NOI_FINAL.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-0074

Project Title Climate Change, Variability, and Drought in the U.S.-Affiliated Pacific

Islands – Working with Managers to Mitigate the Impacts of Drought and Wildfire

Recipient University of Hawaii at Manoa (UH) Anticipated Federal

Amount $203,611.99

Cost Share $0

Total Anticipated

Award Amount $203,611.99

New Award or

Continuation?

NEW

Anticipated Period of Performance 24 months from date of signature

Award Instrument Cooperative Agreement

CFDA # and Title 15.820 - National Climate Adaptation Science Center/Climate

Adaptation Science Centers (CASC)

USGS Point of

Contact

Mari-Vaughn Johnson, Director, Pacific Islands Climate Adaptation

Science Center, Email: mvjohnson@usgs.gov

Rachel Miller, Grant Specialist, Email: rachelmiller@usgs.gov

OVERVIEW

This project aims to improve management responses to the frequency and impacts of drought and fire across the westernmost jurisdictions of the U.S. Affiliated Pacific Islands (USAPI), Palau, Guam, and Yap. The three primary objectives to address the science and management needs are:

(1) improve previous efforts to characterize past drought events and wildfires in the USAPI, resulting in substantial improvements to the mapping of drought and fire events, focusing on

Palau, Guam, and Yap; (2) work collaboratively with natural resource managers to qualitatively identify and synthesize the suite of actions and associated outcomes taken by land managers in response to drought and fire to establish “lessons learned” from past events, and identify additional research needs; 3) work with resource managers to collaboratively translate the drought and fire analyses produced in objective 1, as well as management surveys in objective 2, into products that help managers determine more effective actions in response to drought and fire. Collectively, these three areas of investment will help resource managers to more effectively address climate change, climate variability and drought in the USAPI.

RECIPIENT INVOLVEMENT

UH researchers will gather, research, summarize, and distribute information to natural resource managers on drought events and wildfires in the USAPI. UH will synthesize and map drought and fire events, and work with natural resource managers to understand the findings and to co-produce relevant decision-making products.

USGS INVOLVEMENT

Substantial involvement on the part of the USGS, particularly the Pacific Islands Climate

Adaptation Science Center, is anticipated for the successful completion of the objectives to be funded by this award.

The award recipient will work closely with Pacific Islands Climate Adaptation Science Center

(PI CASC) staff to establish best communication practices with resource managers, facilitate conversations, implement information transfer activities, share lessons learned across the PI

CASC and NCASC network, to improve the overall accuracy and availability of drought and fire knowledge and impacts across the U.S. API, and develop a suite of actions suitable for drought and fire response in the region. Additionally, PI CASC will provide regular project monitoring.

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 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.

UH is uniquely qualified to perform the activities described above based on a variety of demonstrable facts, including technical expertise, leveraged joint investments in fire, drought, and climate in the U.S. Affiliated Pacific Islands (USAPI), and extensive experience in co-production. This proposal team includes experts who have decades of climate, fire and ecosystem management experience in the Pacific region. This project will build on prior research by the project team. The PI has a strong track record of performance executing past research projects on this specific subject matter and will bring this information and knowledge forward to the project.

STATUTORY AUTHORITY

Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2008, Div. F, Title I, P.L. 110-161 and

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 particular 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.