Notice of Intent to Award.docx

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 a task agreement under a previously competed or single source justified master cooperative agreement.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

On September 15, 2013, Cooperative Agreement Number P13AC00884 was entered into by and between the Department of the Interior, National Park Service, National Trails Intermountain Region (hereinafter “NPS”), and the Financial Assistance (FA) Recipient Old Spanish Trail Association (hereinafter “OSTA/Recipient”), in furtherance of the purposes of the National Trails System Act. Unless otherwise specified herein, the terms and conditions as stated in the Cooperative Agreement will apply to this Task Agreement.

This project focuses on providing opportunities for public retracement opportunities along the trail, increasing public understanding and appreciation of the historical significance of the trail and related sites through interpretation, and expanding preservation and protection of the trail resources.

STATEMENT OF WORK

RECIPIENT AGREES TO:

1. Have an association manager to act as a liaison between OSTA and the NPS, and as a liaison between the national association, its chapters, and its committees. The manager will work with the national association and its sub-components, including chapters and committees to support member volunteer efforts towards achieving the goals of the National Trails System Act. The manager will keep NPS-NTIR informed of OSTA planning and efforts related to this agreement in timely and regular fashion.

2. Provide office space, as possible, and administrative support to OSTA’s Board of Directors, Association Manager, staff, chapters, and committees. This includes office operational expenses.

3. Provide travel support for the association manager and board members to attend board meetings, and Partnership for the National Trails System meetings, and for the association manager to attend chapter meetings. Provide travel support for the association manager, board members, association members, and other stakeholders to attend other trail-related activities in coordination with NPS, including attendance at any NPS workshop(s).

4. Produce and distribute an OSTA publication Spanish Traces (three issues) to partners, members, and other trail stakeholders. This is a non-governmental publication, and the initiative for the publication originates from OSTA. Public outreach materials, promotional materials, event announcements, and other similar publications will also be produced.

5. Support development of educational materials and activities.

6. Host and maintain a website for OSTA that provides the public with information on the Old Spanish National Historic Trail (NHT).

7. Coordinate, organize, and conduct a minimum of two board meetings, and possibly more. The locations will be communicated to the NPS.

8. Promote public awareness of the Old Spanish NHT and support work of OSTA chapters, committees, staff and members.

9. With NPS concurrence, and as related to funding provided via this agreement, conduct trail research to enhance the knowledge of trail resources

10. Coordinate the use of national historic trail official trail sign standards for signing the Old Spanish National Historic Trail (NHT). The official national historic trail sign standards for this trail will be available through:

https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1453/how-to-create-your-sign-plan.htm

OSTA will collaborate with the NPS in prioritizing, developing, reviewing, and implementing sign plans. Information on how to properly develop a sign plan is available on the trail webpage, and should be read prior to beginning a plan. Other signing collaboration includes, but is not limited to, detailed review of draft sign plans for accuracy and functionality, obtaining road jurisdiction installation approvals, review of status of shipped signs within 10 days of receipt to ensure they match the sign plan and order prior to payment. If signs are shipped to a different destination, OSTA volunteers will work with the person responsible for the acceptance of the shipped signs (i.e. road jurisdictions) to ensure the received signs match the purchase order. OSTA will notify the NPS as soon as practicable of the recommendation to accept the signs or if any discrepancies are discovered between the order and the delivered signs.

OSTA will provide assistance to the road jurisdiction in the location and installation of signs, and ensure that the sign plan is being used and followed according to the plan location and sign type identified in the plan. Any deviations from the approved and finalized sign plan should be proposed and discussed with NPS prior to signs being ordered or installed. When installation is complete, OSTA will confirm with NPS by ensuring that the installation form included with the sign plan document has been completed, signed, and returned to NPS by the road jurisdiction.

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE AGREES TO:

1. Provide information pertinent to the history, cultural resources, and interpretation of the Old Spanish NHT.

2. Collaborate with OSTA to achieve the common goals and objectives of the National Trails System Act as related to the Old Spanish National Historic Trail, and the OSTA strategic plan. Regularly communicate its management and project planning and actions related to the Old Spanish National Historic Trail, to the OSTA Association Manager, to the greatest extent possible, in a timely fashion, to facilitate awareness, consultation, and participation.

3. Support OSTA in its administrative functions through financial support under this agreement and assistance in seeking other agency project funds and external grants, and substantial involvement (participation in OSTA meetings, field visits, etc.) in order to strengthen and extend OSTA’s ability to further the purposes of the National Trails System Act as it relates to the Old Spanish NHT.

4. Provide technical assistance and provide training for OSTA volunteers in trail-related projects and activities.

5. Participate in OSTA bi-annual board meetings and other meetings to the extent appropriate and possible.

6. Provide technical assistance in all matters regarding preservation, protection, signing, development, and interpretation of the Old Spanish NHT.

7. Review in a timely manner all reports and invoices submitted by OSTA.

8. Provide financial assistance as provided for in Article VI.

9. Collaborate with OSTA to develop and complete sign plans along the length of the national historic trail using the NPS developed online GIS-based sign planning tools available on the trail webpage. The NPS will coordinate with OSTA for development, review and completion of each plan, provide the sign specifications for national historic trail standard signs, and assist OSTA by obtaining price quotes and orders for signs based on completed sign plans. Provide sign plan reports and information needed to facilitate OSTA efforts in obtaining jurisdiction approvals and installation of sign plans. When applicable and at the discretion of NTIR, provide funding for purchase and shipping of signs for approved sign plans. Plans for which NPS has received a) signed jurisdiction installation approvals and b) complete shipping information by March 31 2018 will be given priority for purchase. Provide ongoing assistance, guidance, and coordination towards promotion of public sign unveiling ceremonies. Where possible, the NPS will also attend and provide a uniform presence at such events to highlight to local news media the national significance of these partnership national historic trail development efforts.

10. NPS may, at its discretion, allow use of equipment and property to recipient, and organization members, in support of project task agreement, including but not limited to computers, software and other equipment. Although the cooperator may use NPS computers, software and other equipment in support of the project task agreement for the duration of the task agreement subject to the approval of the NPS, the cooperator will not acquire or claim any interest in this equipment. The NPS may, at its discretion, allow the cooperator or grantee (and members) to use, or ride in, a government vehicle for an official purpose in support of the task agreement, as outlined in NPS DO44. Consistent with DO44, to use any government vehicle, the cooperator must:

(1) establish and enforce suitable penalties for cooperator employees who willfully use or authorize the use of Government motor vehicles for other than official purposes; and

(2) assume any cost or expense incident to any use not related to the performance of the grant, contract, or subcontract, and such assumption of cost or expense will be without the right of reimbursement from the Government.