Opportunity Information: Apply for NPS NOIP14AC00631
Apply for NPS NOIP14AC00631
- The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the education, employment, labor and training, environment, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS- Youth Education and Involvement in Vegetation Managment and Restoration in Heartland Network National Parks- THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.931.
- This funding opportunity was created on Aug 09, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 19, 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 $1,000,000.00 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:
This National Park Service (NPS) funding opportunity (NPS NOIP14AC00631) is a discretionary cooperative agreement issued by the Department of the Interior to support youth education, job training, and hands-on natural resource work focused on vegetation management and ecological restoration across national parks in the Heartland Inventory and Monitoring Network. The notice repeatedly states "THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS," which signals that it is not an open competition. Instead, it is tied to an existing relationship: the Conservation Corps of Minnesota and Iowa is identified as the recipient because it already holds a Master Cooperative Agreement (P15AC00009) that authorizes it to carry out specific tasks for NPS. In practical terms, this announcement documents NPS intent to fund and partner with that organization for a defined set of activities rather than solicit proposals from the general public.
The project has five main goals that combine workforce development with on-the-ground conservation outcomes. First, it aims to give young adults meaningful work opportunities inside national parks. Second, it is designed to expose participants to conservation and natural resource management careers, helping them understand what those jobs look like in real settings. Third, it focuses on education about how parks make and implement management decisions, including the techniques and operational planning behind resource work. Fourth, it targets invasive plant control, specifically including species considered a public nuisance and those listed as noxious weeds under state or federal law. Fifth, it emphasizes restoration of plant communities using core land-management tools such as prescribed fire, vegetation removal, and planting. The work is intended to take place across fifteen NPS units within the Heartland Network (as referenced by the NPS Inventory and Monitoring program).
A major part of the agreement is the youth corps structure and logistics. The Conservation Corps of Minnesota and Iowa is responsible for recruiting, selecting, and training 15 youth interns between the ages of 18 and 25, organized into three teams of five. It must also recruit, select, and train three team leaders who will supervise these teams and serve as the primary point of contact with NPS staff. The corps must run a strong safety program to reduce risks tied to travel, field operations, and job-related illness, reflecting the reality that this work involves tools, chemicals, field hazards, and variable weather conditions. Operationally, the organization will travel with one or more teams up to 25 times per year to different national parks to complete vegetation management projects. It will provide vehicles and equipment needed for the work, and it will also cover basic crew support while deployed in parks, including housing and meals.
NPS, in turn, plays a substantial and active role, which is typical of a cooperative agreement (as opposed to a standard grant where federal involvement is usually lighter). Before fieldwork begins, NPS provides introductory training on the NPS mission so participants understand the agency context and stewardship responsibilities. NPS also provides hands-on instruction in invasive plant identification and equipment use, including GPS operation, and supplies six GPS units along with technical support for their use and maintenance. To keep monitoring and reporting consistent across remote sites, NPS maintains an FTP site for uploading field data, supporting the program's data flow from parks back to managers and coordinators.
Career exposure is built into the project in a structured way. NPS commits to delivering at least five career talks, with presenters representing a range of park professions: natural resource management, cultural resource management, interpretation, law enforcement, and administration. When possible, a park superintendent may also speak with the crew, offering participants a higher-level view of how parks are run and how priorities are set. Beyond group presentations, the agreement includes individualized professional development: an NPS employee will provide one hour of one-on-one job counseling to at least six crew members, giving participants a direct chance to ask questions about career pathways, hiring, and skill-building. For each project location, an NPS employee will also brief the crew on the specific resource issues and management decisions that led to the work being assigned there, reinforcing the educational goal that field tasks are connected to broader ecological and policy choices.
On the operational side, NPS and the partner are expected to coordinate scheduling closely to reduce costs and maximize productivity while protecting safety, morale, and crew welfare. NPS also contributes significant in-kind and technical resources to enable work to happen efficiently inside parks: where available, the agency will provide trucks, UTVs, portable sprayers, herbicide, mechanical equipment, designated work areas, and locations for camping or lodging. NPS will guide restoration methods and herbicide selection, and the Heartland Invasive Plant Program manager (or designee) will help design project specifications that align with both park needs and partner capacity. Fieldwork is described broadly to include invasive plant control, prescribed burning, wildfire control support, and general maintenance, with NPS staff working cooperatively alongside crew members during implementation.
The announcement also makes clear that NPS retains strong oversight and decision authority as conditions change. NPS will decide where crews are most needed based on real-time factors such as weather, emergencies like wildfire, the status of invasive plant projects, prescribed fire timing windows, and availability of park staff. If any work fails to meet specifications, particularly around herbicide use, effectiveness, resource impacts, or safety practices, NPS can stop the project. Finally, NPS will review and approve any proposed modifications or sub-grants before they are awarded, reinforcing that this is a closely managed partnership rather than an open-ended pass-through of funds.
Key administrative details include an award ceiling of up to $1,000,000 and an expectation of one award. The opportunity is categorized under education, employment/labor and training, environment, and natural resources, and it is listed under CFDA 15.931. The posting shows a creation date of August 9, 2016, with an original closing date of August 19, 2016, but the "not a request for applications" language is the most important point for would-be applicants: eligibility is not broadly competitive here, because the project is built around a pre-existing master agreement and a specifically identified recipient.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is this funding opportunity open for applications from the public?
No. The notice repeatedly states "THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS," which means it is not an open, competitive opportunity for outside applicants to submit proposals.
Why does the notice say it is not a request for applications?
Because the announcement documents the National Park Service (NPS) intent to fund a defined partnership rather than solicit applications. It is tied to an existing relationship and a pre-existing agreement authorizing specific work.
Who is the intended recipient of this cooperative agreement?
The Conservation Corps of Minnesota and Iowa is identified as the recipient because it already holds a Master Cooperative Agreement (P15AC00009) that authorizes it to carry out specific tasks for NPS.
What is the funding opportunity number?
The funding opportunity is NPS NOIP14AC00631.
What type of award is this?
This is a discretionary cooperative agreement issued by the Department of the Interior through the National Park Service.
How is a cooperative agreement different from a typical grant in this notice?
The notice describes substantial NPS involvement in planning, training, equipment support, oversight, scheduling, technical guidance, and decision-making, which is characteristic of a cooperative agreement.
What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling is up to $1,000,000.
How many awards does NPS expect to make?
The notice indicates an expectation of one award.
What is the CFDA number listed for this opportunity?
The opportunity is listed under CFDA 15.931.
When was this opportunity posted and when did it close?
The posting shows a creation date of August 9, 2016, with an original closing date of August 19, 2016.
What is the overall purpose of this agreement?
To support youth education, job training, and hands-on natural resource work focused on vegetation management and ecological restoration across national parks in the Heartland Inventory and Monitoring Network.
Where will the work take place?
The work is intended to occur across fifteen National Park Service units within the Heartland Inventory and Monitoring Network.
What are the five main goals of the project?
The goals described are: (1) provide young adults meaningful work opportunities inside national parks; (2) expose participants to conservation and natural resource management careers; (3) educate participants about how parks make and implement management decisions; (4) control invasive plants, including public nuisance species and state/federally listed noxious weeds; and (5) restore plant communities using tools such as prescribed fire, vegetation removal, and planting.
What kind of on-the-ground work is included?
Fieldwork is described broadly to include invasive plant control, prescribed burning, wildfire control support, restoration activities (including vegetation removal and planting), and general maintenance associated with vegetation management and ecological restoration.
Does the project specifically address invasive plants?
Yes. A central project focus is invasive plant control, including species considered a public nuisance and those listed as noxious weeds under state or federal law.
What land-management tools are emphasized for restoration?
The notice highlights prescribed fire, vegetation removal, and planting as core tools used to restore plant communities.
Who recruits and manages the youth corps participants?
The Conservation Corps of Minnesota and Iowa is responsible for recruiting, selecting, and training the youth interns and team leaders.
How many youth interns are planned, and what are the age requirements?
The agreement calls for 15 youth interns between the ages of 18 and 25.
How are the youth interns organized?
The 15 interns are organized into three teams of five.
How many team leaders are included, and what is their role?
Three team leaders are to be recruited, selected, and trained. They supervise the teams and serve as the primary point of contact with NPS staff.
How often will crews travel to parks each year?
The organization is expected to travel with one or more teams up to 25 times per year to different national parks to complete vegetation management projects.
Who provides vehicles and equipment for the crews?
The Conservation Corps of Minnesota and Iowa provides vehicles and equipment needed for the work, and NPS may also provide certain equipment and vehicles where available.
Who covers housing and meals while crews are deployed?
The Conservation Corps of Minnesota and Iowa covers basic crew support during deployments, including housing and meals.
What safety expectations are described for this work?
The partner is expected to run a strong safety program to reduce risks associated with travel, field operations, and job-related illness. The notice notes that the work involves tools, chemicals, field hazards, and variable weather conditions.
What training does NPS provide before or during fieldwork?
NPS provides introductory training on the NPS mission and hands-on instruction in invasive plant identification and equipment use, including GPS operation.
Does NPS provide GPS units or technical support?
Yes. NPS supplies six GPS units and provides technical support for their use and maintenance.
How is field data shared or reported back to NPS?
NPS maintains an FTP site for uploading field data to support consistent monitoring and reporting across remote sites.
What career exposure opportunities are included for participants?
NPS commits to delivering at least five career talks featuring park professions such as natural resource management, cultural resource management, interpretation, law enforcement, and administration. When possible, a park superintendent may also speak with the crew.
Is one-on-one career counseling included?
Yes. An NPS employee will provide one hour of one-on-one job counseling to at least six crew members.
Will participants learn why specific projects are chosen at each park?
Yes. For each project location, an NPS employee will brief the crew on the specific resource issues and management decisions that led to the work being assigned there.
How do NPS and the partner coordinate schedules and deployments?
The notice indicates they are expected to coordinate scheduling closely to reduce costs and maximize productivity while protecting safety, morale, and crew welfare.
What in-kind or technical resources may NPS provide in the parks?
Where available, NPS may provide trucks, UTVs, portable sprayers, herbicide, mechanical equipment, designated work areas, and locations for camping or lodging, along with technical guidance on restoration methods and herbicide selection.
Who designs or guides the project specifications for invasive plant work?
The Heartland Invasive Plant Program manager (or designee) helps design project specifications so they align with park needs and partner capacity, and NPS guides restoration methods and herbicide selection.
Who decides which parks or sites receive crew support at a given time?
NPS retains decision authority to direct crews to where they are most needed based on real-time factors such as weather, wildfire or other emergencies, invasive plant project status, prescribed fire timing windows, and availability of park staff.
Can NPS stop work if requirements are not met?
Yes. The notice states that if work fails to meet specifications, particularly regarding herbicide use, effectiveness, resource impacts, or safety practices, NPS can stop the project.
Are modifications or sub-grants allowed without NPS involvement?
No. NPS will review and approve any proposed modifications or sub-grants before they are awarded, reflecting the closely managed nature of the partnership.
What broad topic areas does this opportunity fall under?
The opportunity is categorized under education, employment/labor and training, environment, and natural resources.
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