sgfo youth recreation internship project mini.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 St. George Field Office under the

MASTER

Funding Opportunity Announcement No. L16AS00005 CFDA Numbers

15.225 Recreation 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: April 29, 2016 Contact Information

Melanie Beckstead, Grants Management Officer (GMO) Phone: 801-539-4169 Email: mbeckstead@blm.gov SECTION I. SGFO Youth Recreation Internship Project Project Background Information: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) St. George Field Office (SGFO), located in St. George, Utah, seeks to partner with an organization that can provide interns for its recreation program. Numerous guiding documents, including: The BLM’s National Strategy and Implementation Plan to Support and Enhance Partnerships, 2014-2018; A Unified Strategy to Implement “BLM’s Priorities for Recreation and Visitor Services” Workplan;BLM’s Connecting with Utah Communities; and the St. George Field Office Resource Management Plan, 1999,encourage the BLM to form partnerships that benefit both the BLM and its partner. Therefore the goals are two-fold: to form a successful partnerhip with a Public Land Corps and to provide mentoring to young adults in the field of public lands recreation.

The SGFO, located in southwestern Utah, supports a robust and diverse recreation program with an equally diverse mix of users including OHVers, hikers, equestrians, mountain bikers, and climbers. Approximately 550,000 visitors recreate annually in the SGFO, which roughly corresponds to the area of Washington County.

The recreation program manages motorized and non-motorized trails, heritage sites, climbing sites, two campgrounds, two recreation areas, and a public use cave all within the SGFO and two national conservation areas. Commercial and competive use, vending, guiding, and organized group activities and events are authorized through the Special Recreation Permit (SRP) system. Currently, the SGFO administers approximately 120 SRPs for a variety of uses. The recreation program also manages 15 wilderness areas, Travel and Transportation Management, Visual Resource Management, and public outreach. Interns will provide support to the full spectrum of duties associated with the recreation program.

Project Objectives: This project will will provide opportunities for one to three upper-level college students or recent college graduates – with education and training in recreation management or a related discipline – to provide support for the SGFO recreation program.

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, and by providing a conservation project that qualifies the student for noncompetitive hiring status under the Public Land Corp Act.

c.

Promote and stimulate public purposes to enhance classroom learning by providing education, job training, and development of responsible citizenship, productive community involvement of youth and young adults in the care and enhancement of natural resources.

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

BLM’s Involvement: There will be substantive BLM programmatic involvement by BLM professional that will work daily side by side with recipients on all projects and also be providing project orientation and hands-on training. 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.

Work Schedule: Monday – Friday, generally 8 AM to 5PM, for 12 weeks, with flexible start/end dates in May-June/August-September. Weekends might be required, but would be a rare occurrence.

Qualification Requirements: This opportunity is suitable for youth working towards an undergraduate or graduate degree in natural resource management-related discipline. This opportunity will require time outdoors and field work that is often under somewhat rigorous physical conditions. Applicants must also meet the following criteria: 1). Pass a DOI security background check.

Housing: Agency cannot provide housing but may be able to assist in locating appropriate clean housing. A personal vehicle is NOT required for the position but is strongly encouraged as it makes the applicant's days off much more enjoyable.

Funding Availability: Award Ceiling Amount for FY16 is NTE: $73,000

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.

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)

PAGE