Wenatchee WeedsTWO 6mo Mini Announcement for Youth Projects.doc

Office: Spokane District, Wenatchee Field Office Notice of Funding Opportunity Number: L24AS00057 Project Submission Dates and Times: January 19, 2024, 5pm EST

Project Title: Wenatchee Field Office Vegetation Management Program Development Maximum Available Funding in FY24: $98,100 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. Youth Corps applicants should provide a budget for five seasons of this two-person youth crew, including cost increases.

Project Background Information: The Wenatchee Field Office in Wenatchee, WA covers a wide variety of habitats from the Oregon to the Canadian border in central Washington. This internship will build upon a strong Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program in the Wenatchee Field Office. The Office is able to support two (2) applicants who will work as a team and independently. The applicants will work with a variety of land management specialists to learn and build upon the current state of the IPM program in the office. The priority project will be learning the Vegetation Management Action Portal (VMAP) and managing historic and current infestation and treatment data. In addition, the applicants will conduct field surveys of invasive species, botanical species of interest, and wildlife habitat. The applicants will obtain their pesticide applicators license and provide mechanical, biological and chemical control of noxious and invasive plants approximately 70-80% of their total time. Mechanical methods include pulling and cutting plants, and biological methods include capturing and releasing approved biological agents. Chemical treatments are expected to be approximately 30% of field work time and will mostly be spraying with backpack or UTV mounted sprayers. The applicants will have the opportunity to work in ArcPro, a variety of data collection apps, and be exposed to a wide breadth of specialists and projects within the field office.

Project Objective: The Wenatchee Field Office BLM has an opportunity to introduce youth to careers in the BLM under the Natural Resource Specialist category, specifically the Noxious and Invasives Species program. The BLM has recently implemented the Vegetation Management Action Portal (VMAP) which is a single point data entry portal for all invasive species projects and actions throughout the field office. The Wenatchee Field Office has a robust history of invasive species survey, monitoring and treatments, as well as ongoing surveys and treatments throughout the current season. The applicants will be expected to master the VMAP portal to submit historic data (infestations and treatments) and act as data stewards to ongoing projects in the field office including Early Detection and Rapid Response (EDRR), Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation (ESR) and fuels. This project is supported by IB 2019-055 (Transition from the National Invasive Species Information System to the Vegetation Management Action Portal), 2023 State Director Priorities of Promoting Restoration and Conservation, as well as multiple newly developed DOI strategic plans, most applicably the 2021-2025 Invasive Species Strategic Plan. In addition, the applicants will use Field Maps on a mobile device to conduct field surveys for invasive species and apply and collect treatment data in the field (including herbicide application). They will coordinate with invasives, botanist, fuels, GIS, and restoration program specialists.

Work Schedule: 40 hour work week, typically 10 hours days, Monday – Thursday, generally 7 AM to 5:30 PM, for 26 weeks, with flexible start/end dates in May-June/August-September. Daily schedule is variable according to project needs and applicant desires.

Qualification Requirements: This opportunity is suitable for youth working towards or with an undergraduate or graduate degree in Natural Resources, Environmental Science, Botany, or Ecosystem Management. This opportunity requires both time working on a computer database and field work in a strenuous environment. A background in plant identification or noxious weed control would enhance the applicant’s experience. Applicants must also meet the following criteria: 1) Pass a DOI security background check. 2) Ability to perform field work in a moderate to strenuous environment. 3) Ability to perform computer data submission for a significant amount of time. 4) Demonstrate safe driving skills.

Housing: Agency cannot provide housing but may be able to assist in locating appropriate clean housing. A maximum weekly housing stipend of $175 is allowable. A one-time relocation allowance of $500 is available.

Vehicle Needs: A personal vehicle is NOT required for the position but may make the applicant's days off more enjoyable. Wenatchee has a fare-free bus system through Link Transit with ample routes throughout Wenatchee and surrounding towns. The closest regional airport is in East Wenatchee, WA, but the nearest large airport is in Seattle, WA (150 miles away) or Spokane, WA (168 miles away), where you can get lower fares. There are bus shuttles available through the Wenatchee Valley Shuttle to the Seattle airport. The greater Wenatchee area has a population of about 50,000 and most big city amenities are available.

The Project Partner is responsible for providing one work vehicle for 5 months which will be shared by the participants for completing the work throughout the season. This should be a 4-wheel drive capable vehicle with adequate ply tires that can stand up to backcountry roads in varied conditions (dust, mud, large gravel and rocks). Insurance, fuel and repairs are also the responsibility of the Partner. Wenatchee has multiple local dealerships.

Other Project Considerations:

Food: The participants must supply their own food.

Applicants may be asked to spend overnights 1-2 times per month due to the travel time to some field sites. Up to $2400 will be available to reimburse travel costs for camping or hotel rooms.

All Supplies:

The Project Partner is responsible for providing 1 GPS enabled WIFI device for field navigation and data collection, at a cost of approximately $600. An approved device list will be provided to the Project Partner at the time of award.

BLM will provide material and supplies to complete the work (writing materials, clipboards, measuring equipment, etc.) Computer access to BLM computers is granted based on completing required Department of Interior training. Applicants will be expected to provide their own field appropriate clothing, hats, sunglasses, and field-ready boots (ankle support, rugged soles). Additional Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) depending on the task would be supplied by the BLM, (for example ear plugs, eye protection, hardhat, helmet, gloves). BLM will also provide an allowance of $500 for the purchase of personal field gear such as boots, backpack or camping gear.

Training Requirements: BLM will provide basic training such as First AID/CPR, safety, and radio training before completing tasks, and training to complete tasks as assigned (i.e.. monitoring techniques, plant id, navigation). Training may be virtual, self-paced online training, or in-person depending on availability. Applicants will be enrolled in the Washington State Pesticide Applicators license training, which will include taking a pesticide exam. Exam materials will be provided. Up to $500 should be provided by Youth Corps for additional training opportunities.

Duties: The successful applicants will work with the Noxious and Invasive Species Specialist on the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program. Approximately 30-40% of time is expected to be spent in the office, and 60-70% of time in the field. Office work will include mastering the vegetation management computer programs to submit current and historic infestation and treatment data. The applicants will have the opportunity to work in ArcPro, ArcMap, and use multiple mobile applications. Field work will include conducting surveys, inventory, treatment and monitoring of invasive plant species. The applicants will be expected to obtain their Washington State herbicide applicators license and will assist in chemical and mechanical treatment of invasive species. Chemical treatments are expected to be approximately 30% of field work time. Field work will be conducted throughout central Washington primarily in the shrub-steppe Columbia Plateau.

Every opportunity will be given for the applicant to express their interests and obtain experience with other specialists in the office. This may include working with the wildlife biologist, range specialist, restoration specialist, botanist, forester, or recreation specialist.

The participant will work out of the Wenatchee Field Office in Wenatchee, WA. Fieldwork will be done in a remote backcountry setting and requires strenuous exertion. Weather and terrain conditions may be extreme (e.g., heat, cold, thunderstorms, steep hillsides). Most field sites will require 1-3 hours of driving one way from the office.

Project expected outcomes include monitoring and treating weeds in multiple counties, and submitting 30 treatment records through VMAP.

BLM’s Involvement: There will be substantive BLM programmatic involvement by BLM professionals that will work daily side by side with recipient on all projects and will 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:

Molly Boyter

509-665-2137 mboyter@blm.gov Applicants are encouraged to refer to the full program announcement number L24AS00057 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.

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