palm springs south coast fo youth projects stabilization.doc

UNITED STATES

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT

CALIFORNIA

BLM CA Conservation Youth Corps Crew to Support the Palm Springs-South Coast Field Office Public Lands Corps Act, 1993 (Amended 2005); PL 109-154; Title 16 U.S.C. Chapter 37, Subchapter II Sec 1721-1729, excluding Sec 1725 – Resource Assistant

This is a specific project for BLM CA Palm Springs-South Coast Field Office under

MASTER

Funding Opportunity Announcement No. L15AS00154 CFDA Number:

15.231 - Fish, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Resource Management

Applicants are required to apply under the above Funding Opportunity Announcement through Grants.gov. All terms and conditions will remain the same. The only thing different will be the proposal format and evaluation criteria, see below:

Applications due by: August 10, 2015 at 8:00am California Time Contact Information: Leona B. Parker, California Grants Management Officer (GMO) Phone: 530-252-5338, Email: Lparker@blm.gov Program Officer/Technical Contact: James Foote, CA Palm Springs FO - National Monument Manager, Phone: 760-833-7136, Email: jfoote@blm.gov

SECTION I.

Project Title: Stabilization and Fuels Management – Palm Springs-South Coast Field Office Project Background Information: The Secretary of the Interior has made it a priority to create the next generation of conservation leaders through the Youth in the Great Outdoors initiative. The Secretary pledged the Department of the Interior (DOI) to provide work and training opportunities to young people through DOI agencies and public-private partnerships. As a high priority, BLM-California will continue its efforts to provide work and training opportunities for youth, consistent with the Secretary’s initiative.

Opportunities under this Funding Opportunity Announcement focus on projects located in the desert regions of Southern California where recent wildfires have occurred, burning substantial areas of chaparral and coastal sage scrub, as well as areas where fuels reduction work is necessary to reduce the severity of future fires.

Project Objectives: BLM CA Palm Springs-South Coast Field Office, has an opportunity to educate and engage youth in the stewardship of public lands, and pique their interest in natural resources careers through participation in a certified conservation corps. These objectives will be accomplished by an opportunity to perform emergency stabilization and rehabilitation work, including repairing/removing fencing, removing invasive plant species, and enhancing/removing debris and sedimentation from streams and springs as a member of a conservation corps crew. In addition, participants will engage in wildland fire fuels management work that includes removal of hazardous fuels and non-native grasses and various invasive plant species. From these projects they will gain an increased appreciation and understanding of our public lands and of the value of public service, and are likely to become life-long advocates for those values. Focusing on local low-income communities of color is anticipated to ultimately enhance diversity of the federal workforce. Projects will be within the BLM CA Palm Springs-South Coast Field Office jurisdiction.

Estimated Total Funding: FY 15 $38,000.00, additional funding will be added on modifications (only when funds are available and funds are not guaranteed every year).

Program/Project Objectives:

a. Expose young men and women to public service while furthering their understanding and appreciation of the Nation’s natural and cultural resources through participation in a conservation corps crew.

b. Gain work experience in conserving natural and cultural resources, and enhancing public recreation opportunities through participation in a conservation corps crew.

c. Stimulate interest among youth in conservation careers by exposing them to conservation professionals in land managing agencies.

d. Promote and stimulate public purposes, such as enhancing classroom learning by providing education, and job training, and developing responsible citizenship through productive community involvement.

Specifically, the certified conservation corps crew will accomplish the following project-specific workloads:

· JS—stabilize burned areas. Undertake actions to stabilize and prevent unacceptable degradation of natural and cultural resources, minimize threats to life or property, and repair/replace/construct physical improvements necessary to prevent degradation of land or resources as a result of the Silver Fire which burned public lands in the area of the Potrero Area of Critical Environmental Concern, North Mountain, and Poppet Flats. Specifically, such actions include eradication of invasive species, and installation of fences and signs to facilitate revegetation of the burned area. Units of measure targeted for this functional area are 36 acres stabilized.

· JL—apply fire rehabilitation treatments. Undertake actions to repair or improve lands damaged by the Mountain Fire that are unlikely to recover naturally to management-approved conditions. The project area is located in steep, rocky canyons on the desert face of Mt. San Jacinto. Specifically, such actions include the removal of debris and sedimentation from springs and other water sources used by the endangered Peninsular bighorn sheep. Units of measure targeted for this functional area are six acres rehabilitated.

· JT—reduce fuels mechanically. Undertake treatments to reduce hazardous fuels in the wildland-urban interface to provide for firefighter and public safety, and support land/resource management plan goals and objectives using mechanical or manual methods. Specifically, such treatments include cutting and chemically treating invasive tamarisk in Whitewater Canyon, various canyons in the western Little San Bernardino Mountains, and Coachella Valley Preserve. Units of measure targeted for this functional area are 72 acres treated.

BLM’s Involvement:

There will be substantive BLM programmatic involvement through the BLM Program Officer (PO) collaborating with the Recipient's Project Officer (RPO) to manage all stages of project development, implementation, and evaluation. Recipients and the BLM will share responsibility for project management, control, and direction although the BLM will have the right to intervene by modifying the project management plan if the project is not staying on schedule or technical issues arise. BLM will mentor the youth.

Period of Performance:

a. Estimated Start Date: September 1, 2015 or upon award.

b. Estimated Period of Performance: From: September 1, 2015 or upon award To: September 30, 2016, however the agreement will not end until September 30, 2019, therefore if funds become available a modification can be processed to extend projects.

Section II – Reporting Requirements: (Refer to Full Announcement for details) A. SF425 – Federal Financial Report’s

B. Performance Report due yearly or at the end of the project

C. Youth Reporting due semi-quarterly to Program Officer SECTION III. The Application Package – Also refer to Funding Opportunity Announcement Section D. Application and Submission Information for further detailed information.

Applications must include all required Standard Forms (SF) shown below, a Proposal (Attachment A), a Budget Detail with narrative (mandatory) (Attachment B), and a copy the applicant's approved federal agency Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA), if applicable. Non-governmental organizations that have not previously received award funds or have not had an active award within 3 (three) years must complete a Financial Assistance Evaluation Questionnaire. A copy of the questionnaire may be requested by contacting the individual(s) listed on the application coversheet.

WHAT TO SUBMIT:

Financial Assistance Evaluation Questionnaire (if applicable)

SECTION III. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

Along with the above requirements listed: What to Submit- above through Grants.gov.

BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT

California State Office

Grants & Cooperative Agreements

PROJECT PROPOSAL

Instructions: A Project Proposal must be submitted with the Standard Form (SF) 424 Application for Financial Assistance for all Financial Assistance Agreements. A new proposal must be included with any request for modification which involves a revision to funding, project scope, period of performance, or key personnel.

Organization Name:

Name & Title of Person Submitting Proposal:

*If a specific start work date is needed with pre-award costs for specific BLM Project, contact BLM Program Officer (PO) to dicuss details, so PO can discuss with Grants Management Officer. Do not start work without prior approval from the Grants Management Officer, unless project is a specific project to your organization is already working on and you are requesting for further financial assistance.

1.

Purpose, Objectives, and Relevance:

(Describe why the project is needed, the applicant's objectives, how the applicant's objectives support their mission, and how this project benefits the general public.)

2.

Technical Approach:

(Describe how the project will be conducted. The project design must contain enough detail to show the development of the project, including the relationship between the partners, and objectives. Clearly describe the techniques, procedures, and methodologies to be used; the data collection, analysis, and means of interpretation; the expected program/project goals and/or outcomes; and the procedures for evaluating project effectiveness, including appropriate performance goals and the probabilities of obtaining them.)

The proposal must include the detailed project plan/schedule. The project plan must be supported by a narrative description of each of the activities to be undertaken. The schedule should include proposed work, reporting, major tasks, and project milestones including the identification of the anticipated start and ending dates of all major stages/tasks of the project proposal. The following table may be used to summarize the project schedule.

Start Date Planned Completion Date

3.

Qualifications, Experience, and Past Performance:

(Describe who will carry out the project activities. List all project personnel, including consultants, contractors, sub-recipients, etc., and their contact information. Describe your recruiting techniques in recruiting a diverse pool of candidates. Describe their responsibilities and the amount of time each will dedicate to the project. Briefly describe how their experience and qualifications are appropriate to successfully achieve the stated objectives and performance goals. Describe past completed natural and cultural youth conservation projects on public lands with accomplishments. Describe successful of your program placing qualified youth interns in conservation careers.)

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