National Park Service Grant: Innovative Partnerships for Managing Tourism and Recreation in World Heritage Sites and Other Protected Areas

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 P13AS00078
Project Title Innovative Partnerships for Managing Tourism and Recreation in World Heritage Sites and Other Protected Areas
Recipient Colorado State University
Principle Investigator / Program Manager Jim Barborak
Total Anticipated Award Amount $30,000.00
Cost Share None
New Award or Continuation? This is a Task Agreement under Cooperative Agreement H2370094000
Anticipated Length of Agreement From Date of Award until December 31, 2013
Anticipated Period of Performance From Date of Award until December 31, 2013
Award Instrument Cooperative Agreement
Statutory Authority 16 USC 1g
CFDA # and Title 15.945
Single Source Justification Criteria Cited (4) Unique Qualifications
NPS Point of Contact June Zastrow 303-987-6718, june_zastrow@nps.gov

OVERVIEW

RM-CESU Cooperative Agreement Number H2370094000 was entered into by and between the Department of the Interior, National Park Service (NPS), and Colorado State University (CSU) for the purpose of providing technical assistance in the management of World Heritage sites and other protected areas to international partners of the NPS. Unless otherwise specified herein, the terms and conditions as stated in the Cooperative Agreement will apply to this Task Agreement.

PROJECT TITLE: Innovative Partnerships for Managing Tourism and Recreation in World Heritage Sites and Other Protected Areas.

Subtitle: Participation of one Colombian and two Chileans in the 2013 Colorado State University (CSU) Protected Area Management Course

RECIPIENT INVOLVEMENT

Colorado State University (CSU) agrees to:

1) Organize and carry out the annual protected areas managers course in Fort Collins

2) This year¿s course will begin on July 3, 2013, and CSU agrees to cover the following expenses for two Chilean park managers and one Colombian park manager to attend the course in Fort Collins:
¿ Transportation from Denver airport to CSU roundtrip
¿ Lodging and per diem during course
¿ Outfitter fees for field trips
¿ Equipment and supplies needed for field trips
¿ Transportation during course (van, shuttle service, pack animal, raft)
¿ All basic equipment needed for field trips
¿ Instruction materials (handouts, jump drive with all course materials)
¿ Health insurance in USA
¿ All CSU instructional, conference service and processing fees

3) CSU will prepare a final report of the course provided to the NPS-Office of International Affairs (OIA) and the RM-CESU submitted by September 30, 2013.

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:

1) Identify and recruit one Colombian and two Chilean participants for the CSU Course on Protected Areas Management;
2) Communicate with partner agencies in these countries to receive feedback from participants after course in order to develop follow-on cooperative activities.

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:

(4) UNIQUE QUALIFICATIONS

Single Source Justification Description:

The staff at Colorado State University¿s Center for Protected Area Management and Training (CPAMT) is uniquely qualified to help plan, organize and implement this project. CPAMT, in particular Jim Barborak, has done more research on the issue of park concessions around the world than any other institution. It is by far the most familiar with park concession specialists in other countries and is the only institution with the contacts required to ensure that the right people around the world participate in the workshop.

STATUTORY AUTHORITY

16 U.S.C. §1g authorizes the NPS to enter into cooperative agreements that involve the transfer of NPS appropriated funds to state, local and tribal governments, other public entities, educational institutions, and private nonprofit organizations for the public purpose of carrying out National Park Service programs.

This section provides broad authority for NPS to enter into cooperative agreements with most recipients for a public purpose. Although broad, this authority must be read in conjunction with the Federal Grant and Cooperative Agreement Act of 1977 and other authorities that prescribe whether a particular relationship should be a procurement contract or a cooperative agreement. Thus, in making this determination, one must always consider whether the principal purpose of the work is to acquire goods and/or services for NPS¿s direct benefit in furtherance of its mission or for a public purpose.