Opportunity Information: Apply for NOIP16AC01378
Apply for NOIP16AC01378
- The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Plant Species Verification and Checklists for Northern Great Plains Parks - NOTICE OF INTENT" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.945.
- This funding opportunity was created on Sep 02, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 15, 2016. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $325,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Opportunity Summary:
The Plant Species Verification and Checklists for Northern Great Plains Parks - Notice of Intent (Funding Opportunity No. NOIP16AC01378) is a National Park Service (NPS) discretionary cooperative agreement focused on improving the accuracy and completeness of plant species inventories for parks in the Northern Great Plains Inventory and Monitoring Network (NGPN). The opportunity exists because decades of vegetation monitoring in these parks, including NPS Fire Ecology Program work dating back to 1997 and NGPN vegetation monitoring initiated in 2010, have produced many plant observations that do not yet appear on the official park species lists maintained in NPSpecies. In practical terms, the project aims to reconcile what field crews and botanists have actually documented on the ground with what is formally recorded in the NPS system, so that park managers, scientists, and the public are working from the same, up-to-date information.
The core partnership is between NGPN and the Wyoming Natural Diversity Database (WYNDD) at the University of Wyoming. Together, they plan to evaluate existing NPS monitoring datasets and other botanical records, confirm identifications where possible using voucher specimens (physical reference samples stored in herbaria or collections), and then fill remaining gaps with targeted field surveys. The end goal is to update each park's official plant list in NPSpecies (or the successor/ equivalent system), and also to translate those improved lists into usable plant checklists or educational products in coordination with park interpretive staff. This means the work is not just data cleanup; it is also intended to support interpretation, outreach, and on-the-ground management decisions that depend on reliable species occurrence information.
The project lays out several specific objectives. First, WYNDD and NGPN will develop a detailed study plan and decide which parks to prioritize, with the expectation that available funds will cover roughly 1 to 4 park units initially. Fort Laramie National Historic Site (Wyoming) and Mount Rushmore National Memorial (South Dakota) are identified as the first priorities. Second, they will compile and validate historical and recent plant records from NPS monitoring and other botanical work, using voucher-based verification when feasible to strengthen confidence in species determinations. Third, they will conduct targeted botanical surveys designed to confirm uncertain records and locate additional species that were likely missed or not formally captured in earlier efforts. Fourth, they will update the official species lists in NPSpecies as promptly as possible after completing work for each unit. Fifth, they will coordinate with park interpretation divisions to produce plant checklists or related educational materials, helping convert technical inventory improvements into visitor-facing resources.
A set of potential parks is provided, spanning Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Wyoming, with wide variation in size and currently listed plant richness. The candidate units include Agate Fossil Beds National Monument (NE), Badlands National Park (SD), Fort Laramie NHS (WY), Fort Union Trading Post NHS (ND), Jewel Cave National Monument (SD), Knife River Indian Villages NHS (ND), Mount Rushmore National Memorial (SD), Scotts Bluff National Monument (NE), Theodore Roosevelt National Park (ND), and Wind Cave National Park (SD). The opportunity documentation notes the number of plant species currently in NPSpecies for several of these parks and compares that to counts of species observed in NPS datasets from roughly 1998 to 2015, with "potential new species" to be determined through the verification and survey process. The inclusion of both small historic sites and large national parks highlights that the need is network-wide: even parks with substantial monitoring histories may have incomplete official lists due to data lag, taxonomic updates, or records that were never formally integrated into the master database.
Roles and responsibilities are clearly divided in a cooperative framework. WYNDD, as the recipient partner, is expected to meet with the NGPN vegetation ecologist (serving as the NPS technical representative) to finalize the study plan, address field logistics, and ensure permits and access needs are understood. WYNDD is tasked with updating plant species lists across multiple park units over the project window, with fieldwork potentially carried out by trained students or technicians under the oversight of a senior botanist experienced in survey methods and identification standards. WYNDD also carries the reporting burden, including a report due by December 31, 2016 outlining recommendations for 2017 to 2021 fieldwork, annual reports (through 2019) summarizing survey effort and data quality with recommendations based on lessons learned, and a final comprehensive report due by December 31, 2021 summarizing all work completed.
On the NPS side, the agency commits to issuing the necessary research permits, collaborating throughout implementation, and providing a technical representative and agreement technical representative (ATR) to assist from project initiation through reporting and closeout. NPS staff will contribute at least 80 hours of assistance, provide monitoring datasets, share mounted specimens when available, and offer local knowledge about park botany and prior studies. NPS will also monitor performance through regular communication with the principal investigator and will jointly participate in report development and review. Finally, NGPN will be responsible for final data storage and for integrating results into broader inventory and monitoring efforts and national-level work, ensuring the updated information is not only entered into NPSpecies but also used operationally.
From a funding and administrative standpoint, the opportunity is issued by the Department of the Interior, National Park Service, under CFDA 15.945 as a cooperative agreement, with an award ceiling of $325,000 and an expectation of a single award. The notice was created on September 2, 2016 with an original closing date of September 15, 2016. Overall, the grant is structured to produce tangible, auditable improvements to plant occurrence records, strengthen scientific defensibility through validation and voucher-based confirmation, and leave parks with updated official lists and public-facing checklists that better reflect the botanical diversity actually present within their boundaries.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the name of this funding opportunity?
The opportunity is titled Plant Species Verification and Checklists for Northern Great Plains Parks - Notice of Intent (Funding Opportunity No. NOIP16AC01378).
Which federal agency is offering this grant?
The opportunity is issued by the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service (NPS).
What type of award is it?
This is an NPS discretionary cooperative agreement, meaning NPS expects to have substantial involvement in the work through technical collaboration, permits, data sharing, and ongoing coordination.
What is the CFDA number listed for this opportunity?
The opportunity is associated with CFDA 15.945.
What is the main purpose of the project?
The project is designed to improve the accuracy and completeness of plant species inventories for parks in the Northern Great Plains Inventory and Monitoring Network (NGPN), primarily by reconciling field observations and existing datasets with the official park species lists maintained in NPSpecies (or its successor/equivalent system).
Why is this work needed?
Decades of vegetation monitoring in NGPN parks (including NPS Fire Ecology Program work dating back to 1997 and NGPN vegetation monitoring initiated in 2010) have produced many plant observations that do not yet appear on the official park species lists in NPSpecies. The project addresses gaps caused by data lag, incomplete integration of records, taxonomic changes, and unverified or uncertain identifications.
What parks or networks does this opportunity focus on?
The work focuses on parks within the Northern Great Plains Inventory and Monitoring Network (NGPN), with candidate parks located in Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Wyoming.
Who are the primary project partners?
The core partnership is between the NGPN and the Wyoming Natural Diversity Database (WYNDD) at the University of Wyoming.
What are the first-priority parks mentioned?
The first priorities identified are Fort Laramie National Historic Site (Wyoming) and Mount Rushmore National Memorial (South Dakota).
How many parks are expected to be covered initially?
Based on available funds, the expectation is that the project will cover roughly 1 to 4 park units initially.
Which park units are listed as candidates for this work?
The candidate units listed are:
- Agate Fossil Beds National Monument (NE)
- Badlands National Park (SD)
- Fort Laramie National Historic Site (WY)
- Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site (ND)
- Jewel Cave National Monument (SD)
- Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site (ND)
- Mount Rushmore National Memorial (SD)
- Scotts Bluff National Monument (NE)
- Theodore Roosevelt National Park (ND)
- Wind Cave National Park (SD)
What systems or datasets will be used and updated?
The project will evaluate existing NPS monitoring datasets and other botanical records and will update each park's official plant list in NPSpecies (or the successor/equivalent system). NGPN will handle final data storage and integrate results into broader inventory and monitoring efforts.
What specific activities will the project carry out?
The work includes:
- Developing a detailed study plan and selecting priority parks.
- Compiling and validating historical and recent plant records from monitoring and other botanical work.
- Confirming identifications using voucher specimens when feasible.
- Conducting targeted botanical field surveys to confirm uncertain records and find additional species.
- Updating official park species lists in NPSpecies promptly after completing work for each unit.
- Coordinating with park interpretive staff to produce plant checklists or related educational materials.
What are voucher specimens, and how are they used in this project?
Voucher specimens are physical reference samples stored in herbaria or collections. In this project, vouchers are used to strengthen confidence in species determinations by supporting verification of plant identifications where feasible.
Is this project only about database cleanup?
No. While reconciling records and updating NPSpecies is a major outcome, the project also aims to create usable plant checklists and educational products in coordination with park interpretation divisions, supporting outreach and visitor-facing information.
How will NPS be involved during the project?
NPS will provide substantial involvement typical of a cooperative agreement, including issuing research permits, collaborating throughout implementation, assigning a technical representative and an agreement technical representative (ATR), sharing monitoring datasets, providing mounted specimens when available, offering local knowledge, monitoring performance through regular communication, and participating in report development, review, and closeout.
What support does NPS commit to providing in terms of staff time?
NPS staff will contribute at least 80 hours of assistance.
What is WYNDD responsible for under the cooperative agreement?
WYNDD, as the recipient partner, is responsible for working with the NGPN vegetation ecologist to finalize the study plan and logistics, ensuring permits and access needs are understood, updating plant species lists across multiple park units, overseeing fieldwork (which may be conducted by trained students or technicians under a senior botanist), and completing required reporting.
Who serves as the NPS technical representative mentioned in the description?
The NGPN vegetation ecologist serves as the NPS technical representative for coordination with WYNDD.
Will field surveys be part of the project?
Yes. The project includes targeted botanical surveys to confirm uncertain records and locate additional species that may have been missed or not formally captured in earlier work.
Who may conduct fieldwork?
Fieldwork may be conducted by trained students or technicians working under the oversight of a senior botanist experienced in survey methods and identification standards.
What deliverables or reporting requirements are described?
The description lists several reporting milestones for WYNDD:
- A report due December 31, 2016 outlining recommendations for 2017 to 2021 fieldwork.
- Annual reports (through 2019) summarizing survey effort and data quality and providing recommendations based on lessons learned.
- A final comprehensive report due December 31, 2021 summarizing all work completed.
When will official species lists be updated?
The project intends to update each park unit's official plant list in NPSpecies as promptly as possible after completing work for that unit.
What is the intended long-term benefit of updating NPSpecies lists?
The intended benefit is that park managers, scientists, and the public can rely on the same up-to-date, defensible plant occurrence information, supporting management decisions, science, and interpretation.
How will the updated information be used beyond NPSpecies?
NGPN will store the final data and integrate results into broader inventory and monitoring efforts and national-level work, ensuring updates are operationally used and not limited to a database entry.
What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling is $325,000.
How many awards are expected?
The opportunity states an expectation of a single award.
When was the notice created and what was the closing date?
The notice was created on September 2, 2016, with an original closing date of September 15, 2016.
What makes this project "auditable" or defensible from a science perspective?
The project emphasizes improving scientific defensibility by validating records using existing datasets, confirming identifications through voucher-based verification when feasible, conducting targeted surveys to resolve uncertainties, and producing written reports documenting methods, findings, and recommendations.
Does the opportunity mention producing materials for park visitors?
Yes. The project includes coordination with park interpretation divisions to develop plant checklists or related educational materials, translating improved technical inventories into visitor-facing resources.
Why do some parks have incomplete official plant lists even with long monitoring histories?
The description notes that even parks with substantial monitoring histories may have incomplete official lists due to data lag, taxonomic updates, or records that were never formally integrated into the master database (NPSpecies).
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