Opportunity Information: Apply for P14AS00023
Apply for P14AS00023
- The National Park Service in the environment health natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "WESTAR/WRAP Coordinate and Develop Products and Strategies of Mutual Interest on Western US Air Quality Issues" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.944 Natural Resource Stewardship.
- This funding opportunity was created on Feb 5, 2014 and posted on Feb 5, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 19, 2014. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.
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Opportunity Summary:
This opportunity, Funding Announcement P14AS00023, is a National Park Service (NPS) notice of intent to award a cooperative agreement to WESTAR/WRAP (Western States Air Resources Council / Western Regional Air Partnership) to coordinate and develop shared products, analyses, and strategies related to air quality issues across the western United States. It is explicitly not an open solicitation and not a request for applications. Instead, it serves as a public notice that NPS intends to continue funding an ongoing body of work without full and open competition, using task agreements under the cooperative agreement structure. The effort is positioned as a continuation of existing regional collaboration that helps NPS and partners better understand how air pollution forms, moves (transport), and affects both natural resources (including national parks) and human health (including park visitors and employees), while also supporting regional air quality planning needs, including National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) activities.
The core purpose of the agreement is to maintain and strengthen a long-running partnership around western air quality science and planning, particularly work that spans multiple states and agencies. The scope includes activities such as ambient air monitoring and data reporting, building and operating databases and data systems, developing emissions inventories, conducting air quality modeling to understand impacts and evaluate mitigation options, and creating outreach and education products that translate technical findings for stakeholders and the public. A key near-term emphasis described in the justification is continued coordination under a Three State Air Quality Study involving Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado, including monitoring and reporting and the development of a data warehouse intended to support NEPA reviews and other planning, with future modeling expected to draw on that warehouse.
WESTAR/WRAP is expected to play an active technical and coordination role rather than serving as a passive recipient. Responsibilities include partnering through cooperative agreements or contracts with other reputable organizations engaged in air quality technical and planning work, providing subject-matter expertise and project support for mutually identified priorities, offering basic administrative and clerical support where appropriate, and assisting with education and outreach to both stakeholders and the broader public. NPS anticipates substantial involvement as well, which is why the instrument is a cooperative agreement rather than a standard grant. NPS will provide financial assistance, engage collaboratively to advance and disseminate air quality understanding, contribute staff time with substantive participation in projects, provide basic administrative and clerical support as needed, and ensure federal ethics requirements are followed.
Governance and coordination are built into the agreement. NPS and WESTAR/WRAP jointly commit to coordinating research and education projects aligned with the agreement goals and to meeting at least twice per year to identify, discuss, and coordinate priority work. The award is described as a continuation, running from the date of award through 02/28/2019, with no cost share or matching requirement stated. The total anticipated award amount is not listed as a single figure because funding will be handled via task agreements.
The justification for making this a single-source, non-competitive award is based on the Department of the Interior single-source criterion for "continuation." NPS states that the work represents continued coordination of existing duties already being performed under a previous cooperative arrangement with the Western Governors Association (WGA)/WRAP, and that responsibilities, staff, and duties are being transitioned to WESTAR/WRAP. Competing the work is described as potentially disruptive to continuity and completion, so maintaining the same operational capability and institutional knowledge is presented as the key reason for not using full and open competition.
Administratively, the opportunity is categorized under CFDA 15.944 (Natural Resources Stewardship), with statutory authority cited under 16 USC 1g and 16 USC 1a-2(j), which support NPS entering into cooperative agreements and collaborating with external entities on coordinated research, training, and technical assistance tied to National Park System resources. The point of contact listed is June Zastrow at NPS (303-987-6718, junezastrow@nps.gov). Eligible applicant information appears in the posting but is largely academic here because the announcement is a notice of intent to award to a specific organization rather than a competitive funding opportunity.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is Funding Announcement P14AS00023?
P14AS00023 is a National Park Service (NPS) notice of intent to award a cooperative agreement to WESTAR/WRAP (Western States Air Resources Council / Western Regional Air Partnership). It functions as a public notice describing NPS's plan to continue funding a specific, ongoing body of regional air quality work.
Is this an open solicitation or a request for applications?
No. The announcement explicitly states it is not an open solicitation and not a request for applications. It is a notice of intent to make a non-competitive (single-source) award to WESTAR/WRAP.
Who is the intended award recipient?
The intended recipient is WESTAR/WRAP (Western States Air Resources Council / Western Regional Air Partnership).
Why is NPS making a non-competitive (single-source) award?
NPS cites the Department of the Interior single-source criterion for "continuation." The work is described as a continuation of existing coordination and duties previously performed under a cooperative arrangement with the Western Governors Association (WGA)/WRAP, with responsibilities, staff, and duties transitioning to WESTAR/WRAP. NPS indicates that competing the work could disrupt continuity and completion and would risk losing operational capability and institutional knowledge.
What is the main purpose of the cooperative agreement?
The purpose is to coordinate and develop shared products, analyses, and strategies related to air quality issues across the western United States, maintaining and strengthening a long-running partnership that supports multi-state and multi-agency air quality science and planning.
What kinds of issues does the work address?
The work focuses on understanding how air pollution forms, how it moves (transport), and how it affects natural resources (including national parks) and human health (including park visitors and employees). It also supports regional air quality planning needs, including National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) activities.
What activities are included in the scope of work?
The scope described includes ambient air monitoring and data reporting; building and operating databases and data systems; developing emissions inventories; conducting air quality modeling to understand impacts and evaluate mitigation options; and creating outreach and education products that translate technical findings for stakeholders and the public.
What is the Three State Air Quality Study mentioned in the announcement?
The announcement describes a near-term emphasis on continued coordination under a Three State Air Quality Study involving Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado. This includes monitoring and reporting and development of a data warehouse intended to support NEPA reviews and other planning, with future modeling expected to draw on that warehouse.
How will the funding be provided (one award amount or multiple actions)?
The announcement does not list a single total anticipated award amount because funding is expected to be handled via task agreements under the cooperative agreement structure.
What is meant by "task agreements" under this cooperative agreement?
Based on the announcement, task agreements are the mechanism NPS expects to use to fund and manage specific pieces of work under the broader cooperative agreement, rather than awarding one single lump-sum amount.
What is the period of performance for this continuation?
The continuation is described as running from the date of award through 02/28/2019.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No cost share or matching requirement is stated in the announcement.
Why is this a cooperative agreement rather than a standard grant?
The announcement indicates NPS anticipates substantial involvement in the work. The cooperative agreement structure reflects that NPS will participate collaboratively, contribute staff time with substantive involvement, and help advance and disseminate air quality understanding, rather than acting only as a funder.
What role is WESTAR/WRAP expected to play?
WESTAR/WRAP is expected to play an active technical and coordination role. Responsibilities described include partnering through cooperative agreements or contracts with other reputable organizations engaged in air quality technical and planning work; providing subject-matter expertise and project support for mutually identified priorities; offering basic administrative and clerical support where appropriate; and assisting with education and outreach to stakeholders and the broader public.
What role is NPS expected to play during the agreement?
NPS is expected to provide financial assistance and engage collaboratively to advance and disseminate air quality understanding. NPS will also contribute staff time with substantive participation in projects, provide basic administrative and clerical support as needed, and ensure federal ethics requirements are followed.
How will priorities and coordination be managed?
NPS and WESTAR/WRAP jointly commit to coordinating research and education projects aligned with the agreement goals. They also commit to meeting at least twice per year to identify, discuss, and coordinate priority work.
What geographic area does this effort focus on?
The effort is described as addressing air quality issues across the western United States, with a specific near-term emphasis mentioned for Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado through the Three State Air Quality Study.
How does this work relate to NEPA?
The announcement states the work supports regional air quality planning needs, including NEPA activities. It also notes that a data warehouse is intended to support NEPA reviews and other planning, with future modeling expected to use that warehouse.
What program category and authority are cited for this opportunity?
The announcement lists CFDA 15.944 (Natural Resources Stewardship). Statutory authority is cited under 16 USC 1g and 16 USC 1a-2(j), which support NPS entering into cooperative agreements and collaborating with external entities on coordinated research, training, and technical assistance tied to National Park System resources.
Does the eligible applicant information matter for this announcement?
The posting includes eligible applicant information, but the announcement indicates it is largely academic here because this is a notice of intent to award to a specific organization rather than a competitive funding opportunity.
Who is the point of contact for this announcement?
The point of contact listed is June Zastrow at NPS. Phone: 303-987-6718. Email: junezastrow@nps.gov.
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