.S.C. 36d (Federal, State, and academic partners) or DOI Authority cited at 43 U.S.C. 1457b (not-for-profit organizations).

USGS did not solicit full and open competition for this award based on the following criteria:

(4) Unique Qualifications

(6) Cooperative Agreements – USGS Unique Authority cited at 43 U.S.C.36d

Single Source Justification Description:

(4) UNIQUE QUALIFICATIONS – The recipient’s investigator team is uniquely qualified to perform the activities described above based upon a variety of demonstrable factors such as technical expertise, staff capacity and skills, and existing partnerships in both the research and resource management communities. In particular, the investigator team has extensive experience in conducting climate impacts and adaptation research on rangelands, and so they are uniquely qualified to further extend their previous research into natural grassland systems. Additionally, CU-Boulder has proven over prior awards that it is highly capable of performing this work.

STATUTORY AUTHORITY

Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2008, Div. F, Title I, P.L. 110-161 USGS Unique Authority cited at 43 U.S.C. 36d (Federal, State and academic partners).

§ 36d. Cooperative agreements: Notwithstanding the provisions of the Federal Grant and Cooperative Agreement Act of 1977 (31 U.S.C. 6301–6308), the United States Geological Survey is authorized to continue existing, and on and after November 10, 2003, to enter into new cooperative agreements directed towards a cooperator, in support of joint research and data collection activities with Federal, State, and academic partners funded by appropriations herein, including those that provide for space in cooperator facilities.