NOFO Clarification Reponses_2022-0617.pdf

United States Department of the Interior

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

1849 C Street, NW

Washington, DC 20240

American Battlefield Protection Program

Clarification Responses to Applicant Questions regarding P22AS00623

1. Can a Scoping project to document and devise a treatment plan for eligible properties, also include in its scope other properties that are not eligible (inside a NPS boundary and/or not yet protected by conservation easement; etc.)

Proposals for Scoping projects responsive to the Battlefield Restoration Grant funding opportunity should center on eligible properties (i.e., properties acquired with the assistance of a Battlefield Land Acquisition Grant). Analysis and selection of treatment alternatives should consider these properties within all significant historical contexts, including but not limited to the entire battlefield.

The planning efforts completed with these grant funds should be thorough, with sufficient evidence and analysis to identify and justify a treatment alternative for a separate, subsequent implementation phase.

2. Can pre-award costs (such as those incurred to procure the required research and design documentation) be included in an Implementation grant budget?

Proposals for Implementation projects responsive to the Battlefield Restoration Grant funding opportunity must demonstrate completion of prior, sufficient planning activities. Eligible costs are incurred during the period of performance, which is defined in Federal regulations as the time during which the non-Federal entity may incur new obligations to carry out the work authorized under the Federal award. As such, costs associated with the planning phase of an implementation project are associated work prior to the phase authorized under an Implementation grant and are not eligible for reimbursement.

3. In Criterion 3, it states that the application should speak to how the project will contribute "to local and/or regional preservation strategies (e.g., for battlefield, for campaign, etc.).” Can one project propose treatment for properties that are in different battlefields but the same Campaign?

Proposals for both Scoping and Implementation grants should respond to all criteria detailed in the Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Battlefield Restoration Grant program. Projects proposing actions, either planning or treatment, for multiple eligible properties should clearly define the proposed activities, provide a timeline for these activities, and explain how the project will respond to threats and stewardship opportunities. As with all criteria, demonstrating the feasibility of a proposed project for multiple properties would need to address the component questions for each of the properties included in the project proposal.

4. Is a completed Phase I archaeological survey required for an Implementation project?

Implementation proposals must provide documentation that demonstrates completion of planning activities prior to application, including evaluation of historic resources and identification of an appropriate and viable treatment option according to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties and Guidelines for the Treatment of Historic Landscapes. The Guidelines require the protection and preservation of archeological resources in place, and mitigation should these resources be disturbed. Proposed activities should provide sufficient documentation that identifies extant archeological resources that may be affected and that outlines measures to protect and preserve those resources. Depending on the proposed activity, such as ground disturbing activities, the identification and evaluation of archeological resources would require physical research comparable to a Phase I survey, including identification of spatial organization and land patterns, features, and materials of the landscape.

5. Are there any completed examples of Cultural Landscape Reports that would fulfill the BARE requirements, that you could point us to?

Acceptable and sufficient documentation submitted as part of an Implementation grant proposal in order to demonstrate prior completion of planning activities, including evaluation of historic properties and identification of an appropriate and viable treatment option, should reference and address the NPS guidelines for cultural landscapes. While there are not prescribed formats for providing the recommendations detailed in these guidelines, we recommend reviewing the NPS’s guide to developing Cultural Landscape Reports for a more detailed overview of methodologies, a sample outline of contents, and examples of key components of landscape analysis, including documenting existing conditions, evaluation of significance and integrity, and selecting boundaries, as well as determining and documenting treatment alternatives.

June 17, 2022 https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/DownloadFile/501621