NOI_USGS-20-FA-0115.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-0115

Project Title Forest Fires in Western Cascadia: Evaluating Drivers and Effects to Inform Climate-Adaptive Management Responses

Recipient University of Washington Anticipated Federal Amount $298,156

Cost Share $0 Total Anticipated Award Amount $298,156

New Award or Continuation? NEW

Anticipated Period of Performance 04/15/2020 through 04/14/2023

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

Project Officer: Nicole DeCrappeo, Director, Northwest Climate Adaptation Science Center, ndecrappeo@usgs.gov

Grant Specialist: Maylily Son Le, Office of Acquisition and Grants, mle@usgs.gov

OVERVIEW

Forests west of the Cascade Crest in Oregon and Washington have been shaped by infrequent but severe wildfires that historically occurred at intervals spanning several centuries. Since the mid- 1900s, relatively few fires have occurred in this region, resulting in a general lack of understanding of the drivers, effects on ecosystems, and possible management responses. Most regional understanding of fire regimes and effects instead comes from drier, interior forests.

However, recent fire events between 2014 and 2017 have raised enormous concern among land managers in the Pacific Northwest about fire risk and ecological effects of fire in a warming climate. The objective of this project is to build a foundational understanding of the climatic drivers of wildfire and variation in the post-fire forest response across climatic gradients to mailto:mlangston@usgs.gov mailto:mle@usgs.gov inform climate-adapted forest management responses to wildfires in forests of the western Cascades in Washington and Oregon.

RECIPIENT INVOLVEMENT

Scientists at the University of Washington will work with federal, tribal, and state partners to address key concerns about the drivers of fire, effects on forest ecosystems, and climate-adaptive management opportunities in a two-stage effort. First, researchers will identify the climatic conditions and thresholds that support large wildfires in western Oregon and Washington by drawing from multiple datasets (observational weather records, climate model reanalysis datasets from 1851 to 2018, and streamflow observations) to analyze the broad atmospheric circulation patterns that supported fire events between 1850 and 2018. Second, they will test the effect of post-fire climatic conditions on early post-fire recovery dynamics in recent fires that burned in western Washington and Oregon. More than 30,000 hectares of forest in this region burned between 2014 and 2018, presenting a unique opportunity to assess how forests respond to fire and a range of post fire climatic conditions. Results will be incorporated into spatial models that identify locations that best support managers’ objectives of planting climate-adapted tree seedlings after wildfires.

USGS INVOLVEMENT

Substantial involvement on the part USGS is anticipated for the successful completion of the objectives to be funded by this award. The project will be carried out in close partnership between USGS staff at the Northwest Climate Adaptation Science Center and the recipient.

USGS will be responsible for the following:

• USGS staff will contribute intellectually to the project by actively engaging with the recipient to co-produce management-relevant products.

• The USGS program office will review, provide comments on, negotiate changes to, and approve the project scope of work, scientific methods, timeline, products, outreach/technology transfer, data management plan, budget, equipment, travel, personnel, sub-grants, and resource management partners.

• The data and products developed by the cooperative partnership will be the property of USGS but may be disseminated via a variety of means, including scientific publications and web-based decision-support tools and “story map” panels jointly developed by the recipient, USGS, and project partners.

• Sharing and dissemination of data will follow USGS guidelines for data management and peer review and will be done in a collaborative manner that benefits the recipient, USGS, and other project partners.

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 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 - Scientists at the University of Washington are uniquely qualified to perform the activities described above. Principal investigator has extensive experience in conducting research regarding how a warming climate, changing fire regimes, and interactions between fire and insect outbreaks affect forest resilience in the Pacific Northwest.

He has co-developed research methods that will be used in this study. His research team has extensive expertise in forest management and ecosystem response to wildfire in the western US and they are uniquely qualified to conduct this research and further develop products and applications from their results. Additionally, both the University of Washington and this PI have proven over prior awards that they are highly capable of performing this work.

(6) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS- USGS Unique Authority cited at 43 U.S.C. 36d.

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.