Department of the Interior – National Park Service Grant for Yellowstone Urban Youth Project

Public Purpose
GWUSA and NPS/YNP staff will cooperatively work to improve public access to the frontcountry or backcountry areas of Yellowstone National Park. Projects will be selected from the following based on skill level and NPS priorities for summer 2016—maintaining and improving trails, removing brush, fence building or removal, painting/staining buildings, re-vegetation, native seed collection, etc. Participating in the project will provide meaningful life and work experience and training; land and resource stewardship education and appreciation; and technical, safety and teambuilding opportunities to American youth while serving and protecting one of the nation’s premier public resources. GWUSA crews will also learn about Yellowstone and receive a guided tour of the park.

Substantial Involvement
The NPS will provide the GWUSA Youth Director with a pre-project survey of the work site, and training, education, and orientation to work projects at YNP. Training will include such topics as trail skills and theory, agency risk-management, and current cultural and natural resource issues. The Youth Programs Office will supplement necessary tools and personal protective equipment that the crew cannot provide. NPS staff will provide project and park regulation direction, safety training, and onsite project leadership and oversight.
Following the caveats of national Cooperator initiatives, direction from the Secretary of the Interior’s Office, and the NPS Director’s Call to Action, youth cooperative involvement is desired on federal work projects. The Yellowstone projects are well matched with this direction. NPS staff involvement is critical due to the dynamic nature of the project, their specifications, and the widely dispersed worksites in bear country. The GWUSA crew will bolster the NPS staff ranks, and reflexively the GWUSA crew will receive the required NPS staff project and park regulation direction, and onsite project leadership and oversight.

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 awarded this task to the Groundwork USA under Master Cooperative Agreement P15AC00034 based on the following exception.
(4) Unique Qualifications –The cooperator has a pre-existing shared successful project history with the National Park Service, as well as outstanding training and education of local youth in land stewardship, natural, cultural and resources. Excellent pre-program training so that youth are shovel-ready when they arrive at a park, with efficiency and safety at forefront.