SFO_Youth_FOA_FY25Recreation_10-29-24.pdf

Office: Salmon Field Office Notice of Funding Opportunity Number: L25AS00149 Project Submission Dates and Times: 5 pm ET on Monday, February 3, 2025

Project Title: Salmon Field Office Youth Recreation Opportunities

Maximum Available Funding in FY25: $100,000

Project Background Information: The Salmon Field Office (SFO) has an extensive and diverse recreation program that spans from the lush river and riparian ecosystems to expansive sagebrush steppe, to high elevation alpine jagged peaks. A spectacular landscape provides visitors with an abundance of recreational opportunities. Recreation visitors to the SFO come from local, regional, and national and international locations.

Visitors from the region and surrounding states come to the SFO because it is easy to travel to in a weekend, provides an abundance of recreation opportunities and settings. Many of these visitors come to the area for float boating along the Upper Salmon River, geothermic hot springs, or to participate in big game hunting in the fall. Visitors also come to the SFO from all over the U.S. and from international locations to visit the field office for the abundant recreation opportunities. Long distance hikers from the U.S. and across the world come to attempt to complete the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail that runs through the Rocky Mountains for more than 3,000 miles from Mexico to Canada.

The SFO provides opportunities for a wide variety of outdoor recreation activities and related benefits. While most recreation users participate in the above-mentioned recreation activities there are numerous developed facilities (campgrounds, trails, day use site, etc.), another large percentage of recreationists participate in dispersed recreation opportunities provided throughout the field office. Some of the typical recreational activities on public lands include, but are not limited to, float boating, fishing and other river-based recreation, camping, hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, OHV use, and cross-country skiing.

Migrating and resident wildlife provide plentiful opportunities for hunting, photography, and wildlife observation.

Project Objective: BLM, SFO, Idaho has an opportunity to introduce youth to careers in the BLM under the Recreation Program. The SFO Recreation staff would like to a provide work experience to youth for their career and educational benefit. This will be accomplished by providing them opportunities to gain experience, learn about public lands, and pique their interest in recreation or other natural resource management careers. This opportunity will be focused on gaining experience primarily in recreation management.

Participants would learn about the value of public lands, further their understanding and appreciation of natural resources, wilderness characteristics, and the value of ecosystems and open space. From this they would gain an increased appreciation and understanding of our public lands, the value of public service, and are likely to become life-long advocates for those values.

This opportunity will be focused on trail work (construction, maintenance, inventory and signage), development of public educational outreach programs ,Wilderness Study Area monitoring, inventory and monitoring of recreation resources, and developed recreation site maintenance.

Opportunities would enhance core career skills such as problem solving, teamwork and collaboration, and communication skills as well as field skills including Leave No Trace, navigation/orientation, four-wheel drive vehicles, utility terrain vehicles, use of GPS equipment and maps, documentation, and safety. Previous experience with any or all of these skills would significantly enhance the applicant’s experience.

Work Schedule: Generally, 7 AM to 5:30 PM 4 days per week, for approximately 16 weeks, with flexible start/end dates in May-June/August-September. Weekends may be required depending on project attributes, weather, and site location.

Qualification Requirements: This opportunity is suitable for youth interested in natural resource management related disciplines (recreation, wildlife biology, botany, environmental science, archaeology, hydrology, etc) or looking to gain increased appreciation for the outdoors and natural systems. As stated in the duties this opportunity will require time outdoors and field work that is often under rigorous physical conditions. Applicants must also pass a DOI security background check.

Housing: Agency cannot provide housing but may be able to assist in locating appropriate clean housing.

Vehicle Needs: All projects will require the use of standard high clearance four-wheel drive vehicles, and some projects may require the use of utility terrain vehicles (UTV). During scheduled work projects, government vehicles and UTVs may be available if applicant has the appropriate training and license.

A personal vehicle is NOT required for the position but is strongly encouraged as it makes the applicant's days off much more enjoyable. The closest regional airport is located in Idaho Falls, ID (147 miles) with larger airports located in Boise, ID (159 miles) and Salt Lake City, UT (319 miles). The is no public transportation in Salmon.

Other Project Considerations:

Food: Food will not be provided. If field camping is required, the applicant/organization will be responsible for providing meals.

All Supplies: The BLM will provide computer, GPS units, hand tools, supplies, materials etc. needed for project assignments. The applicant is not responsible to purchase or provide equipment or supplies.

Training Requirements: BLM will provide training for first aid/CPR, computer training, OHV, GPS, proper use of hand tools and equipment, trailering, and other safety trainings.

Travel: Travel outside of the field office is not necessary to complete this project

Duties: The successful youth applicant will assist the Outdoor Recreation Planner and Park Ranger with the SFO’s recreation program, which covers almost half a million acres of public land in central Idaho.

Numerous opportunities exist for primarily field work and limited office work.

Field work includes trail work (construction, maintenance, inventory and signage),development and presentation of education and interpretation programs, inventory and monitoring visitor use, monitoring of WSAs, sign installation, maintenance of recreation facilities (e.g., cleaning toilets, lawn mowing, weed control, fence repair, painting, etc.), and interaction with visitors to public lands.

Field work requires strenuous exertion. Weather and terrain conditions may be extreme (e.g. heat, cold, thunderstorms, steep badlands). Methods consist of driving to these areas and completing different assigned projects. Sometimes operating equipment, hiking, riding OHVs, and/or boating to complete the assigned tasks.

Office duties will largely consist of data entry, completing inventory and monitoring reports, counting of recreation fees, and development of education materials.

Project expected outcomes include construction of new Continental Divide National Scenic Trail, maintenance and clearing of trails throughout the field office, installing new trail signs, and trail inventory.

Monitoring the Eighteenmile WSA. This will be documented by the monitoring reports completed.

Monitoring and inventory of visitor use with in the field office. This will also be documented by the completed monitoring and inventory forms. Completion of various projects (fence construction, sign installation, painting of buildings) at developed and dispersed recreation sites within the field office. These can be measured by the number of projects completed.

BLM’s Involvement: There will be substantive BLM programmatic involvement by BLM professional that will work with and provide oversight to recipient on all projects and will also provide 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 project or move to the next phase.

BLM Program Contact:

Field PO Name: Glenn (Travis) Seaberg Field PO Email: gseaberg@blm.gov

Applicants are encouraged to refer to the full program announcement posted on Grants.gov for all program requirements and applicable terms and conditions. Recipients selected for awards will be required to adhere to those requirements should an award be made.