2015 oles youth project mini announcement.doc

UNITED STATES

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT

(BLM)

BLM-UT, Youth Opportunities to Work on Conservation Projects throughout Utah Public Lands

Public Lands Corps Act, 1993 (Amended 2005); PL 109-154; Title 16 U.S.C. Chapter 37, Subchapter II Sec 1721-1729, excluding Sec 1725 – Resource Assistant

This project is a specific project for the BLM Utah Office of Law Enforcement and Security under the

MASTER

Funding Opportunity Announcement No. L15AS00034 CFDA Numbers

15.224 Cultural Resource Management

Applicants are required to apply under the above Funding Opportunity Announcement through Grants.gov. All terms and conditions will remain the same. The only thing different will be the proposal format and evaluation criteria, see below:

Applications due by: April 15, 2015 Contact Information

Maria Gochis, Grants Management Officer (GMO) Phone: 801-539-4178 Email: mgochis@blm.gov SECTION I. BLM UT OLES Black Rock Desert -High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area Project Project Background Information:

The BLM Office of Law Enforcement and Security (OLES) have been given specific resource protection and law enforcement responsibilities, such as the enforcement of Federal laws and regulations that relate to public lands and resources. In order to accomplish this mission, The OLES employs approximately 70 Special Agents who enforce a wide range of laws and regulations in the prevention, detection, and investigation of crimes affecting public lands and resources. These crimes include archaeological and paleontological theft and vandalism, cultivation or illegal drugs, timber and forest product theft, off-highway vehicle use, and wild land arson. During the course of an investigation, OLES Special Agents communicate and work alongside BLM’s management officials, environmental and scientific specialists, information technology experts, and other employees. This integrated approach towards resource enforcement and management is a critical component in ensuring the BLM’s mission of preserving public lands for current and future generations is achieved.

BLM special recreation permits (SRP), specifically the annual Burning Man event, are an example of BLM law enforcement and civilian specialists working together for the multiple use mission of the BLM to maintain healthy landscapes for current and future generations. The Utah OLES is a key partner in the planning, implementation, and oversight of these SRP events, which is the focus of this project.

Project Objective:

BLM Utah OLES has an opportunity to introduce youth to careers with the BLM under the law enforcement program, specifically working on SRP events, ensuring environmental compliance, and educating the public on applicable federal rules, regulations, and leave no trace principles.

BLM Utah OLES would like to provide work experience to youth for their career and educational benefit. This will be accomplished by providing opportunities to gain experience, learn about public lands, increase the selectee’s appreciation of natural resources, utilize their creativity for best management practices, and provide them with a sense of ownership and achievement in public land management. This experience will increase their appreciation, understanding, and challenges associated with managing public lands for multiple use. This opportunity will be focused on planning, reviewing, implementing, and providing oversight of SRP events with the goal of maximum SRP and environmental compliance through education and enforcement mechanisms. This project would be especially appropriate for a student studying law enforcement, recreation management, or environmental sciences. This assignment will provide opportunities to enhance basic skills such as organization, writing, detail, communication, critical thinking, working with external partner agencies and organizations, and providing hands on field experience in ensuring compliance with environmental concerns, leave no trace principles, and applicable federal rules and regulations.

Program/Project Performance Goals:

a.

Expose young men and women to public service while furthering their understanding and appreciation of the BLM’s SRP process, National Conservation Area management, and the preservation of natural resources.

b.

Stimulate interest among the youth and young adults in conservation careers by exposing them to conservation professionals in land managing agencies, by providing conservation projects that qualify for the noncompetitive hiring status for period of at one year.

c.

Promote and stimulate public purposes such as enhance classroom learning by providing education, job training, and development of responsible citizenship, productive community involvement of youth and young adults in care and enhancement of natural resources and National Conservation Area management.

d. Assist qualified Youth Conservation Corps an experience in conserving or developing natural and cultural resources and enhancing and maintaining environmentally important lands and waters through the use of the nation’s young men and women.

Duties:

The successful youth applicant will primarily assist BLM Utah OLES with their duties as it pertains to SRP events with an enhanced focus on the annual Burning Man event. The Burning Man event is the BLM’s largest and most complex SRP which takes place in the Black Rock Desert -High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area. The Burning Man event occurs over an eight day period over the Labor Day weekend, however the time on location monitoring SRP and environmental compliance can be up to 30 days. The Burning Man event population, including participants and staff, is approximately 80,000. As such, the event is also the largest leave no trace program within the BLM. In addition to the Burning Man event SRP, an approximate total of 76 additional vending SRP’s are submitted, reviewed, and monitored annually during the event time frame.

Planning for the Burning Man event is a year round project in which the BLM works with partner agencies and organizations in establishing operating plans to ensure a successful event. Internal workloads consist of reviewing the application for a SRP, analyzing vending stipulations specific to the Burning Man event, ensuring adherence with the SRP environmental assessment, establishing SRP permit stipulations, employing environmental compliance processes, surveying areas for adequacy developing training modules specific to environmental and vending compliance, communicating priorities to intra-agency partners, recruiting detailed environmental specialist to work the event, and implementing work protocols specific to the SRP.

The participant will work out of the BLM Utah State Office located in Salt Lake City, Utah. The project will be coordinated by the OLES Special Agent in Charge and other OLES officials. Fieldwork is often completed in a remote backcountry setting and may require strenuous exertion. Weather and terrain conditions may be extreme (e.g. heat, cold, thunderstorms, steep badlands).

BLM’s Involvement:

There will be substantive BLM programmatic involvement by BLM professional so that will work daily side by side with recipient on all projects and also be providing project orientation and hands-on training. BLM will have the right to intervene by modifying the project management plan, if project is not staying on schedule, technical issues arise, etc. In addition, BLM and recipient will meet weekly to discuss progress and track project outcomes; review any training needs; and then make a decision what direction to take in finalizing project or move to the next phase.

Period of Performance:

Work is anticipated to begin May 1, 2015 through September 30, 2016 Work Schedule:

Monday – Friday, generally 8 AM to 5 PM. Weekends and 12 hour days will be required during the Pre/Main/Post Burning Man Event (August-September).

Qualification Requirements:

As stated in the duties, this opportunity will require time outdoors and field work that is often under somewhat rigorous physical conditions. Applicants must also pass a DOI security background check.

Housing:

Agency cannot provide housing, but may be able to assist in locating appropriate clean housing. A personal vehicle is NOT required for the position but is strongly encouraged as it makes the applicant's days off much more enjoyable. The closest regional airport is the Salt Lake City International Airport.

Expected Field Travel:

Burning Man Pre Event (3 weeks) trip from Salt Lake City, Utah to Gerlach, NV. BLM will provide the transportation, and housing.

Burning Man Main Event (3 weeks) trip from Salt Lake City, Utah to Gerlach, NV. BLM will provide the transportation, housing and meals during the event.

Burning Man Post Event (3 weeks) trip from Salt Lake City, Utah to Gerlach, NV. BLM will provide the transportation, and housing.

3 trips from Salt Lake City to Reno, NV (3 day trips) no government transportation provided, stay will be in hotels. Reno per diem rate is $95.00 (Sep-June) $130.00 (July/August) max lodging, M&IE $51.00, private vehicle based on $0.56 per mile.

Award Ceiling Amount for FY15 is NTE: $40,000

Estimated life of the project NTE: $100,000

Section II – Reporting Requirements: (Refer to Full Announcement for details) A. SF425 – Federal Financial Report’s

B. Performance Report due yearly or at the end of the project

C. Youth Reporting due quarterly to Program Officer SECTION III. The Application Package – Also refer to Funding Opportunity Announcement Section D. Application and Submission Information for further detailed information.

Applications must include all required Standard Forms (SF) shown below, a Proposal (Attachment A), a Budget Detail with narrative (mandatory) (Attachment B), and a copy the applicant's approved federal agency Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA), if applicable. Non-governmental organizations that have not previously received award funds or have not had an active award within 3 (three) years must complete a Financial Assistance Evaluation Questionnaire. A copy of the questionnaire may be requested by contacting the individual listed on the application coversheet.

WHAT TO SUBMIT:

SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance

SF-424A Budget Information - Non-Construction Programs

SF-424B Assurances - Non-Construction Programs

Grants.gov Lobbying Form

Project Proposal (Attachment A)

Budget Detail and Narrative Mandatory (Attachment B)

Federal Agency-approved Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA, if applicable)

Financial Assistance Evaluation Questionnaire (if applicable)

Attachment A

SECTION IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT

Utah State Office

Grants & Cooperative Agreements

PROJECT PROPOSAL

Instructions: A Project Proposal must be submitted with the Standard Form (SF) 424 Application for Financial Assistance for all Financial Assistance Agreements. A new proposal must be included with any request for modification which involves a revision to funding, project scope, period of performance, or key personnel.

Agreement or Funding Opportunity No.:

Date:

Organization Name:

Project Title:

Name & Title of Person Submitting Proposal:

*If a specific start work date is needed with pre-award costs for specific BLM Project, contact BLM Program Officer (PO) to discuss details, so PO can discuss with Grants Management Officer. Do not start work without prior approval from the Grants Management Officer, unless project is a specific project to your organization is already working on and you are requesting for further financial assistance.

1.

Purpose, Objectives, and Relevance:

(Describe why the project is needed, the applicant's objectives, how the applicant's objectives support their mission, and how this project benefits the general public.)

2.

Technical Approach:

(Describe how the project will be conducted. The project design must contain enough detail to show the development of the project, including the relationship between the partners, and objectives. Clearly describe the techniques, procedures, and methodologies to be used; the data collection, analysis, and means of interpretation; the expected program/project goals and/or outcomes; and the procedures for evaluating project effectiveness, including appropriate performance goals and the probabilities of obtaining them.)

The proposal must include the detailed project plan/schedule. The project plan must be supported by a narrative description of each of the activities to be undertaken. The schedule should include proposed work, reporting, major tasks, and project milestones including the identification of the anticipated start and ending dates of all major stages/tasks of the project proposal. The following table may be used to summarize the project schedule.

Start Date Planned Completion Date

3.

Qualifications, Experience, and Past Performance:

(Describe who will carry out the project activities. List all project personnel, including consultants, contractors, sub-recipients, etc., and their contact information. Describe your recruiting techniques in recruiting a diverse pool of candidates. Describe their responsibilities and the amount of time each will dedicate to the project. Briefly describe how their experience and qualifications are appropriate to successfully achieve the stated objectives and performance goals. Describe past completed natural and cultural youth conservation projects on public lands with accomplishments. Describe successful of your program placing qualified youth interns in conservation careers.)

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