Department of the Interior Grant: Enhancing Public Access to National Park Service Records

ABSTRACT
Funding Announcement P15AS00344
Project Title Preparing National Park Service Records for Improved Public Access
Recipient Western Washington University
Total Anticipated Award Amount $287,521.00
Cost Share None
Anticipated Length of Agreement From date of final signature until April 1, 2018
Anticipated Period of Performance From date of final signature until April 1, 2018
Award Instrument Cooperative Agreement
Statutory Authority 154 USC 101702(a) & (b), 54 USC 100703
CFDA # and Title 15.945, Cooperative Research and Training Programs ��� Resources of the National Park System (CESU)
Single Source Justification Criteria Cited (2) Continuation
Point of Contact June Zastrow 303-987-6718 june_zastrow@nps.gov

OVERVIEW

This project between Western Washington University (WWU) and the National Park Service (NPS) is designed to address the increasing public interest in natural and cultural resources in the national parks, largely due to current issues like global warming, climate change, biodiversity, and endangered species. Extensive information about these resources is contained in agency archives, but is currently unknown or inaccessible. In addition, the NPS manages the National Register of Historic Places and the National Historic Landmarks Program, the combined records of which contain information on over 90,000 historic properties throughout the country. As part of the approaching Centennial in 2016 the NPS is providing improved public access to this information through a project known as a ���Gift to the Nation.���

This collaborative effort with WWU will assist the Intermountain Region Museum Services Program with processing, arranging, rehousing, and cataloging archival collections primarily containing resource management information and preparing finding aids to facilitate their use. Arranged and described collections will make information about park resources be more available to the public, researchers, and park staff tasked with planning and management of those resources. Increased intellectual and physical control also will improve security and preservation of the materials. Additionally, the project will prepare National Register and National Historic Landmark nominations for digitization by the National Archives and Records Administration so they can be made available to the public. Finding aids will be created to facilitate their use.

This project will be conducted in phases. This agreement may be modified to add future phases, subject to the availability of funding and satisfactory progress of project work. Phase I will involve processing, arranging, and rehousing an estimated 65 linear feet of archival collections and cataloging an estimated 15 linear feet of archives from Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. The Phase I ���Gift to the Nation��� work will achieve two goals: an organization by state of an estimated 150 linear feet of Determinations of Eligibility (240,000 items) and creation of an inventory of 275 linear feet of these records (440,000 items); and processing, arrangement, and rehousing of an estimated 650 linear feet of National Register and National Historic Landmark nominations (an estimated 1.04 million items). Appropriate metadata and finding aids will be produced.

Students and post-graduates will be trained and, in collaboration with the Principal Investigator from WWU, guided in their work by Intermountain Region Museum Services Program archivists. They will gain hands-on experience applying best practices in processing, arranging, cataloging, and storing archival collections to these important records of the heritage of the nation. The experience gained in preparing records for digitization also will be widely applicable to other similar projects.

STATEMENT OF JOINT OBJECTIVES/PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN

The NPS creates resource management records in the course of daily business which are considered permanent and must be managed in perpetuity. These records incorporate the long history of assembling data on and managing park cultural and natural resources during the past century. Agency records management over the past three decades has steadily declined, leaving a complex and fragmented mix of temporary and permanent records. Over 40% of known agency archives are uncatalogued. The need to utilize information in these inaccessible records grows daily.

The Intermountain Region Museum Services Program of the NPS manages the Western Archeological and Conservation Center (WACC) in Tucson, Arizona, to curate archives and museum collections on behalf of parks, the region, and selected national programs. This facility houses over 6 million archival items from 70 western parks, as well as WACC���s own extensive archival collections. Holdings are increasing at a rate of approximately 750,000 archival items annually. WACC also functions as a project center where archives are processed, arranged, rehoused, and cataloged, and discovery tools, such as finding aids and inventories, are developed to improve public access. Collections also are prepared for digitization and appropriate metadata developed. Intermountain Region Museum Services Program Archivists are coordinating the high profile ���Gift to the Nation��� Centennial project to digitize the National Register and National Historic Landmark records to improve public access. Archivists stationed at WACC also provide assistance to parks and programs in identifying and assembling archival collections, and improving accountability for them.

WWU���s Archives and Records Management Program is the only comprehensive graduate training program for archivists in the Northwest. The course of study meets the expectations of the Society of American Archivists��� ���Guidelines for a Graduate Program in Archival Studies.��� Requirements include a 350 hour internship, providing the practical experience to balance the theoretical perspectives presented in coursework. The program of study includes archives and records management, a combination that is uniquely suited to addressing the problems recognized with NPS records.

WWU has successfully collaborated with the Intermountain Region Museum Services Program over the past three years to process, arrange, rehouse, and catalog over 500 linear feet of park and program records, and is preparing over 1,000 linear feet of National Register and National Historic Landmarks records for digitization (see Agreement P12AC15007) as part of the ���Gift to the Nation��� project. A NPS archivist coordinates the processing component of this project; the team currently includes two NPS project archivists and two WWU Post-Graduate Research Assistants.

Objectives

Investigators from WWU and NPS from the Intermountain Region Museum Services Program staff will collaborate to accomplish the following objectives, which build on the work that both organizations already have accomplished jointly.

1. Continue efforts to improve accountability for, preservation of, and access to permanent NPS records by appraising, processing, arranging, rehousing, cataloging, and labeling archival collections and developing finding aids using best professional practices and the extensive protocols developed by Intermountain Region Museum Services Program archivists. Collections to be addressed will be selected by Intermountain Region Museum Services Program archivists.

2. Continue the preparation of the National Register and National Historic Landmarks records for digitization by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) by receiving, inventorying, processing, arranging, rehousing, and labeling the records and creating appropriate metadata and finding aids in accordance with the established protocols.
These objectives are expected to be accomplished in multiple phases. This agreement initially funds Phase I work but may be modified to add future phases, subject to the availability of funding and satisfactory progress of project work. Additional phases are expected to increase the number of linear feet of records to be addressed in each objective in the format of the Phase I objectives below.

Phase I objectives:

1. Improve accountability for and preservation of an estimated 65 linear feet of archives through appraising, processing , arranging, rehousing, cataloging, and labelling archival collections and developing finding aids using best professional practices and the extensive protocols developed by Intermountain Region Museum Services Program archivists. Selected archives include:

a. An estimated 50 linear feet of Water Resources Division archives (processing, arrangement, metadata development, and rehousing only).
b. An estimated 15 linear feet of Black Canyon of the Gunnison archives (processing, arrangement, rehousing, cataloging, and preparation of finding aids).

2. Prepare the National Register and National Historic Landmarks records for digitization by NARA by receiving, inventorying, processing, arranging, rehousing, and labeling the records and creating appropriate metadata and finding aids in accordance with the protocols established for the ���Gift to the Nation��� project. Specific focus includes:

a. Sorting of an estimated 150 linear feet of Determinations of Eligibility by state and completing a written inventory of an estimated 275 linear feet of these records.
b. Processing, arranging, rehousing, labeling, and creating metadata and finding aids for an estimated 650 linear feet of nominations.
c. Receiving records from NARA and preparing records for return to NARA.

RECIPIENT INVOLVEMENT

The recipient is to appraise process, arrange, catalog, rehouse, and label archival collections containing principally natural and cultural resource management documentation and prepare finding aids. The recipient is to work jointly with the NPS to review each collection to identify cataloging strategies, key words, and other cataloging issues. The recipient is to provide the services of Research Assistants to process and catalog the collections. WWU is to process and arrange archival material into appropriate series, sub-series, and/or file units for the collections per the approved processing plans. They ensure that all data (format and content) is edited to conform to NPS Museum Handbook and Processing and Cataloging Handbook requirements. They catalog the collections by completing all necessary screens in the Interior Collections Management System archives module. They prepare finding aids for each collection in hard copy and electronic (PDF) format.

Additionally, the recipient is to process, arrange, and rehouse National Register and National Historic Landmark nominations and create metadata spreadsheets following local arrangement protocols to prepare these records for digitization by the National Archives and Records Administration. The recipient is to sort the Determinations of Eligibility by state and prepare an inventory of these records.

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE INVOLVEMENT

Substantial involvement on the part of 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 will be involved in many aspects of the project, including selecting the archival collections to be addressed by the project, setting overall schedules, providing training assistance, and reviewing final products. NPS will be responsible identifying and assembling the archival collections and the National Register and National Historic Landmark records so they will be available for work; completing pest mitigation; coordinating any modifications to the approved processing plans during processing and arrangement, obtaining accession and catalog numbers, and coordinating the review of arranged and rehoused collections and nominations, draft catalog records, metadata spreadsheets, and finding aids. The NPS will provide existing protocols for processing, arrangement, cataloging and storage upgrade and training to ensure appropriate application. The NPS also will furnish space, equipment and supplies to do the work at the Western Archeological and Conservation Center. The NPS also will provide a project coordinator to integrate the work of WWU Research Assistants on the National Register and National Historic Landmarks records with the work being done on this project by NPS project archivists. NPS Archivists will provide technical assistance as needed for the recipient to complete the work.

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.

NPS did not solicit full and open competition for this award based the following criteria:

(2) Continuation: As indicated above, WWU has successfully collaborated with the Intermountain Region Museum Services Program over the past three years to process, arrange, rehouse, and catalog over 500 linear feet of park and program records, and is currently preparing over 1,000 linear feet of National Register and National Historic Landmarks records for digitization (see Agreement P12AC15007) as part of the ���Gift to the Nation��� project. The work to be conducted with archives under this agreement involves the Water Resources and Black Canyon of the Gunnison archives, portions of which are currently being completed under Agreement P12AC15007. The work to be conducted for the National Register and National Historic Landmarks records is a continuation of the current effort in the same collection but focusing on different states and Determinations of Eligibility. The continuity of work would be highly disrupted by the introduction of another cooperator.

By virtue of their current experience with the National Register and National Historic Landmarks records, WWU is uniquely qualified to continue this work.

ABSTRACT
Funding Announcement P15AS00344
Project Title Preparing National Park Service Records for Improved Public Access
Recipient Western Washington University
Total Anticipated Award Amount $287,521.00
Cost Share None
Anticipated Length of Agreement From date of final signature until April 1, 2018
Anticipated Period of Performance From date of final signature until April 1, 2018
Award Instrument Cooperative Agreement
Statutory Authority 154 USC 101702(a) & (b), 54 USC 100703
CFDA # and Title 15.945, Cooperative Research and Training Programs ��� Resources of the National Park System (CESU)
Single Source Justification Criteria Cited (2) Continuation
Point of Contact June Zastrow 303-987-6718 june_zastrow@nps.gov

OVERVIEW

This project between Western Washington University (WWU) and the National Park Service (NPS) is designed to address the increasing public interest in natural and cultural resources in the national parks, largely due to current issues like global warming, climate change, biodiversity, and endangered species. Extensive information about these resources is contained in agency archives, but is currently unknown or inaccessible. In addition, the NPS manages the National Register of Historic Places and the National Historic Landmarks Program, the combined records of which contain information on over 90,000 historic properties throughout the country. As part of the approaching Centennial in 2016 the NPS is providing improved public access to this information through a project known as a ���Gift to the Nation.���

This collaborative effort with WWU will assist the Intermountain Region Museum Services Program with processing, arranging, rehousing, and cataloging archival collections primarily containing resource management information and preparing finding aids to facilitate their use. Arranged and described collections will make information about park resources be more available to the public, researchers, and park staff tasked with planning and management of those resources. Increased intellectual and physical control also will improve security and preservation of the materials. Additionally, the project will prepare National Register and National Historic Landmark nominations for digitization by the National Archives and Records Administration so they can be made available to the public. Finding aids will be created to facilitate their use.

This project will be conducted in phases. This agreement may be modified to add future phases, subject to the availability of funding and satisfactory progress of project work. Phase I will involve processing, arranging, and rehousing an estimated 65 linear feet of archival collections and cataloging an estimated 15 linear feet of archives from Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. The Phase I ���Gift to the Nation��� work will achieve two goals: an organization by state of an estimated 150 linear feet of Determinations of Eligibility (240,000 items) and creation of an inventory of 275 linear feet of these records (440,000 items); and processing, arrangement, and rehousing of an estimated 650 linear feet of National Register and National Historic Landmark nominations (an estimated 1.04 million items). Appropriate metadata and finding aids will be produced.

Students and post-graduates will be trained and, in collaboration with the Principal Investigator from WWU, guided in their work by Intermountain Region Museum Services Program archivists. They will gain hands-on experience applying best practices in processing, arranging, cataloging, and storing archival collections to these important records of the heritage of the nation. The experience gained in preparing records for digitization also will be widely applicable to other similar projects.

STATEMENT OF JOINT OBJECTIVES/PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN

The NPS creates resource management records in the course of daily business which are considered permanent and must be managed in perpetuity. These records incorporate the long history of assembling data on and managing park cultural and natural resources during the past century. Agency records management over the past three decades has steadily declined, leaving a complex and fragmented mix of temporary and permanent records. Over 40% of known agency archives are uncatalogued. The need to utilize information in these inaccessible records grows daily.

The Intermountain Region Museum Services Program of the NPS manages the Western Archeological and Conservation Center (WACC) in Tucson, Arizona, to curate archives and museum collections on behalf of parks, the region, and selected national programs. This facility houses over 6 million archival items from 70 western parks, as well as WACC���s own extensive archival collections. Holdings are increasing at a rate of approximately 750,000 archival items annually. WACC also functions as a project center where archives are processed, arranged, rehoused, and cataloged, and discovery tools, such as finding aids and inventories, are developed to improve public access. Collections also are prepared for digitization and appropriate metadata developed. Intermountain Region Museum Services Program Archivists are coordinating the high profile ���Gift to the Nation��� Centennial project to digitize the National Register and National Historic Landmark records to improve public access. Archivists stationed at WACC also provide assistance to parks and programs in identifying and assembling archival collections, and improving accountability for them.

WWU���s Archives and Records Management Program is the only comprehensive graduate training program for archivists in the Northwest. The course of study meets the expectations of the Society of American Archivists��� ���Guidelines for a Graduate Program in Archival Studies.��� Requirements include a 350 hour internship, providing the practical experience to balance the theoretical perspectives presented in coursework. The program of study includes archives and records management, a combination that is uniquely suited to addressing the problems recognized with NPS records.

WWU has successfully collaborated with the Intermountain Region Museum Services Program over the past three years to process, arrange, rehouse, and catalog over 500 linear feet of park and program records, and is preparing over 1,000 linear feet of National Register and National Historic Landmarks records for digitization (see Agreement P12AC15007) as part of the ���Gift to the Nation��� project. A NPS archivist coordinates the processing component of this project; the team currently includes two NPS project archivists and two WWU Post-Graduate Research Assistants.

Objectives

Investigators from WWU and NPS from the Intermountain Region Museum Services Program staff will collaborate to accomplish the following objectives, which build on the work that both organizations already have accomplished jointly.

1. Continue efforts to improve accountability for, preservation of, and access to permanent NPS records by appraising, processing, arranging, rehousing, cataloging, and labeling archival collections and developing finding aids using best professional practices and the extensive protocols developed by Intermountain Region Museum Services Program archivists. Collections to be addressed will be selected by Intermountain Region Museum Services Program archivists.

2. Continue the preparation of the National Register and National Historic Landmarks records for digitization by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) by receiving, inventorying, processing, arranging, rehousing, and labeling the records and creating appropriate metadata and finding aids in accordance with the established protocols.
These objectives are expected to be accomplished in multiple phases. This agreement initially funds Phase I work but may be modified to add future phases, subject to the availability of funding and satisfactory progress of project work. Additional phases are expected to increase the number of linear feet of records to be addressed in each objective in the format of the Phase I objectives below.

Phase I objectives:

1. Improve accountability for and preservation of an estimated 65 linear feet of archives through appraising, processing , arranging, rehousing, cataloging, and labelling archival collections and developing finding aids using best professional practices and the extensive protocols developed by Intermountain Region Museum Services Program archivists. Selected archives include:

a. An estimated 50 linear feet of Water Resources Division archives (processing, arrangement, metadata development, and rehousing only).
b. An estimated 15 linear feet of Black Canyon of the Gunnison archives (processing, arrangement, rehousing, cataloging, and preparation of finding aids).

2. Prepare the National Register and National Historic Landmarks records for digitization by NARA by receiving, inventorying, processing, arranging, rehousing, and labeling the records and creating appropriate metadata and finding aids in accordance with the protocols established for the ���Gift to the Nation��� project. Specific focus includes:

a. Sorting of an estimated 150 linear feet of Determinations of Eligibility by state and completing a written inventory of an estimated 275 linear feet of these records.
b. Processing, arranging, rehousing, labeling, and creating metadata and finding aids for an estimated 650 linear feet of nominations.
c. Receiving records from NARA and preparing records for return to NARA.

RECIPIENT INVOLVEMENT

The recipient is to appraise process, arrange, catalog, rehouse, and label archival collections containing principally natural and cultural resource management documentation and prepare finding aids. The recipient is to work jointly with the NPS to review each collection to identify cataloging strategies, key words, and other cataloging issues. The recipient is to provide the services of Research Assistants to process and catalog the collections. WWU is to process and arrange archival material into appropriate series, sub-series, and/or file units for the collections per the approved processing plans. They ensure that all data (format and content) is edited to conform to NPS Museum Handbook and Processing and Cataloging Handbook requirements. They catalog the collections by completing all necessary screens in the Interior Collections Management System archives module. They prepare finding aids for each collection in hard copy and electronic (PDF) format.

Additionally, the recipient is to process, arrange, and rehouse National Register and National Historic Landmark nominations and create metadata spreadsheets following local arrangement protocols to prepare these records for digitization by the National Archives and Records Administration. The recipient is to sort the Determinations of Eligibility by state and prepare an inventory of these records.

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE INVOLVEMENT

Substantial involvement on the part of 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 will be involved in many aspects of the project, including selecting the archival collections to be addressed by the project, setting overall schedules, providing training assistance, and reviewing final products. NPS will be responsible identifying and assembling the archival collections and the National Register and National Historic Landmark records so they will be available for work; completing pest mitigation; coordinating any modifications to the approved processing plans during processing and arrangement, obtaining accession and catalog numbers, and coordinating the review of arranged and rehoused collections and nominations, draft catalog records, metadata spreadsheets, and finding aids. The NPS will provide existing protocols for processing, arrangement, cataloging and storage upgrade and training to ensure appropriate application. The NPS also will furnish space, equipment and supplies to do the work at the Western Archeological and Conservation Center. The NPS also will provide a project coordinator to integrate the work of WWU Research Assistants on the National Register and National Historic Landmarks records with the work being done on this project by NPS project archivists. NPS Archivists will provide technical assistance as needed for the recipient to complete the work.

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.

NPS did not solicit full and open competition for this award based the following criteria:

(2) Continuation: As indicated above, WWU has successfully collaborated with the Intermountain Region Museum Services Program over the past three years to process, arrange, rehouse, and catalog over 500 linear feet of park and program records, and is currently preparing over 1,000 linear feet of National Register and National Historic Landmarks records for digitization (see Agreement P12AC15007) as part of the ���Gift to the Nation��� project. The work to be conducted with archives under this agreement involves the Water Resources and Black Canyon of the Gunnison archives, portions of which are currently being completed under Agreement P12AC15007. The work to be conducted for the National Register and National Historic Landmarks records is a continuation of the current effort in the same collection but focusing on different states and Determinations of Eligibility. The continuity of work would be highly disrupted by the introduction of another cooperator.

By virtue of their current experience with the National Register and National Historic Landmarks records, WWU is uniquely qualified to continue this work.