Mini Announcement for Youth Projects_MCNCADENCAFY22.doc

Office: McInnis Canyons and Dominguez Escalante National Conservation Area Notice of Funding Opportunity Number: L22AS00382 Project Submission Dates and Times: July 19, 2022 through September 19, 2022

Project Title: McInnis Canyons and Dominguez Escalante National Conservation Area Youth Intern Opportunity

Maximum Available Funding in FY22: $20,000 BLM has determined $600 weekly stipend equal to $15.00 per hour is a reasonable. Stipends above this amount must justify in budget narrative increase needed. Due to lack of available DOI housing, a housing stipend is also recommended.

Project Background Information: McInnis Canyons and Dominguez Escalante NCA’s are located in the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and western portion of the Uncompahgre Plateau. These NCA’s are located in Western Colorado. This area is characterized by hot summers and is consideres a cold desert. Cliamte and and vegetation are more similar to Utah than to th Rocky Mountain Region of Colorado.

DENCA encompasses 210,172 surface acres of BLM administered public land, a nearly 30 mile stretch of the Gunnison River, and includes 66,280 acres within the Dominguez Canyon Wilderness (Figure 1). DENCA was designated for unique and important resources and values of the land, including the geological, cultural, archaeological, paleontological, natural, scientific, recreational wilderness, wildlife, riparian, historical, educational, and scenic resource of the public land; and the water resources of streams, based on seasonally available flows, that are necessary to support aquatic, riparian, and terrestrial species and communities.

MCNCA encompasses 123,430 surface acres of land and includes a 24 mile stretch of the Colorado River and 75,500 acres of the Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness (Figure 1). It is comprised of four main areas: Mack Ridge, Rabbit Valley, Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness Area, and the Colorado River corridor, which are managed for multiple-use according to the Resource Management Plan (RMP) for the area. MCNCA was created to conserve, protect, and enhance resources including geological, cultural, paleontological, natural, scientific, recreational, environmental, biological, wilderness, wildlife education, and scenic resources of such public.

Project Objective: BLM, MCNCA and DENCA, Colorado has an opportunity to introduce youth to careers in the BLM and its multiple use mission. BLM staff including ecologist, archeologist, natural resource specialist, wildlife biologist can provide work experience to youth for their career and educational benefit. This will be accomplished by providing them opportunities to gain experience, learn about public lands, further their understanding and appreciation of natural resources and BLM programs, and pique their interest in Natural Resource Management careers. From this they will gain an increased appreciation and understanding of our public lands and of the value of public service, and are likely to become life-long advocates for those values. This opportunity will be focused on seasonal work, for example wildlife and plant monitoring, surveys, support for educational prgrams. This project would be especially appropriate for a students studying environmental science or a similar subkject and will provide opportunities to enhance basic career skills such as organization, writing, detail, and communication, well as field skills including the 4 wheel drive, safety, plant identification, survey and monitoring techniques, use of GPS equipment and maps, and field note methods. Previous experience with any or all of these skills would significantly enhance the student experience.

Work Schedule: 40 hour work weeks, generally Monday – Friday, for 12 to 16 weeks, with flexable start/end dates in May-June/August-September. Work days will be flexible as some survyes need to be completed at certain times of the day. For example, bird surveys are completed at dawn. Weekends might be required, but would be a rare occurance.

Qualification Requirements: This opportunity is suitable for youth working towards an undergraduate or graduate degree in environmental science or a related field of study. 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 meet the following criteria: 1) Pass a DOI security background check, 2) Have a valid drivers liscence.

Housing: Agency cannot provide housing but may be able to assist in locating appropriate clean housing. A maximum monthly housing stipend of $650 per month is allowable.

Vehicle Needs: A personal vehicle is NOT required for the position but is strongly encouraged as it makes the applicant's days off much more enjoyable. Grand Junction Colorado has a variety of outdoor activities. The area is known for worldclass mountain and road biking, horseback riding, ATV riding, hiking, rafting. Nearby is the largest flat topped mountain in N. America the Grand Mesa, and Moab, UT.

Other Project Considerations:

All Supplies: BLM will provide office and field supplies needed to complete work, for example field vehicle, laptop, tablet, GPS units, etc. The BLM will not provide personal items such as waterbottles, backpacks, hiking boots, etc.

Training Requirements: The BLM will provide required safety trainings including: 4 wheel drive, defensive driving, changing a tire, radio communications, CPR and First AID. The intern will learn plant identification and plant sampling techniques.

Travel: If travel is necessary, for example for training, the BLM will provide travel per diem.

Duties: The successful youth applicant will assist the BLM specialist with the NCA’s programs, for example, wildlife or ecology. Numerous opportunities exist for both field work office work. Field work includes surveys, collection, and monitoring of resources both for management and research purposes. Office/lab duties will largely consist data entry, including geospatial data, and report writing.

Field work will be conducted largely in the NCA’s and surrounding public lands, although other priorities may arise as the season progresses. Methods consist of 4 wheel driving on primitive roads and hiking to pre-determined target areas and performing inventory or monitoring. Some sites are accessed by river, BLM river rangers will assist with river access.

The participant will work out of the Grand Junction BLM Field office in Grand Junction, CO. Weather and terrain conditions may be extreme (e.g. heat, cold, thunderstorms, steep canyonlands, insistent insects).

Project expected outcomes include completion of needed monitoring and surveys to support BLM’s multiple use missions and needed resource work within and around the NCA’s.

BLM’s Involvement: There will be substantive BLM programmatic involvement by BLM professional that will work 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 regularly 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.

BLM Program Contact:

Field PO Name: Nikki Grant-Hoffman

Field PO Phone Number: (970) 244-3020

Field PO Email: mnhoffman@blm.gov Applicants are encouraged to refer to the full program announcement number L22AS00382 posted on Grants.gov for all program requirements and applicable terms and conditions. Recipients selected for awards will be required to adhere to those requirements should an award be made.

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