Monitoring Protocols for Horse Trails and River Use Activities at Ozark NSR | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

The National Park Service posted a discretionary funding opportunity titled "Monitoring Protocols for Horse Trails and River Use Activities at Ozark NSR" (Funding Opportunity Number NPS NOI OZAR 10 0028) to support the development of practical, repeatable monitoring methods for recreation impacts at Ozark National Scenic Riverways. Issued as a Notice of Intent for a cooperative agreement under the Natural Resources funding activity category, the announcement describes a two-phase project aimed at strengthening the park's ability to track, understand, and manage visitor-created trail networks and river-based recreation patterns over time. The work is designed not only to be implemented directly at Ozark National Scenic Riverways, but also to produce monitoring templates that other nearby National Park Service units could adapt for similar resource protection and visitor-use challenges.

The first phase focuses on informal horse trails, meaning routes created or expanded by visitors rather than formally planned, built, and maintained by the park. In this phase, the project would systematically locate and identify these unofficial equestrian trails within the park, document existing conditions, and then translate that information into a formal trail monitoring protocol. In practical terms, this implies developing a standardized approach that park staff can use consistently across seasons and years, including what indicators to measure (for example, trail proliferation, width, vegetation loss, soil exposure, erosion, muddiness, or other site-specific impact signs), how to record them, and how often monitoring should occur to detect change. The emphasis on a protocol matters because it turns one-time data collection into an ongoing management tool, allowing trends to be tracked and helping managers decide when education, maintenance, reroutes, closures, or restoration might be necessary.

The second phase shifts to river use on the Jacks Fork and Current Rivers, two signature waterways within Ozark National Scenic Riverways. This phase would conduct observational research to document the types of use occurring on the rivers and the levels of use, essentially building a picture of who is using the river, how they are using it, and at what intensity. Alongside observation, the project also proposes measuring visitor perceptions of their experience through a visitor survey, with the important caveat that the survey component is pending Office of Management and Budget approval (a common federal requirement for collecting standardized information from the public). Together, the observation work and survey results are intended to link on-the-ground use patterns with the social side of recreation management, such as crowding perceptions, satisfaction, conflict between user groups, and the overall character of the visitor experience the park is trying to protect.

Structurally, the opportunity anticipated a single award and stated there was no cost-sharing or matching requirement. The estimated total funding amount was $103,944, and the instrument type was a cooperative agreement, which typically signals a collaborative relationship where the agency expects to be substantially involved in the project during performance rather than simply providing funds with minimal engagement. The posting date and creation date were both April 13, 2010, with an original and current closing date of April 23, 2010, and an archive date of May 23, 2010. The award ceiling and floor were both listed as $0, which is sometimes used in older postings when the agency does not want to specify formal limits in that particular field even though an estimated total amount is provided elsewhere.

Eligibility was not broadly competitive in the usual sense because this notice functioned as a single-source intent to award through the Great Rivers Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) to Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. The justification provided emphasizes the chosen principal investigator's specialized qualifications and fit for the work, including a background as a recreational ecologist with strong experience in identifying recreation-related impacts and designing monitoring approaches for those impacts. The notice also highlights that the investigator has worked on assessing and monitoring informal, visitor-created trails in national park settings and has experience evaluating visitor-education techniques intended to reduce off-trail travel impacts. A key part of the rationale is that the investigator would collaborate with Dr. Ken Chilman to recreate and build upon earlier observational work at Ozark National Scenic Riverways, connecting new data collection with a longer historical research foundation at the park. The announcement notes that it is uncommon to find a lead researcher equally capable across physical and social science methods, which is presented as a major reason this investigator and institution were selected for the task agreement.

Overall, the grant opportunity centers on giving Ozark National Scenic Riverways a durable set of tools for monitoring recreation pressures: a field-ready protocol for documenting and tracking informal horse trail conditions, and a combined observation-and-survey approach for understanding river use levels and visitor experience. By producing protocols that can be repeated and adapted, the project is framed as applied science for day-to-day management, with results intended to help the park respond to resource impacts while also keeping an eye on the quality of recreation experiences on both trails and rivers. For access issues or additional assistance, the announcement lists a National Park Service contact: Tonya Bradley, Contract Specialist, with a phone number of 402-661-1656 (Help Desk).

Browse more opportunities from the same agency: National Park Service

Browse more opportunities from the same category: Natural Resources

Next opportunity: RECOVERY ACT Yaquina Head Outstand Natural Area Wayside Exhibits

Previous opportunity: International Neuroscience Fellowship (F05)

USGrants.org Applicant Portal:

Are you interested in learning about about how to apply for this government funding opportunity? You can create a free applicant account and receive instant access to our applicant portal that many business owners like you have benefited from.

Apply for NPS NOI OZAR 10 0028

 

[Watch] how do funding administrators access proposals?

Applicants also applied for:

Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (NPS NOI OZAR 10 0028) also looked into and applied for these:

 

Grant application guides and resources

It is always free to apply for government grants. However the process may be very complex depending on the funding opportunity you are applying for. Let us help you!

Apply for Grants

 

 

Premium leads for funding administrators, grant writers, and loan issuers

Thousands of people visit our website for their funding needs every day. When a user creates a grant proposal and files for submission, we pass the information on to funding administrators, grant writers, and government loan issuers.

If you manage government grant programs, provide grant writing services, or issue personal or government loans, we can help you reach your audience.

Subscribe to Leads

 

Request more information:

Would you like to learn more about this funding opportunity, similar opportunities to "NPS NOI OZAR 10 0028", eligibility, application service, and/or application tips? Submit an inquiry below:

Don't forget to subscribe to our grant alerts mailing list to receive weekly alerts on new and updated grant funding opportunities like this one in your email.