Department of the Interior: Air Quality Study Grant

This Funding Announcement is not a request for applications. This announcement is to provide public notice of the National Park Service¿s intention to fund the following project activities without full and open competition.

ABSTRACT
Funding Announcement P14AS00027
Project Title Three (3) State Air Quality Study
Recipient Western States Air Resources Council (WESTAR)
Principle Investigator / Program Manager Dan Johnson
Total Anticipated Award Amount $79,862.09
Cost Share none
New Award or Continuation? Continuation of Cooperative Agreement P14AC00099
Anticipated Length of Agreement From date of Award until February 28, 2015
Anticipated Period of Performance From date of Award until February 28, 2015
Award Instrument Cooperative Agreement
Statutory Authority 16 USC 1g & 16 USC 1a-2(j)
CFDA # and Title 15.944 Natural Resources Stewardship
Single Source Justification Criteria Cited (2) Continuation
NPS Point of Contact June Zastrow, 303-987-6718, june_zastrow@nps.gov

OVERVIEW

WESTAR/WRAP is uniquely qualified and experienced in providing air quality collaboration and coordination services for states, tribes, local air agencies, and federal agencies across the Western U.S. WESTAR and WRAP¿s extensive qualifications and experience for this project were reviewed and approved by the NPS and representatives of the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the air pollution control agencies of the States of Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming, (a 3-State/Federal Leadership Forum [3-State/FLF] cooperators¿ group) which provides coordination on the Western AQ Study.

The study objectives are:

¿ Provide storage and access to consistent, sufficient, comparable and high-quality technical data.
¿ Provide consistent protocols for technical data and its analysis for air quality impacts to be performed by the Western AQ Study partner agencies.
¿ Initiate and support collaborative work by the federal and state partners on National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) air quality analyses relative to energy development and for a broad range of air quality planning activities, including emissions, meteorological and air quality modeling.
¿ Develop technical capacity, including training, and improved data sets for the cooperating agencies using standardized reproducible data collection, quality assessment, analysis and storage protocols.
¿ Identify, document and apply criteria for base year and future year projections.
¿ Assist NPS, 3-State/FLF Study Governing Board, and other potential public agency partners in identifying ways and means of ongoing funding to support the data warehouse when operational.
¿ Identify the mechanisms to be used by the technical work groups to report to the 3-State/FLF Steering Committee and Governing Board, and assist and facilitate involvement of additional public agencies and development of future oversight entities for the Western AQ Study.

Technical work groups to be coordinated include air quality modeling, emission inventories, ambient monitoring and data warehouse. Other work groups may be necessary in the future.

RECIPIENT INVOLVEMENT

WESTAR agrees to:

¿ Work together to develop projects, tasks, products and timelines related to the Western AQ Study.
¿ Facilitate communication and information sharing between the NPS, WESTAR/WRAP, the EPA, the USFS, the BLM, the States of Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming, and other interested Western States, Tribes, and local air quality agencies, and other parties and stakeholders as needed.

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE INVOLVEMENT

Substantial involvement on the part the National Park Service is anticipated for the successful completion of the objectives to be funded by this award. In particular, the National Park Service will be responsible for the following:

NPS agrees to:

¿ Attend planning and management meetings, webinars, and calls, and provide input for the Western AQ Study from initiation to completion.
¿ Provide information, data, statistical and/or GIS work products to contribute to products for the Western AQ Study.
¿ Review and comment on all draft products.
¿ Provide financial support to WESTAR/WRAP for work performed as outlined under this agreement.

SINGLE-SOURCE JUSTIFICATION

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
SINGLE SOURCE POLICY REQUIREMENTS

Department of the Interior Policy (505 DM 2) requires a written justification which explains why competition is not practicable for each single-source award. The justification must address one or more of the following criteria as well as discussion of the program legislative history, unique capabilities of the proposed recipient, and cost-sharing contribution offered by the proposed recipient, as applicable.

In order for an assistance award to be made without competition, the award must satisfy one or more of the following criteria:

(1) Unsolicited Proposal ¿ The proposed award is the result of an unsolicited assistance application which represents a unique or innovative idea, method, or approach which is not the subject of a current or planned contract or assistance award, but which is deemed advantageous to the program objectives;

(2) Continuation ¿ The activity to be funded is necessary to the satisfactory completion of, or is a continuation of an activity presently being funded, and for which competition would have a significant adverse effect on the continuity or completion of the activity;

(3) Legislative intent ¿ The language in the applicable authorizing legislation or legislative history clearly indicates Congress¿ intent to restrict the award to a particular recipient of purpose;

(4) Unique Qualifications ¿ The applicant is uniquely qualified to perform the activity based upon a variety of demonstrable factors such as location, property ownership, voluntary support capacity, cost-sharing ability if applicable, technical expertise, or other such unique qualifications;

(5) Emergencies ¿ Program/award where there is insufficient time available (due to a compelling and unusual urgency, or substantial danger to health or safety) for adequate competitive procedures to be followed.

The National Park Service did not solicit full and open competition for this award based the following criteria:

(2) CONTINUATION

Single Source Justification Description:

THIS IS A NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD

This is a Task Agreement (P14AC00133) under Cooperative Agreement (P14AC00099) in the amount of $79,862.09 with a period of performance from date of award until 02/28/2015.

STATUTORY AUTHORITY

A. 16 U.S.C. §1g NPS authority to enter into cooperative agreements and transfer appropriated funds to nonprofit organization for the public purpose of NPS programs.

B. 16 U.S.C. §1a-2(j) Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior, in order to facilitate the administration of the National Park System, to carry out the following activity under such terms and conditions as he may deem advisable: `Enter into cooperative agreements with public or private educational institutions, states and their political subdivisions, for the purpose of developing adequate, coordinated, cooperative research and training programs concerning the resources of the National Park System, and, pursuant to any such agreements, to accept from and make available to the cooperator such technical and support staff, financial assistance for mutually agreed upon research projects, supplies and equipment, facilities, and administrative services relating to cooperative research units as the Secretary deems appropriate; except that this paragraph shall not waive any requirements for research projects that are subject to the Federal Procurement Regulations.¿