Notice of Intent To Award (2.9.2018 - DOI Priorities).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.

This agreement is specifically targeted to increase access to outdoor recreation on the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries throughout the state of Maryland and the surrounding region, and as such directly supports the Secretarial priority to enhance access to outdoor recreation opportunities.

PP: This National Park Service (NPS) agreement supports these particular public purposes: (1) the project assists in the creation, promotion, facilitation, and/or improvement of the public’s understanding of natural, cultural, historic, recreational and other aspects of areas such as ecological conservation areas, and state and local parks; and (2) 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. Further, this agreement specifically supports the Secretarial priority of providing “access to outdoor recreation opportunities” by enhancing and promoting access to the Chesapeake Bay, its tributary rivers and its cultural and natural history through recreational access, recreational experiences, and recreational learning. In doing so, this supports additional priorities of "fostering relationships with conservation organizations advocating for balanced stewardship and use of public lands" and "shifting the balance towards providing greater public access to public lands over restrictions to access." Moreover, the collaborative effort coordinated by this project among local, state, and federal parks and refuges and private sector sites to enhance and promote access supports the priorities of: "being a better neighbor with those closest to our resources by improving dialogue and relationships with persons and entities bordering our lands" and "expanding the lines of communication with Governors, state natural resource offices, Fish and Wildlife offices, water authorities, county commissioners, Tribes, and local communities."

NPS financial assistance and the public purposes it supports stem from the following:

A new Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement was signed in 2014 by the Governors of Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Delaware and New York, the Mayor of the District of Columbia, the Chesapeake Bay Commission and the federal government. The agreement, authorized under the Clean Water Act, sets out goals, outcomes and processes for conserving and restoring the Chesapeake Bay watershed through 2025 through a collaborative partnership among federal, state and local governments, non-governmental organizations, and citizens. The agreement tasks the National Park Service with leadership responsibilities in fostering public stewardship, promoting and increasing public access, and conserving lands of highest value for hunting, fishing, wildlife and maintaining water quality.

The Chesapeake Bay Initiative Act of 1998 (P.L. 105-312, Sections 501-2), as amended, authorizes the NPS to: identify, conserve, restore, and interpret natural, recreational, historical, and cultural resources within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed; identify and utilize the collective resources sites for enhancing public education of and access to the Chesapeake Bay; link sites with trails, tour roads, scenic byways, and other connections; develop and establish watertrails comprising water routes and connections to sites and other land resources within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed; and create a network of sites and watertrails.

The Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail (Chesapeake National Historic Trail), created through the National Trails System Act (Public Law 90-543, as amended), connects people to the natural and cultural heritage of the Chesapeake region.

The National Park Service carries out these duties in coordination with each other and in support of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement. Further, this specific project advances all three directives by bringing greater public attention and increasing access to and use of a multitude of parks, wildlife refuges, recreation sites, historic and cultural sites and other Chesapeake resources managed by federal, state and local agencies and the private sector.

Overview: The goal of this project is to increase access to outdoor recreation on the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries through training, content development and marketing of scores of Chesapeake Bay parks, refuges, trails and cultural sites. The Maryland Office of Tourism Development, a division of the Maryland Department of Commerce, will collaborate with the National Park Service and multiple local, state, federal and private sector partners to draw more visitors and recreationists to Chesapeake Bay sites through:

A. Training of watermen and women, outfitters, guides and other water-based “story-tellers” who are interested in expanding their roles and businesses to more deeply engage customers in the Chesapeake Bay experience. The Maryland Office of Tourism Development will collaborate with the NPS and National Association of Interpretation to write and deliver curriculum to participants, pay stipends and digitize curriculum in a format that can be updated and utilized periodically over the next five years. Maryland Tourism will also utilize the information to develop an online Certified Chesapeake Bay Ambassador program that will be available free of charge to all stakeholders who want to improve their customer service and Chesapeake Bay storytelling knowledge and skills. Those completing the program will be marketed as such on www.visitmaryland.org and www.findyourchesapeake.com. Trained participants will reach thousands of visitors.

B. Development of content to showcase experiences offered by the newly trained storytellers and others at the Chesapeake’s public lands, water trails, lighthouses, and other iconic locations. The Maryland Office of Tourism Development will collaborate with the NPS, Chesapeake Conservancy and other partners to create print, video and online content showcasing Chesapeake experiences. Content will used with www.visitmaryland.org and www.findyourchesapeake.com.

C. Through Maryland matching funds, the Maryland Office of Tourism Development will place sponsored content in key domestic and international markets to attract visitors to Chesapeake sites.

2. Substantial involvement by NPS is anticipated during the period of performance of this agreement. In support of this agreement NPS will be responsible for the following:

a) Collaborate with the Maryland Office of Tourism Development in planning objectives, themes, and target audiences for “story-teller training.”

b) Work with Maryland Tourism and the National Association of Interpretation to provide content and expert guidance on Chesapeake Bay themes.

c) Assist in delivering select components of curriculum.

d) Collaborate with Maryland Tourism and the Chesapeake Conservancy in coordinating outreach about the initiative to the hundreds of parks, refuges, historic and cultural sites, natural areas and other Chesapeake destinations participating in the Gateways Network and www.findyourchesapeake.com.

e) Work with Maryland Tourism and the Chesapeake Conservancy in planning development of print, video, and on-line content, and provide guidance on existing content.

2. Work with the National Association of Interpretation to write and deliver curriculum to at least seventy-five participants.

3. Digitize curriculum in a format that can be updated and used over the next five years.

4. Develop an on-line Certified Chesapeake Bay Ambassador program that will be available free of charge to all stakeholders who want to improve their customer service and Chesapeake Bay storytelling knowledge and skills.

5. Include successful participants in the training on www.visitmaryland.com, and working with the Chesapeake Conservancy, on www.findyourchesapeake.com.

6. Plan and develop print, video, and online content that will showcase experiences offered by the newly trained storytellers and other “storytellers” at the Chesapeake’s public lands, water trails, lighthouses, and other iconic locations.

7. Place content on www.visitmaryland.com, and working with the Chesapeake Conservancy, on www.findyourchesapeake.com.

8. Through Maryland matching funds, place sponsored content in key domestic and international markets to attract visitors to Chesapeake sites.