nm youth and intern project plan picacho.doc

UNITED STATES

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT

(BLM)

BLM-NM -Youth and Intern Opportunities to Work on New Mexico 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 is a specific project for the____LCDO_____ District under the

MASTER

Funding Opportunity Announcement No. L15AS00223 CFDA Number 15.225- Recreation 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 difference is the proposal format and evaluation criteria, see below:

Applications due NLT: September 15, 2015 Contact Information

Janet Huff, Grants Management Officer (GMO)

Telephone: 505-761-8941 Email: jhuff@blm.gov McKinney Briske, Outdoor Recreation Planner Telephone: 575-524-4334 Email: mbriske@blm.gov SECTION I: Las Cruces District Office Youth Trail Crew – Picacho Mountain Project Objective:

The objective of this projects is to utilize the experience and resources of a cooperating organization for managing youth interns and volunteers for trail work in Picacho Recreation Area. Picacho Mountain has a highly used trail system for mountain bikes and hiking trails right outside Las Cruces, New Mexico (population 100,000). It is within the newly designated Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument. A trail crew is needed to mark trails and do trail maintenance where necessary. The trails will be marked with carsonite posts with color-coded labels that coordinate with in accordance with the map of the trail system.

The trails are also in need of maintenance. The trail crew will work the trails and correct erosion challenges on segments of the trails where needed. They will also prune vegetation back from the trail.

Program/Project Performance Goals:

a.

Expose young men and women to public service while furthering their understanding and appreciation of the Nation’s natural resources, and gain experience.

b.

Stimulate interest among the youth and young adults in conservation careers by exposing them to conservation professionals in land managing agencies.

c.

Promote and stimulate public purposes and learning by providing education, job training, and involvement of youth and young adults in care and enhancement of natural resources.

Duties:

The recipient will provide a youth crew with a supervisor to work on the Picacho Trail System to sign the trails. A trail crew is needed to mark trails and do trail maintenance where necessary. The trails will be marked with carsonite posts with color-coded labels that coordinate with in accordance with the map of the trail system.

The trails are also in need of maintenance. The trail crew will work the trails and correct erosion challenges on segments of the trails where needed. They will also prune vegetation back from the trail.

BLM’s Involvement:

There will be substantial involvement by BLM professionals that work with recipient and also be providing project orientation. 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 the project or moving to the next phase.

Period of Performance:

Work is anticipated to be conducted between approximately October 2015- December 2015.

Work Schedule:

Flexible.

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 feel comfortable working in an isolated setting where there is little reliance on others, other than crew members and BLM staff. Crew must have supervisor and be a qualified trail crew and provide own set of trail tools and training to work on trails.

Expected Field Travel:

The crew may spend some nights in or near the area where they are working in primitive camping conditions.

Available Funding Amount: $13,000 Estimated amount of the life of the project: $50,000 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(s) 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 III. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT

New Mexico 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 dicuss 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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