Opportunity Information: Apply for P15AC00686
Apply for P15AC00686
- The National Park Service in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Marine Debris Education, Outreach and Cleanup in Kotzebue Sound Communities" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.931 Conservation Activities by Youth Service Organizations.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jun 5, 2015 and posted on Jun 5, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 14, 2015. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $20,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $40,000.00 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).
- This is a notice of intent to award to Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies.
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Opportunity Summary:
This opportunity, titled "Marine Debris Education, Outreach and Cleanup in Kotzebue Sound Communities" (Funding Announcement Number P15AC00686), is a National Park Service (NPS) notice of intent to award rather than an open call for applications. In other words, it is not requesting proposals from the public; it is publicly announcing NPS plans to make a single award without full and open competition. The planned award is a new cooperative agreement (not a continuation) authorized under 54 USC 101702(a) and listed under CFDA 15.931, "Conservation Activities by Youth Service Organizations." The anticipated period of performance runs from July 1, 2015 through September 30, 2016. NPS identified one expected award, with an anticipated federal amount of $16,000 and a cost share of $4,000, for a total project value of $20,000 (with an announced award ceiling of $40,000 and floor of $1). The intended recipient is the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies (CACS), with Beth Trowbridge as the principal investigator/program manager for CACS and Peter Neitlich serving as the NPS point of contact.
The project is framed around a practical problem specific to northwest Alaska: marine debris moves widely across shorelines and cannot be addressed effectively by cleaning only isolated sites. NPS had already started removing marine debris from Bering Land Bridge National Preserve and Cape Krusenstern National Monument, but the agency emphasized that lasting results require a regional strategy that also targets nearby coastal communities that can be significant sources or accumulation points for debris. The effort is therefore designed as a partnership between NPS (noted as NPS WEAR, referring to the Western Arctic parklands) and CACS, leveraging CACS experience delivering education programs across Alaska. The overall purpose is to reduce marine debris in Alaskan seas by combining hands-on cleanup with education and outreach that connect the issue to community priorities, including subsistence use, food safety, and wildlife health.
The joint objectives and project activities are laid out in four main tracks. First, NPS and CACS plan to support cleanup of roughly 250 miles of coastline within Bering Land Bridge National Preserve and Cape Krusenstern National Monument. Second, they plan to coordinate local community cleanups in Shishmaref, Wales, Deering, Kotzebue, Kivalina, Kiana, and Ambler, recognizing these communities as adjacent to the Western Arctic National Parklands and as key stakeholders because NPS lands in the region are heavily used for subsistence activities. The announcement stresses that because debris travels, removing it from village shorelines and nearby areas benefits multiple parties at once, including tribes, Native corporations, NPS, and other state and federal agencies. Third, the program includes school-based education and outreach campaigns that run alongside cleanup work, with a specific emphasis on food safety and wildlife health impacts linked to marine debris. Fourth, it includes a youth media component: students will be mentored in videography and supported in producing two to four youth-made videos on marine debris and marine ecosystem health, with the intent to share these through social media and to present them at the Alaska Forum on the Environment and potentially other conferences.
CACS responsibilities focus heavily on education delivery and community engagement. CACS is expected to develop a customized version of its existing statewide marine debris curriculum tailored for northwest Alaska, incorporating Kotzebue Sound-specific wildlife examples and explicitly connecting debris to local concerns like subsistence hunting practices and food safety. CACS will also deliver school programs and conduct community cleanups in August and September 2015 in Shishmaref, Wales, Deering, Kotzebue, and Kivalina, with the possibility of expanding to Ambler, Kiana, and other nearby villages if cost savings or additional funding become available. In addition, CACS will work directly with Kotzebue Sound schools to facilitate development of the youth videos and will participate in NPS-sponsored cleanups on NPS lands when practical.
NPS responsibilities center on coordinating the large-scale cleanup operations and providing on-the-ground support that helps make remote logistics feasible. NPS will lead the broader marine debris removal effort on park lands and will work jointly with CACS to plan for the removal and disposition of debris collected through school and community cleanups, reinforcing the idea that village cleanups and park cleanups are connected parts of a regional approach. NPS will also help coordinate with community leaders, Native councils, and schools by making introductions and supporting joint programming, and NPS and CACS will present updates at community and Native association meetings to keep stakeholders informed about cleanup progress and statewide marine debris efforts. NPS will also collaborate with CACS on presenting youth videos and youth program outcomes at the Alaska Forum on the Environment. Finally, NPS will provide practical logistical support to CACS staff, including items such as housing, vehicle use, and airport shuttles.
The notice also explains why NPS is proceeding with a single-source award rather than a competitive process. Under Department of the Interior single-source policy (505 DM 2), NPS cited the "Unique Qualifications" justification. The agency states that CACS is, at the time of the announcement, the only organization in Alaska running a focused, statewide youth and community education program specifically paired with marine debris cleanups. While other groups and citizen organizations work on marine debris, NPS emphasizes CACS unique capacity to create and deliver school-based programming at scale and its track record of linking education with effective regional cleanup action spanning communities, conservation units, and other land ownerships. NPS reports it consulted with the NOAA Marine Debris Program, the Alaska SeaLife Center, and Gulf of Alaska Keepers, and concluded those entities did not have the interest or capacity to conduct the described programming during that fiscal year, even though such capacity could potentially be developed elsewhere over time.
Key administrative details included in the posting are that it was categorized as discretionary funding with an education activity category, posted June 5, 2015, and carried an original and current closing date of June 14, 2015, with an archive date of July 14, 2015. The announcement lists Peter Neitlich (Acting Chief of Natural Resources/Ecologist) as the NPS point of contact for the project, and it provides an additional contact for access issues (Erica Cordeiro, Agreements Specialist). Overall, the project is essentially a combined cleanup-and-learning initiative aimed at reducing marine debris impacts in Kotzebue Sound by pairing direct shoreline removal with locally relevant education, community organizing, and youth-created communications that can carry the message beyond the immediate cleanup events.
FAQs: Marine Debris Education, Outreach and Cleanup in Kotzebue Sound Communities (P15AC00686)
Is this an open grant opportunity where the public can apply?
No. This posting is a National Park Service (NPS) notice of intent to award, not an open solicitation. It publicly announces NPS plans to make a single award without full and open competition, and it is not requesting proposals from the public.
What is the official title and funding announcement number?
The title is "Marine Debris Education, Outreach and Cleanup in Kotzebue Sound Communities" and the Funding Announcement Number is P15AC00686.
Which agency is issuing this notice?
The notice is issued by the National Park Service (NPS).
What type of award is planned?
NPS plans to make a new cooperative agreement (not a continuation).
What is the legal authority and program listing for the award?
The planned cooperative agreement is authorized under 54 USC 101702(a) and is listed under CFDA 15.931, "Conservation Activities by Youth Service Organizations."
Who is the intended recipient of the award?
The intended recipient is the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies (CACS).
Who are the key contacts named in the notice?
The notice identifies Beth Trowbridge as the principal investigator/program manager for CACS and Peter Neitlich (Acting Chief of Natural Resources/Ecologist) as the NPS point of contact. It also lists Erica Cordeiro as an additional contact for access issues (Agreements Specialist).
Why is NPS using a single-source approach instead of a competitive process?
NPS cites the Department of the Interior single-source policy (505 DM 2) under the "Unique Qualifications" justification. NPS states that CACS was the only organization in Alaska running a focused, statewide youth and community education program specifically paired with marine debris cleanups at the time of the announcement.
Did NPS consult with other organizations before deciding on CACS?
Yes. NPS reports consulting with the NOAA Marine Debris Program, the Alaska SeaLife Center, and Gulf of Alaska Keepers, and concluded those entities did not have the interest or capacity to conduct the described programming during that fiscal year.
What is the project period of performance?
The anticipated period of performance is July 1, 2015 through September 30, 2016.
How much funding is anticipated?
NPS anticipates a federal amount of $16,000 with a cost share of $4,000, for a total project value of $20,000.
Is there an award ceiling or floor stated in the notice?
Yes. The announced award ceiling is $40,000 and the floor is $1.
What is the overall purpose of the project?
The purpose is to reduce marine debris in Alaskan seas by combining hands-on cleanup with education and outreach tied to community priorities, including subsistence use, food safety, and wildlife health.
What problem is the project trying to solve in northwest Alaska?
The notice explains that marine debris moves widely across shorelines, so cleaning isolated sites is not enough. It frames the work as requiring a regional strategy that addresses both NPS lands and nearby coastal communities that can be sources or accumulation points for debris.
Which NPS park units are specifically mentioned for cleanup work?
The notice specifically mentions Bering Land Bridge National Preserve and Cape Krusenstern National Monument.
How much coastline is targeted for cleanup on NPS lands?
The project plans to support cleanup of roughly 250 miles of coastline within Bering Land Bridge National Preserve and Cape Krusenstern National Monument.
Which communities are named for local community cleanups?
The notice names Shishmaref, Wales, Deering, Kotzebue, Kivalina, Kiana, and Ambler.
Are all named communities included in the initial cleanup schedule?
The notice states that CACS will conduct community cleanups in August and September 2015 in Shishmaref, Wales, Deering, Kotzebue, and Kivalina, with the possibility of expanding to Ambler, Kiana, and other nearby villages if cost savings or additional funding become available.
What education and outreach activities are included?
The program includes school-based education and outreach campaigns that run alongside cleanup work, with an emphasis on food safety and wildlife health impacts linked to marine debris.
What is the youth media component described in the notice?
Students will be mentored in videography and supported in producing two to four youth-made videos on marine debris and marine ecosystem health. The intent is to share the videos through social media and present them at the Alaska Forum on the Environment and potentially other conferences.
What curriculum work is CACS expected to do?
CACS is expected to develop a customized version of its existing statewide marine debris curriculum tailored for northwest Alaska. The notice says it should incorporate Kotzebue Sound-specific wildlife examples and explicitly connect debris to local concerns like subsistence hunting practices and food safety.
What are CACS's main responsibilities under this cooperative agreement?
CACS responsibilities focus on education delivery and community engagement. This includes developing the customized curriculum, delivering school programs, conducting community cleanups (noted for August and September 2015 in specific villages), working with Kotzebue Sound schools on youth videos, and participating in NPS-sponsored cleanups on NPS lands when practical.
What are NPS's main responsibilities under the project?
NPS responsibilities include leading the broader marine debris removal effort on park lands, coordinating removal and disposition of debris collected through school and community cleanups, helping coordinate with community leaders/Native councils/schools (including introductions and joint programming support), presenting updates at community and Native association meetings, collaborating on presenting youth videos and outcomes at the Alaska Forum on the Environment, and providing logistical support to CACS staff (such as housing, vehicle use, and airport shuttles).
How are village cleanups and park cleanups connected in the project design?
The notice emphasizes that debris travels and that removing it from village shorelines and nearby areas benefits multiple parties (including tribes, Native corporations, NPS, and other agencies). NPS and CACS plan jointly for removal and disposition of debris collected through both community and school cleanups as part of a regional approach.
What does "NPS WEAR" refer to in this notice?
The notice uses "NPS WEAR" to refer to the Western Arctic parklands.
How is this opportunity categorized administratively?
The posting is categorized as discretionary funding with an education activity category.
When was the notice posted and what dates were listed for closing and archiving?
The notice was posted on June 5, 2015. It lists an original and current closing date of June 14, 2015, and an archive date of July 14, 2015.
Does the posting indicate whether this is a continuation award?
It explicitly describes the planned award as new (not a continuation).
What stakeholders are specifically mentioned as benefiting from or being involved in the work?
The notice highlights nearby coastal communities as key stakeholders and notes benefits to tribes, Native corporations, NPS, and other state and federal agencies. It also describes coordination with community leaders, Native councils, schools, and updates at community and Native association meetings.
Where are project results expected to be shared publicly?
The notice states the youth-made videos are intended for sharing through social media and presentation at the Alaska Forum on the Environment, with the possibility of other conferences as well.
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