UT Youth Project Canyon Country District FuelsReduction Round 1 Due 8.14.2026.doc

STATE: Utah Office: Canyon Country District Notice of Funding Opportunity Number: L26AS00064 Project Submission Dates and Times: Round 1 Due 5 pm EST 08/14/2026

Project Title: UT Canyon Country District Youth Crew Opportunity

Available Funding in FY26: $30,000 Maximum Funding (if multi-year): $220,000 depending on funding availability.

Note: Crew based work will be evaluated based on how many crew members and weeks are needed and must be justified in Attachment B. BLM has determined $800 weekly stipend equal to $20.00 per hour is reasonable. Stipends above this amount must justify in budget narrative increase needed.

Period of Performance: Five years from date project is initiated Project Background Information: This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is for youth crew work in the Canyon Country District (Moab and Monticello Field Offices) and includes work in fire and fuels management, vegetation management, recreation, general natural resources (including but not limited to wildlife, botany, paleontology, range management, forest and woodlands, and cultural resources). Youth crews would implement land management activities and field work to support BLM fuels, recreational, and natural/cultural resource operations. While accomplishing the BLM’s multiple-use mission, the Moab Field Office is also recognized internationally as a recreational destination, while the Monticello Office has been identified as one of the most intact, culturally dense landscapes within the BLM.

Fuels projects in the District are designed to accomplish a variety of objectives, including reducing the effects of catastrophic fire on communities and sensitive resources, enhancing habitat, providing fuel wood (biomass) to local communities, reducing off-route driving and Wilderness Study Area (WSA) incursions, and providing training opportunities for youth who may be interested in working in Natural Resources fields. Biomass is provided to wood banks which support local communities, including the Ute Mountain Ute White Mesa Community and Diné (Navajo) families in southern Utah and Arizona, for whom firewood is a primary source for home heating and firewood cutting locations are often several hours away.

Project Objective: Fire Management, Fuels Reduction, and Vegetation Management: The youth crew will implement fuels reduction and vegetation management including manual (hand and chainsaw treatments) and mechanical treatments (operation of tracked or wheeled machinery) for vegetation management and fuels reduction. Work would include but is not limited to cutting of vegetation with chainsaws and hand tools, application of herbicide for vegetation control, lope and scatter, cutting and piling of vegetation for prescribed fire operations (including implementation of prescribed fire operations (broadcast and pile burning), operation of mowers, chippers, bullhogs (including but not limited mastication attachment to excavator or similar type machinery), wood splitters, or other machinery for implementation of fuels reduction, and vegetation management activities. Treatments would also include biomass utilization, where vegetation would be cut and made available as fuelwood, and may also include hauling from project locations to nearby fuelwood/biomass collection’s locations, such as firewood banks, staging areas, or other fuelwood collection locations.

Recreation/Natural and Cultural Resources: Additional projects to support recreational, natural resources, or cultural resources objectives within the District may be funded on an as-needed basis. These projects could include, but are not limited to, construction and maintenance of recreational trails and facilities, visitor education and outreach, marking of roads and trails, installation of directional or interpretive signs, documentation/rehabilitation of Wilderness Study Area (WSA) incursions, installation of fences or barricades, installation of z-dyke or other low tech processed based restoration techniques, assisting cultural or natural resource specialists with data collection or processing, and other work of a similar nature. Work may involve proximity to sensitive cultural and natural resources, meaning that applicant(s) must demonstrate knowledge of appropriate resource protection practices such as site avoidance and prompt reporting.

Work Schedule: Ability to align work schedule with BLM project representative for start and end of scheduled work period within Monday-Friday 8am-4pm work schedule. Work would be on 40 hour work week, or 80 hours pay period schedule. An 80-hour work period may utilize an 8-day or similar compressed schedule, but must follow labor/work standards Qualification Requirements: Applicants must also pass a DOI security background check.

Fire Management, Fuels Reduction, and Vegetation Management: Applicant(s) must be able to safely operate and maintain chainsaws power tools, hand tools, and operate other machinery such as portable woodchippers, trucks and trailers, with knowledge of vegetation management, fuel reduction and fire mitigation techniques. Applicants must be able to work in remote locations, utilizing 4WD vehicles and navigating rough roads and terrain.

Desired but not required skills include:

· State of Utah herbicide applicator license (for crew lead(s) and/or crew member(s))

· Operation of machinery for implementation of vegetation and fuel/vegetation management activities such as tracked or wheeled machinery, including but not limited to skid-steers (with various hydraulic attachments) excavators (with mastication, bucket/claw attachments), brush hogs/mowers.

· Knowledge in pile burning or prescribed fire operations, and/or ability to obtain basic wildland fire training for implementation of prescribed fire operations.

Recreation: Ability to identify recreation management needs for erosion control, trail delineation, and areas of concentrated visitor use and ability to implement erosion control and visitor management measures, such as installation of cribbing, erosion control features, fencing and signage.

Natural and Cultural Resources: Ability to identify, inventory, inspect, and monitor various natural resources, such as plant species and wildlife species, cultural resources. Safely complete manual labor tasks including but not limited to removing fencing, building fencing, using chainsaws, handheld power tools, hand tools, and ability to learn how to construct implementing z-dyke and other low tech wet meadow restoration, construction of wildlife ex-closures, pesticide application.

Housing: No housing would be provided for work crews, although BLM will work with the applicant to identify appropriate base camp locations as needed on a project-by-project basis.

Vehicle Needs: 4WD, high clearance vehicle(s), towing capable. Optional: UTV/ATV type vehicles

Other Project Considerations: Applicants should plan for the following:

· Food: The Youth Corps provides the meals and water for their crews.

· All Supplies: Chainsaws and all Personal Protective Equipment, replacement parts, fuel, and accessories for safe operation. All necessary hand tools for typical operations. In addition, the Youth Corps would supply tents and camping supplies to their crews and could include those costs in the budget narrative.

· Training Requirements: Youth Corps are responsible for all necessary training for crews, such as chainsaw training, first aid, computer training, crew leads training, individual training.

· Travel: The Youth Corps would include the cost associated with their projects travel to BLM sites in the budget narrative. Trailer with ability to haul fuelwood, or other vegetive material

Optional Items: Herbicide application, storage equipment, and safety equipment. Tow-behind chipper Duties: Work included is primarily field based work involving manual labor, data collection, entry and analysis, monitoring of data collection sites, as well as implementation of recreation management and vegetation management activities including the use of hand and power tools as well as machinery (depending on project type).

BLM’s Involvement: There will be substantive BLM programmatic involvement by BLM professional to include mentoring, oversight, and engagement with youth participants as appropriate. 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: Misti Haines

Field PO Phone Number: (435) 587-1519

Field PO Email: mhaines@blm.gov

Applicants are encouraged to refer to the full program announcement number L26AS00064 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.