Opportunity Information: Apply for P16AS00146

  • The DOI-NPS in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Notice of Intent: Identification and Assessment of Degraded Wetland Areas" 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 May 05, 2016 and posted on May 05, 2016.
  • Applicants must submit their applications by May 14, 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 $100,000.00 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, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
Apply for P16AS00146

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Opportunity Summary:

The Notice of Intent titled "Identification and Assessment of Degraded Wetland Areas" is a National Park Service (NPS) funding opportunity designed to help the agency systematically find, evaluate, and prioritize wetland restoration projects across NPS units in the Intermountain Region (IMR). A central problem the opportunity is trying to solve is that the NPS currently lacks a readily accessible, organized database of impacted or degraded wetland systems that could be quickly used when new funding becomes available, whether that funding comes from individual parks, regional or national NPS sources, or outside partners. This grant is meant to build the groundwork for changing that by establishing a repeatable process for identifying restoration candidates and making the results easy to discover and use in future funding cycles.

The project is intended to function as a prototype that can later be expanded beyond the Intermountain Region into a broader, Servicewide approach. The key deliverable is a prioritized list of wetland restoration opportunities within the IMR, paired with cost estimates, and structured in a way that it can be housed in and accessed through a regional database. In practical terms, the work is not only about locating degraded wetlands, but also about creating a defensible, consistent method for inventorying them, assessing their condition and restoration potential, comparing sites against each other, and packaging the results so decision-makers can act quickly when money becomes available. By emphasizing prioritization and estimated costs, the NPS is signaling that it wants outputs that are immediately useful for planning, budgeting, and pursuing funding rather than a purely academic inventory.

A defining feature of this opportunity is its connection to the Rocky Mountains Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) and its explicit education and workforce development purpose. The recipient is expected to involve graduate students working alongside NPS staff. This is framed as a two-way benefit: the NPS gains capacity, analysis, and new perspectives while students gain hands-on experience with real restoration planning challenges in national parks. The public purpose statement makes the training objective very clear, emphasizing the transfer of knowledge and experience in environmental conservation, particularly wetland mitigation and restoration, to emerging professionals. The opportunity also highlights that students may carry this knowledge back to their communities, consider public land management careers, and contribute fresh thinking during the project and beyond.

Another major reason this project matters is that it is positioned as an early building block for a larger NPS effort related to wetland mitigation banking. The NPS Water Resources Division is developing a Service-wide wetland mitigation banking initiative, and the outcomes from this IMR prototype are intended to serve as a starting point for that broader initiative. The mitigation banking angle suggests the NPS is looking ahead to mechanisms that can bring in private sector resources and structured partnerships to fund restoration of degraded wetlands in parks. In other words, the database and prioritized project list are not just internal planning tools; they are also meant to make restoration opportunities clearer and more "fundable" in a future environment where partnerships and external financing may play a bigger role.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is issued by the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service (DOI-NPS), and uses a cooperative agreement as the funding instrument, which generally implies substantial involvement or collaboration with the federal agency during the project rather than a more hands-off grant. It is categorized under Natural Resources and is associated with CFDA number 15.945. Eligibility includes public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, with additional eligible categories referenced as "Others" depending on the details in the full eligibility clarification. The funding opportunity number is P16AS00146, it anticipated a single award, and it listed an award ceiling of $100,000. The posting and creation dates were May 5, 2016, with a closing date of May 14, 2016, indicating a short application window typical of certain CESU-related or targeted prototype efforts.

Overall, this Notice of Intent is about creating a practical, scalable system for identifying and ranking wetland restoration needs in the Intermountain Region, while simultaneously training graduate students through applied conservation work. The intended end state is a usable regional database and a credible pipeline of restoration projects with cost estimates, positioned to support future NPS funding requests and to help launch a Service-wide mitigation banking strategy that can attract outside investment and partnerships for restoring degraded wetlands in national parks.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the "Identification and Assessment of Degraded Wetland Areas" opportunity?

This is a National Park Service (NPS) funding opportunity (issued as a Notice of Intent) focused on systematically identifying, evaluating, and prioritizing degraded wetland areas for restoration within NPS units in the Intermountain Region (IMR).

What problem is this project trying to solve?

The NPS lacks a readily accessible, organized database of impacted or degraded wetland systems that can be quickly used when new funding becomes available. This opportunity is intended to create the groundwork for a repeatable process and an easy-to-use set of outputs that can support future funding decisions.

What is the main goal of the project?

The main goal is to create a defensible, consistent, and repeatable process to identify wetland restoration candidates, assess their condition and restoration potential, compare and prioritize sites, and package the results so they can be used quickly in future planning and funding cycles.

What region does this opportunity focus on?

The project focuses on NPS units within the Intermountain Region (IMR).

Is this meant to be a one-time effort or something that can be expanded?

It is intended to function as a prototype that can later be expanded beyond the Intermountain Region into a broader, Servicewide approach.

What are the expected deliverables?

The key deliverable is a prioritized list of wetland restoration opportunities within the IMR, paired with cost estimates, and structured so it can be housed in and accessed through a regional database.

Does the project involve creating a database?

Yes. A core purpose is to make wetland restoration candidates easy to discover and use by organizing results in a way that can be stored in and accessed through a regional database.

Is the project only about mapping wetlands?

No. It goes beyond locating degraded wetlands by emphasizing a consistent method for inventorying and assessing wetlands, evaluating restoration potential, prioritizing opportunities, and producing outputs that support budgeting and decision-making.

Why does the opportunity emphasize prioritization and cost estimates?

By requiring prioritization and estimated costs, the NPS is signaling that it wants outputs that are immediately useful for planning, budgeting, and pursuing funding, not just a descriptive or academic inventory.

How will the results be used by the NPS?

The intent is for decision-makers to be able to act quickly when funding becomes available, whether funding comes from individual parks, regional or national NPS sources, or outside partners.

How is this opportunity connected to the Rocky Mountains Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU)?

The opportunity is explicitly connected to the Rocky Mountains Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU), and it highlights education and workforce development as a central public purpose.

Is student participation required or expected?

Yes. The recipient is expected to involve graduate students working alongside NPS staff as part of the project.

What is the education and workforce development purpose?

The project is designed to transfer knowledge and experience in environmental conservation (including wetland mitigation and restoration) to emerging professionals through hands-on work with real restoration planning challenges in national parks.

How does the NPS benefit from involving graduate students?

As described, the NPS gains added capacity, analysis, and new perspectives. Students also contribute fresh thinking during the project and potentially beyond.

How do students benefit from participating?

Students gain practical experience working on real restoration planning challenges, and the opportunity suggests they may bring that experience back to their communities, consider public land management careers, and apply the knowledge in future conservation work.

How is this project related to wetland mitigation banking?

The outcomes from this IMR prototype are intended to serve as an early building block for a broader NPS effort. The NPS Water Resources Division is developing a Service-wide wetland mitigation banking initiative, and this project is positioned as a starting point for that effort.

Why does mitigation banking matter in the context of this opportunity?

The description suggests the NPS is looking ahead to mechanisms that may attract private sector resources and structured partnerships to fund restoration. A database and prioritized project list can make restoration opportunities clearer and more "fundable" in a future partnership-focused environment.

Which federal agency is issuing this funding opportunity?

It is issued by the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service (DOI-NPS).

What type of funding instrument is used?

The opportunity uses a cooperative agreement.

What does a cooperative agreement imply for this project?

As described, a cooperative agreement generally implies substantial involvement or collaboration with the federal agency during the project rather than a more hands-off grant structure.

What program area is this opportunity associated with?

It is categorized under Natural Resources.

What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?

The CFDA number associated with this opportunity is 15.945.

Who is eligible to apply based on the information provided?

Eligibility includes public and state-controlled institutions of higher education. Additional eligible categories are referenced as "Others" depending on the full eligibility clarification.

What is the funding opportunity number?

The funding opportunity number is P16AS00146.

How many awards were anticipated?

The opportunity anticipated a single award.

What is the maximum award amount mentioned?

The listed award ceiling is $100,000.

When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?

The posting and creation dates were May 5, 2016, and the closing date was May 14, 2016.

What does the short application window suggest?

The description notes that the short window is typical of certain CESU-related or targeted prototype efforts.

What does "IMR prototype" mean in practical terms?

It refers to an initial, region-specific approach for identifying and ranking wetland restoration opportunities that is designed to be repeatable and scalable, with the intention that it could later inform a broader, Servicewide method.

What is the intended end state of the project?

The intended end state is a usable regional database structure paired with a credible, prioritized pipeline of wetland restoration projects (including cost estimates) that can support future NPS funding requests and help launch a Service-wide mitigation banking strategy.

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