Opportunity Information: Apply for P14AS00052
Apply for P14AS00052
- The National Park Service in the community development education employment, labor and training environment natural resources regional development science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Connect Visitors to the Historic Landscape through Restoration of the Core Battlefield at Palo Alto Battlefield NHP" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.945 Cooperative Research and Training Programs Resources of the National Park System.
- This funding opportunity was created on Mar 31, 2014 and posted on Mar 31, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 14, 2014. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $170,799.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $170,799.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.
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Opportunity Summary:
This grant notice is a National Park Service (NPS) "Notice of Intent to Award," meaning it is not open for applications and is being published mainly to document that NPS plans to fund a specific partner without full competition. The project is titled "Connect Visitors to the Historic Landscape through Restoration of the Core Battlefield at Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park (NHP)," and it focuses on restoring the park's most historically significant battlefield landscape so visitors can better understand and experience the setting of the 1846 Battle of Palo Alto, the first major battle of the U.S.-Mexico War. The work targets the park's coastal prairie and a key resaca feature (an old river channel) that influenced troop movement and battle line placement, but whose appearance and function were altered by decades of agriculture, ranching, and drainage modifications.
The award is a continuation under an existing Cooperative Agreement within the Rocky Mountain Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (RM-CESU) network, with Colorado State University (CSU) serving as the recipient and Dr. David Cooper as the principal investigator/program manager. The anticipated federal funding amount is $170,799 with no cost share requirement, using a cooperative agreement instrument (CFDA 15.945, Cooperative Research and Training Programs/CESUs). The announcement cites the single-source justification as "Continuation," explaining that competing the work would disrupt continuity and completion of an ongoing effort that has already produced key supporting studies needed to finalize a restoration approach. The performance period is scheduled from the award date through 12/31/2017. The NPS point of contact listed is June Zastrow.
The underlying problem the project addresses is that the core battlefield landscape still retains some natural characteristics, but human-made drainage and earthmoving features remain highly visible and distracting. Past landowners dug more than 8,000 linear feet of ditches along resaca margins, drained water into two stock ponds excavated in the channel, and piled dredged soil into levee-like berms and mounds. While buildings and debris have been removed, these remaining alterations are still prominent to visitors walking interpretive trails and looking out from the battlefield overlook. Because Palo Alto Battlefield NHP was established to preserve and interpret this historic scene, the altered topography, hydrology, and vegetation reduce the site's integrity and make it harder for the public to connect what they see today with the events of 1846.
A major deliverable of the project is practical, on-the-ground restoration aimed at re-creating the battlefield's historical and ecological conditions, especially the wet prairie dominated by gulf cordgrass (Spartina spartinae) and the hydrologic behavior of the Palo Alto Resaca. The restoration approach is grounded in prior technical studies that have already been completed to inform a final restoration design and revegetation plan. With those investigations finished, the project moves into implementation: removing or reshaping man-made features to return the resaca area to pre-disturbance contours, restoring hydrologic function, and reestablishing native vegetation at a scale large enough to visually and ecologically transform the core battlefield area.
CSU's responsibilities are centered on plant propagation, planting logistics, and scientific monitoring. CSU will establish a small on-site plant nursery at the park, coordinate with the Natural Resources Conservation Service Plant Materials Center (NRCS PMC) to produce approximately 40,000 S. spartinae "splits" (divisions) grown in cone-tainers, transport them to the park, and manage their grow-out in the new nursery. CSU will also work with park staff to set up cordgrass production rows using both existing plants and container stock, creating a longer-term source of plant material for future restoration and maintenance. In addition, CSU will help establish a watering system to support those nursery rows, design and install a hydrologic and vegetation monitoring network, and begin tracking conditions before and after restoration to measure outcomes. Finally, CSU will plan and supervise installation of the 40,000 cordgrass plants in the core battlefield area and complete the required reports and deliverables specified in the cooperative agreement.
NPS involvement is described as substantial, which is a key reason a cooperative agreement (rather than a more hands-off grant) is used. Palo Alto Battlefield NHP staff and NPS Water Resources Division (WRD) staff will collaborate closely with CSU and NRCS throughout the first year of work to ensure the restoration aligns with park resource management goals, visitor safety/protection needs, and cultural resource protection requirements. NPS will participate in supervising earthwork to remove the artificial levees and ponds and to re-contour the resaca according to design specifications, while also ensuring consistency with archaeological objectives. NPS will also participate in supervising revegetation activities (including coordination on NRCS plant production and park nursery development), issue any required park permits, coordinate and oversee the project broadly, and review and approve reports and deliverables.
The notice also highlights the compliance framework that NPS must manage as part of implementing restoration in a sensitive natural and cultural landscape. NPS will be responsible for meeting requirements under NEPA, the National Historic Preservation Act, Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, the Endangered Species Act, and NPS wetland protection policy (Directors Order 77-1). These compliance responsibilities reflect that the project is not just landscaping; it involves wetland hydrology, earthmoving, and work in a nationally significant historic setting where both ecological function and cultural resources need to be protected.
In practical terms, the opportunity is best understood as a targeted, non-competitive continuation award to carry a battlefield landscape restoration effort from planning and study into implementation. The end goal is to remove modern visual and hydrologic disruptions, reestablish native wet prairie vegetation dominated by gulf cordgrass, restore the resaca's form and function, and put monitoring in place so the park can document improvements over time. By restoring the physical landscape that shaped the battle, the project is designed to improve interpretation and visitor experience, making it easier for people on the trails and overlook to read the terrain and understand how the setting influenced one of the opening engagements of the U.S.-Mexico War.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is this grant opportunity open for applications?
No. This is a National Park Service (NPS) "Notice of Intent to Award," which means it is not open for applications. It is published primarily to document NPS's plan to fund a specific partner without full competition.
What type of award is being used?
The funding is planned as a cooperative agreement (CFDA 15.945, Cooperative Research and Training Programs/CESUs). A cooperative agreement is used when the federal agency expects to be substantially involved in the work, rather than providing hands-off grant funding.
Who is the intended recipient of the award?
Colorado State University (CSU) is the intended recipient, under an existing Cooperative Agreement within the Rocky Mountain Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (RM-CESU) network.
Who is the principal investigator or program manager?
Dr. David Cooper is listed as the principal investigator/program manager for CSU.
Why is this being awarded without full competition?
The notice cites a single-source justification of "Continuation." It explains that competing the work would disrupt continuity and completion of an ongoing effort that has already produced key supporting studies needed to finalize a restoration approach.
How much federal funding is anticipated?
The anticipated federal funding amount is $170,799.
Is a cost share or match required?
No cost share requirement is listed for this award.
What is the project title?
"Connect Visitors to the Historic Landscape through Restoration of the Core Battlefield at Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park (NHP)."
Where will the project take place?
The project will take place at Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park (NHP).
What historic event is this project focused on?
The restoration is intended to help visitors better understand and experience the setting of the 1846 Battle of Palo Alto, the first major battle of the U.S.-Mexico War.
What is the main purpose of the project?
The project’s purpose is to restore the park’s most historically significant battlefield landscape so visitors can better interpret and connect what they see today with the events of 1846.
What parts of the landscape are being targeted for restoration?
The work targets the park’s coastal prairie and a key resaca feature (an old river channel) that influenced troop movement and battle line placement.
What problems in the landscape is the project trying to fix?
The notice explains that human-made drainage and earthmoving features remain highly visible and distracting, reducing the site’s integrity. Past land uses altered topography, hydrology, and vegetation, which makes it harder for visitors to read the historic terrain.
What specific past alterations are described in the notice?
The notice describes more than 8,000 linear feet of ditches dug along resaca margins, drainage into two stock ponds excavated in the channel, and dredged soil piled into levee-like berms and mounds. Even after removal of buildings and debris, these alterations remain prominent.
What is a major deliverable of the project?
A major deliverable is practical, on-the-ground restoration aimed at re-creating historical and ecological conditions, particularly the wet prairie dominated by gulf cordgrass (Spartina spartinae) and the hydrologic behavior of the Palo Alto Resaca.
What restoration actions are planned on the ground?
The project is expected to move from prior studies into implementation, including removing or reshaping man-made features, returning the resaca area to pre-disturbance contours, restoring hydrologic function, and reestablishing native vegetation at a visually and ecologically meaningful scale.
How is the restoration approach being developed?
The notice states the restoration approach is grounded in prior technical studies that have already been completed to inform a final restoration design and revegetation plan.
What role will CSU play in the project?
CSU’s responsibilities focus on plant propagation, planting logistics, and scientific monitoring. CSU will establish a small on-site plant nursery, coordinate production of planting material, manage grow-out, plan and supervise installation, and complete required reporting and deliverables under the cooperative agreement.
How many plants are planned for production and installation?
The notice specifies approximately 40,000 Spartina spartinae (gulf cordgrass) "splits" (divisions) grown in cone-tainers, to be transported to the park and ultimately installed in the core battlefield area.
What other partners are mentioned in plant production?
The Natural Resources Conservation Service Plant Materials Center (NRCS PMC) is specifically mentioned as a partner in producing the cordgrass planting material.
Will there be an on-site nursery at the park?
Yes. CSU will establish a small on-site plant nursery at the park and manage the grow-out of planting material there.
Does the project include longer-term plant material production for future work?
Yes. CSU will work with park staff to set up cordgrass production rows using both existing plants and container stock to create a longer-term source of plant material for future restoration and maintenance.
Will the project include irrigation or watering support for the nursery?
Yes. CSU will help establish a watering system to support the nursery rows.
Does the project include monitoring to measure results?
Yes. CSU will design and install a hydrologic and vegetation monitoring network and begin tracking conditions before and after restoration to measure outcomes.
What does "substantial NPS involvement" mean in this notice?
It means NPS staff are expected to collaborate closely on planning and implementation rather than simply providing funds. The notice describes active NPS participation in supervising earthwork and revegetation activities, coordinating permits, overseeing the project, and reviewing and approving reports and deliverables.
Which NPS groups are specifically mentioned as being involved?
Palo Alto Battlefield NHP staff and NPS Water Resources Division (WRD) staff are specifically identified as collaborating with CSU and NRCS throughout the first year of work.
What types of earthwork are mentioned?
The notice describes earthwork to remove artificial levees and ponds and to re-contour the resaca according to design specifications, with attention to archaeological objectives.
Will permits be required for project work inside the park?
The notice indicates NPS will issue any required park permits as part of coordinating and overseeing the project.
What compliance requirements are highlighted?
NPS will be responsible for meeting requirements under NEPA, the National Historic Preservation Act, Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, the Endangered Species Act, and NPS wetland protection policy (Directors Order 77-1).
Why does the project involve so much compliance work?
The notice emphasizes this is not just landscaping. It involves wetland hydrology, earthmoving, and work in a nationally significant historic setting where ecological function and cultural resources must be protected.
What is the scheduled performance period?
The performance period is scheduled from the award date through 12/31/2017.
What is the overall outcome the project is trying to achieve for visitors?
The project aims to remove modern visual and hydrologic disruptions so visitors on trails and at the battlefield overlook can more easily read the terrain and understand how the landscape influenced the 1846 battle.
Who is the NPS point of contact listed in the notice?
The NPS point of contact listed is June Zastrow.
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