rfo travel management project announcement.doc

UNITED STATES

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT

(BLM)

BLM-UT, Youth Opportunities to Work on Conservation Projects throughout Utah Public Lands

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 project is a specific project for the Henry Mountains Field Station under the

MASTER

Funding Opportunity Announcement No. L15AS00034 CFDA Numbers

15.225 Recreaton 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: May 31, 2015 Contact Information

Maria Gochis, Grants Management Officer (GMO) Phone: 801-539-4178 Email: mgochis@blm.gov SECTION I. Richfield Field Office Travel Management Project Project Background Information:

The Richfield Field Office (RFO) manages approximately 2.1 million acres in south-central Utah. The RFO is dissected in two pieces by Capitol Reef National Park (CRNP). Staff in the Richfield office administers BLM lands to the west of CRNP. BLM lands east of CRNP are administered by staff at the Henry Mountains Field Station located in Hanksville, Utah.

The RFO, including the HMFS, completed its Travel Management Plan (TMP) in 2008, as part of the 2008 Resource Management Plan (RMP). Leading up to that time, beginning in 2002, a significant amount of energy was devoted to inventorying and documenting all existing motorized routes and roads. The information was then compiled and analyzed by an interdisciplinary team. The data collected for the TMP came from numerous sources including counties, BLM staff, orthophoto data, and other cooperators. Since 2008, the travel plan has been implemented; routes have been signed with route numbers while others have been effectively closed. As identified in the RMP, we recognize there is a continuing need to keep the plan current and accurate. We are now in a phase that requires further route inventories, field proofing data that has already been collected, and consistent documentation of new and existing data.

Project Objective:

The BLM Richfield Field Office has an opportunity to introduce youth to careers with the BLM and to experience hands-on training in a natural environment. The RFO has Recreation Planners and a GIS Specialist on staff and would like to a provide work experience to youth for their career and educational benefit. This will be accomplished by providing a two person crew with opportunities to gain experience, learn about public lands, further their understanding and appreciation of natural resources, and pique their interest in recreation and travel management related careers. From this 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. This opportunity will be focused on inventory of motorized routes, and proper documentation of the routes that are inventoried. This project will provide opportunities to enhance basic career skills such as organization, writing, detail, and communication, as well as field skills including the documenting of motorized routes, use of GPS equipment and maps, and field note methods. Previous experience with any or all of these skills would significantly enhance the student experience.

Program/Project Performance Goals:

a.

Expose young men and women to public service while furthering their understanding and appreciation of the Nation’s natural resources, and gain experience.

b.

Stimulate interest among the youth and young adults in conservation careers by exposing them to conservation professionals in land managing agencies.

c.

Promote and stimulate public purposes and learning by providing education, job training, and involvement of youth and young adults in care and enhancement of natural resources.

d.

Assist qualified Youth Conservation Corps to gain experience in conserving or developing natural resources and enhancing and maintaining environmentally important lands through the use of the nation’s young men and women.

Duties:

The recipient will provide a two person crew to assist the RFO Recreation Planners and GIS Specialist with the RFOs travel management inventorying and documentation needs. Opportunities exist for both field work and office work, however, the bulk of the time will be spent in the field. Field work includes inventorying routes with the use of GIS and GPS equipment, cameras, and completing specific route forms. Work will be conducted primarly by using a 4x4 truck and/or an all terrain utility vehicle (UTV) for locations that are more difficult to access. Office duties will largely consist of ensuring all documentation needs are met, keeping records neat and orderly, downloading GPS data and photos, and presenting the information to managers.

The participants will work out of the Henry Mountains Field Station in Hanksville, Utah. The project will be coordinated by BLM staff in the Henry Mountains Field Station. Fieldwork will be done in a remote backcountry setting and may require moderately strenuous exertion. Weather and terrain conditions may be extreme (e.g. heat, cold, thunderstorms, steep badlands). Given the remoteness, isolation, the amount of documentation needed, and the use of an UTV, it is expected that a crew of two people will be necessary to safely and effectively complete the work.

The recipient is expected to provide a two person crew, 4-wheel drive vehicle, UTV (commonly referred to as a side by side), a trailer to haul the UTV, and standard field equipment (shovel, small toolkit, first-aid kit, ect…) BLM’s Involvement:

There will be substantial involvement by BLM professionals that will mentor and work daily side-by-side with recipient and also be providing project orientation and hands-on training. BLM will have the right to intervene by modifying the project management plan, if project is not staying on schedule, technical issues arise, etc. In addition, BLM and recipient will meet weekly to discuss progress and track project outcomes, review any training needs, and then make a decision what direction to take in finalizing the project or moving to the next phase.

Period of Performance:

Work is anticipated to begin June 2, 2015 through September 25, 2015.

Work Schedule:

Tuesday – Friday, generally 7 AM to 5:30 PM, for 14 weeks, with flexible start/end dates in June/September.

Qualification Requirements:

As stated in the duties, this opportunity will require time outdoors and field work that is often under somewhat rigorous physical conditions. Applicants must feel comfortable working in an isolated setting where there is little reliance on others, other than crew members and BLM staff. Due to the type of work, participants must also feel comfortable towing trailers, operating a 4x4 vehicle, and operating an UTV.

Housing:

The two person crew is expected to camp, or find their own housing while here. Agency cannot provide housing but will be able to provide an apartment where showering and laundry services are available as frequently as necessary.

Expected Field Travel:

It is expected the crew will spend some nights in or near the town of Hanksville, while other nights would be spent out in the backcountry in the area where they are working. It is estimated the crew would average perhaps 30-50 miles per day on their truck and 20-40 miles per day on their UTV. Truck travel would occur on both paved roads and dirt roads; UTV travel would occur on dirt roads, two tracks, and generally rough trails.

FY 2015 Ceiling Amount: $48,000

Estimated amount of the life of the project: $48,000

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 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:

SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance

SF-424A Budget Information - Non-Construction Programs

SF-424B Assurances - Non-Construction Programs

Grants.gov Lobbying Form

Project Proposal (Attachment A)

Budget Detail and Narrative Mandatory (Attachment B)

Federal Agency-approved Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA, if applicable)

Financial Assistance Evaluation Questionnaire (if applicable)

Attachment A

SECTION III. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT

Utah 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.

Agreement or Funding Opportunity No.:

Date:

Organization Name:

Project Title:

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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