NOI P19AC00907.pdf

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE: NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD

This announcement is not a request for applications.

This announcement is to provide public notice of the National Park Service’s intention to award financial assistance for the following project activities. Refer to Section 2. Grants.gov Posting Determination.

ABSTRACT

Grants.gov Opportunity Number Project Title Recipient Anticipated Federal Funding Non-Federal Cost Share Total Anticipated Award Amount

Award Instrument

Anticipated Period of Performance

Legal Authority

CFDA # and Title

Single Source Justification Criteria

National Park Service Point of Contact

PROJECT GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

STATEMENT OF PUBLIC PURPOSE

Section 1. Project Summary

Task Agreement Cooperative Agreement

Grant Agreement

STATEMENT OF WORK SUMMARY

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PARTIES

A. The recipient shall be responsible for the following items under this agreement:

B. The NPS Responsibilities:

A task agreement is proposed;

A cooperative agreement is proposed;

therefore substantial involvement by NPS is anticipated during the period of performance of this agreement. In support of this agreement NPS will:

A grant agreement is proposed, therefore no substantial involvement on the part of the NPS is anticipated for the successful completion of the statement of work. It is anticipated that involvement will be limited to actions related to monitoring project performance and technical assistance at the request of the recipient.

Section 3. Single Source Justification

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

SINGLE SOURCE POLICY REQUIREMENTS

National Park Service Policy FAP&P 1443-2015-06 requires a written justification which explains why competition is not practicable. The justification must address one of the following criteria.

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, for which competition would have a significant adverse effect on the continuity or completion of the activity. A single source on the basis of continuation must demonstrate that competition would result in a substantial duplicate cost to the government that cannot be recovered through competition;

(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, 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.

NPS did not solicit full and open competition for this award based the following criteria:

Task Agreement issued under previously competed or single source master cooperative agreement per Section 2 above. Single Source Justification not applicable.

Continuation

Unique Qualifications

Unsolicited Proposal

Legislative Intent

Explanation of the proposed recipient’s qualifications or the criteria of the proposed project which requires use of the single source criteria cited.

Section 2. Grants.gov Posting Determination

Emergency

The National Park Service intends to award a task agreement under a previously competed or single source justified award.

The National Park Service intends to award a single source justified cooperative agreement. Refer to Section 3 Single Source Justification.

The National Park Service intends to award a single source justified grant agreement. Refer to Section 3 Single Source Justification.

Section 4. Department of the Interior Secretary’s Priorities

This award will support the following DOI Secretary priority(ies):

Other Key Initiatives:

Employment of veterans.

Supporting DOI Infrastructure needs.

Creating jobs in the American economy.

Access to outdoor recreation opportunities.

Priority 1: Creating a conservation stewardship legacy second only to Teddy Roosevelt Utilize science to identify best practices to manage land and water resources and adapt to changes in the environment.

Examine land use planning process and land use designations that govern public use and access.

Revise and streamline the environmental and regulatory review process while maintaining environmental standards.

Review DOI water storage, transportation, and distribution systems to identify opportunities to resolve conflicts and expand capacity.

Foster relationships with conservation organizations advocating for balanced stewardship and use of public lands.

Identify and implement initiatives to expand access to DOI lands for hunting and fishing.

Shift the balance towards providing greater public access to public lands over restrictions to access.

Priority 2: Utilizing our natural resources Ensure American energy is available to meet our security and economic needs.

Ensure access to mineral resources, especially the critical and rare earth minerals.

Refocus timber programs to embrace the entire 'healthy forests' lifecycle.

Manage competition for grazing resources.

Priority 3: Restoring trust with local communities Be a better neighbor with those closest to our resources by improving dialogue and relationships with persons and entities bordering our lands.

Expand the lines of communication with Governors, state natural resource offices, Fish and Wildlife offices, water authorities, county commissioners, Tribes, and local communities.

Priority 4: Ensuring sovereignty means something Support tribal self-determination, self-governance, and sovereignty.

Solidify mutual interests between the U.S. and the freely associated states and territories.

Priority 5: Generating additional revenues to support DOI & National interests Ensure that the public receives the full market value for the natural resources produced on Federal lands.

Ensure that fees or costs levied for DOI services are reasonable and targeted to achieve cost recovery.

Consider the impact of DOI decisions on economic development and job creation.

Priority 6: Protecting our people and the border Actively support efforts to secure our southern border.

Ensure DOI law enforcement staffing addresses public safety risks anticipated on DOI land.

Promote a "public service" demeanor within our law enforcement community.

Priority 7: Striking a regulatory balance

Reduce the administrative and regulatory burden imposed on U.S.

industry and the public.

Ensure that Endangered Species Act decisions are based on strong science and thorough analysis.

Priority 8: Modernizing our infrastructure Support the White House Public/Private Partnership Initiative to modernize U.S. infrastructure.

Remove impediments to infrastructure development and facilitate private sector efforts to construct infrastructure projects serving American needs.

Prioritize DOI infrastructure needs to highlight:

1. Construction of infrastructure;

2. Cyclical maintenance;

3. Deferred maintenance.

Senior executives are expected to provide leadership in achieving goals of the President and the Secretary.

The Management Team is expected to:

1. Ensure cost-effective operations and quality service to the public;

2. Facilitate organizational cooperation and conflict resolution;

3. Ensure the workplace environment is conducive to employee productivity and safety;

4. Hold individuals accountable for actions that violate DOI policies and requirements.

Priority 10: Achieving our goals and leading our team forward

The proposed project does not support any of the DOI Secretary priorities, but the project is being funded for the following reasons:

Priority 9: Reorganizing for the next 100 years

Improve alignment and integration of the DOI organizational structure. Redistribute organizational resources (people and funding) to enhance mission achievement and improved public service.

Improve organizational alignment with Executive Branch counterparts with major land management assets or influence.

215-597-5949 Goals: Goals - to conduct a program of education, research, and monitoring designed to benefit all people of the state of New Jersey and also to serve as a focal point for concern of the use, conservation, and management of park, recreation, and conservation areas in the Pinelands National Reserve.

The objective of this Agreement is to continue scientific and economic research, monitoring, and interpretive activities for the general good of the scientific community so as to increase basic knowledge and understanding in areas of inquiry of relevance to the NPS's mission to protect and manage the natural and cultural resources of the national park system and other similar areas elsewhere.

PP: The project assists in the promotion, facilitation, and improvement of people’s understanding of natural, cultural, recreational and other aspects of areas such as national parks, ecological conservation areas, national forests, state and local parks.

The project engages recipients, partners, communities, and visitors in shared environmental stewardship.

The project promotes greater public and private participation in historic preservation programs and activities nationwide. The project builds resource stewardship ethics in its participants.

The information, products and/or services identified or developed by this project will be shared through a variety of strategies to increase public awareness, knowledge and support for historic preservation and stewardship of the nation’s cultural and historical heritage.

Overview: (1) analyze the water-quality, vegetation, fish, and anuran data in various water bodies within the Reserve

(2) develop a report that describes the relationship between land use and the various water-quality and plant and animal indicators

(3) monitor pH and specific conductance on a bimonthly basis at the network of 47 Pinelands-wide sites

(4) continue to monitor water levels monthly at forest plots and ponds; and examine the relationship of water-level fluctuations among all of the water-level monitoring sites; and include the results of this analysis in a report

(5) work with USGS to re-evaluate the streamflow-monitoring program to determine if changes in the sampling regime or trend-analysis methods are needed

(6) Collect economic and census data; analyze selected data; develop maps and charts; and produce a report of findings

(7) complete and issue the Pinelands Long-Term Economic Monitoring Program Annual Report and present findings to the Pinelands Commission.

(8) Identify and record cultural resources with a commitment to the preservation and protection of the cultural and archaeological heritage of the Pinelands

(9) identify subsurface archaeological features (foundations, wells, privies, cisterns, middens, etc.) at various sites where single family dwellings are deemed potentially eligible for formal Pinelands Designation.

(10) delineate and map the boundaries of burial grounds and other sites lost due to a lack of historic documentation and/or absence of markers.

(2) assist, when necessary and based on personnel availability, with field sampling activities;

(3) assist, where appropriate, with description, interpretation, evaluation, and dissemination of monitoring data;

(4) provide personnel, when available, to serve on technical advisory committees to the environmental and economic programs, review program plans, methodology, data, and reports on a periodic basis, evaluate program progress, and provide recommendations on program and policy goals and strategies;

Justification: The Pinelands Protection Act (L.1979, £. 111, s. 1, effective June 28, 1979), designated the Pinelands Commission as the organization in the State of New Jersey to conduct a program of education, research, and monitoring designed to benefit all people of the state and also to serve as a focal point for concern for the use, conservation, and management of park, recreation, and conservation areas in the Pinelands National Reserve.

Congress found per 16 USC 471i(a)4 that in view of the longstanding Federal practice of assisting the States in creating, protecting, preserving, and enhancing areas of significant regional and urban importance, and in view of the national significance of this resource, the Federal Government has an interest in assisting the State of New Jersey and its local units of government in fulfilling their responsibilities and in avoiding adverse Federally approved or assisted impacts before these responsibilities can be undertaken. In that act the NPS was identified as the agency that would provide funding to the Commission for the protection of the Reserve.

(2) Develop a report that describes the relationship between land use and the various water-quality and plant and animal indicators

(3) Monitor pH and specific conductance on a bimonthly basis at the network of 47 Pinelands-wide sites

(4) Continue to monitor water levels monthly at forest plots and ponds; and examine the relationship of water-level fluctuations among all of the water-level monitoring sites; and include the results of this analysis in a report

(5) Work with USGS to re-evaluate the streamflow-monitoring program to determine if changes in the sampling regime or trend-analysis methods are needed

(6) Collect economic and census data; analyze selected data; develop maps and charts; and produce a report of findings

(7) Complete and issue the Pinelands Long-Term Economic Monitoring Program Annual Report and present findings to the Pinelands Commission.

(8) Identify and record cultural resources with a commitment to the preservation and protection of the cultural and archaeological heritage of the Pinelands

(9) Identify subsurface archaeological features (foundations, wells, privies, cisterns, middens, etc.) at various sites where single family dwellings are deemed potentially eligible for formal Pinelands Designation.

(10) Delineate and map the boundaries of burial grounds and other sites lost due to a lack of historic documentation and/or absence of markers.

(11) Develop interpretive and educational programs focused on the natural, cultural and historic resources associated with the New Jersey Pinelands region.