NPS-NOI-19-1316.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

Current as of 10/29/2018

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. The unsolicited proposal must demonstrate an innovative capability or concept not currently available to the government, and prepared without Government involvement. ;

(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;

(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. Successful past performance, familiarity with existing requirements, capabilities that can be obtained or matched by a competitor, or a positive reputation, are not considered to be 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.

JELA aims to provide developmental experiences for young adult interns that leverage their focused effort on high-priority projects while providing them opportunities to learn about natural and cultural resource conservation at the federal level.

JELA’s overall goals for the natural resource Intern Stewards are to: 1) help us extend our array of hydrology and elevation dynamics monitoring stations to new park lands and major restoration and mitigation projects, 2) sustain data collection, data processing and data stewardship for the entire array, and 3) help us implement other tools to assess environmental change and biological responses to these changes. As time and interest allow, we will encourage Stewards to 4) identify and support opportunities for involving volunteers in this work, and 5) work with JELA interpretive staff to develop programs that communicate the goals and findings of one or more of these projects.

JELA’s overall goal for the cultural resource Intern Stewards is to provide the public, scholarly researchers, and park staff with on-line access to the park’s archives and collections.

Project Objectives Natural Resource Management Interns will work closely with JELA’s natural resource management staff to:

• Inform adaptation planning needs,

• Establish subsidence and hydrology monitoring stations,

• Collect and analyze data, and measure coastal wetland responses to increasing flooding at JELA’s Barataria Preserve. Interns will also monitor invasive species management effectiveness and develop public outreach for these projects.

• Establish tools to learn about rapid environmental change at the Barataria Preserve Unit, focusing on new park lands and major restoration and mitigation projects,

• Sustain data collection from the entire array of hydrology and elevation monitoring stations,

• Maintain data processing and data stewardship for this project, and

• Help resource managers develop and monitor other tools to assess key environmental changes and biological responses to these changes.

As time and interest allow, we will encourage natural resource Stewards to

• Identify and support opportunities for involving volunteers in this work, and

• Work with JELA interpretive staff to develop tools or programs that communicate the goals and findings of one or more of these projects to public audiences.

Cultural Resource Management Interns will work closely with JELA’s cultural management staff to:

• Digitize sensitive historical documents, photographs and recordings,

• Develop catalog records for items and collections, and

• Facilitate short-term loan agreements with and collection transfers to and from our Open Parks Network project partner Clemson University.

• Complete digitization of all park archives and collections, and

• Assist with cataloging and collection management.

Role of NPS through Substantial Involvement:

• Monitor and provide Federal oversight of activities performed under this agreement. Monitoring and oversight includes review and approval of financial status and performance reports, payment request, and tasks identified below. Additional monitoring activities may include site visits, conference calls, and other on-site and off-site monitoring activities. At CL’s request, NPS may also provide additional technical assistance to CL in support of the objectives of this agreement.

• Recruit & select Steward Interns for natural and cultural resource programs.

• Provide on-site direction and mentoring for the Steward Interns.

• Provide project support (i.e. work space, tools, materials . . .) for the Steward interns.

• Monitor and approve effort hours logged by the interns.

• Promote and stimulate public purposes such as education, job training, development of responsible citizenship, productive community involvement and furthering the understanding and appreciation of conservation through the involvement of youth and young adults in care and enhancement of public resources.

• JELA’s Ecologist will provide close direction of the activities performed by the natural resource interns, which will directly support JELA’s Barataria Preserve environmental change monitoring program and which may include project-related work with Volunteers in Parks and with JELA’s Resource Interpretation division. JELA’s Cultural Resource Program Manager and/or Resource Management Chief will provide close direction of the activities performed by the cultural resource interns, which will directly support the archives and collections digitization project. The interns will work cooperatively with park staff, volunteers, contractors, and our non-profit partners, and they will receive training and support from the park. JELA or its partners will provide all supplies and equipment needed to complete these projects.

• CL shall carry out the Statement of Work in accordance with the terms and conditions stated herein. CL shall adhere to Federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and codes, as applicable.

• Assist the JELA Ecologist and Cultural Resource Program Manager with Steward recruitment and selection.

• Provide a cost share of 25% of the total cost of the project as the required match to National Park Service (NPS) funds provided under this task agreement.

• Provide interns with living allowances, workers compensation, liability insurance, personnel management, and orientation to AmeriCorps.

• Provide AmeriCorps Award to members upon their successful completion of the program.

• Manage and carry out all administrative functions associated with the provisions of services under this agreement.

• Promote and stimulate public purposes such as education, job training, development of responsible citizenship, productive community involvement and furthering the understanding and appreciation of conservation through the involvement of youth and young adults in care and enhancement of public resources.