Department of the Interior Grant: Manzanar Historical Site Administrative History Research

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 P13AS00191
Project Title Research and write Manzanar Historical Site History
Recipient Organization of American Historians
Principle Investigator / Program Manager Aidan Smith
Total Anticipated Award Amount $100,000.00
Cost Share none
New Award or Continuation? This is a Task Agreement under Cooperative Agreement H2261100002
Anticipated Length of Agreement From date of award until 9/30/2016
Anticipated Period of Performance From date of award until 9/30/2016
Award Instrument Cooperative Agreement
Statutory Authority 16 USC 1g
CFDA # and Title 15.954 Cooperative Research and Training Programs ¿ Resources of the National Park System
Single Source Justification Criteria Cited (4) Unique Qualifications
NPS Point of Contact June Zastrow 303-987-6718 june_zastrow@nps.gov

OVERVIEW

The purpose of this Task Agreement (TA) under Cooperative Agreement (CA) H2261100002 between the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service (NPS) and the Organization of American Historians (OAH) is to research and write a Comprehensive Administrative History of Manzanar National Historic Site, California.

Congress established Manzanar NHS in 1992 after decades of grassroots efforts and lobbying by Japanese Americans and others, and despite considerable opposition. This project will develop a comprehensive review of more than four decades of highly emotional, political, and controversial efforts to preserve Manzanar as a physical site, as well as a place in memory and history.

As the first nationally preserved site of the forced confinement of Japanese Americans during World War II, Manzanar is unique among National Park Service sites. The site¿s history can offer important lessons for preserving other civil rights sites, and working with diverse constituencies. The research effort resulting from this project will significantly expand and organize reference and archival files, and provide additional information for park staff and the public.

This study will address the underlying interests that led to the establishment of Manzanar National Historic Site, the range of administrative actions that National Park Service staff carried out in fulfillment of their management obligations at Manzanar through to the present

The finished product will be a published, scholarly, and comprehensive examination of the history, evolution, and administration of Manzanar National Historic Site, telling the struggles and stories of grassroots efforts to preserve and shape history.

RECIPIENT INVOLVEMENT

OAH agrees to:
a. Produce an Administrative History for Manzanar National Historic Site as a peer-reviewed, scholarly, ready-for-publication manuscript that is a comprehensive examination of the history, evolution and administration of Manzanar National Historic Site:

b. Recruit and retain a professional historian who is an accomplished researcher, excellent scholarly writer, and meets the Secretary of the Interior¿s standards for professional qualifications for historians.

c. Act as the liaison between the NPS and the historian.

d. Participate in a planning meeting/workshop at Manzanar.

e. Ensure that the author conducts thorough research on topics and issues that include but are not limited to:
1. post-WWII land management by the L.A. Department of Water and Power (1947-1997)
2. annual public Pilgrimages to Manzanar (1969-present) as well as prior religious pilgrimages and the eventual combination of both
3. establishment and evolution of the Manzanar Committee (1972-present)
4. designation of Manzanar as a California State Historic Landmark (1972)
5. failed California State Park proposal (1970s)
6. Manzanar¿s placement on the National Register of Historic Places (1985)
7. movement to include Manzanar as a unit of the NPS (1988-92)
8. role of the Manzanar Advisory Commission (1992-2002)
9. land and building acquisition at Manzanar (1996, 1997)
10. Owens Valley land exchange (1992-97)
11. planning, development, and public involvement in Manzanar¿s facilities, exhibits, media, programs, and projects (1996-present)
12. development and evolution of key partnerships including the Eastern California Museum, Friends of Manzanar, and Manzanar History Association (1992-present)

f. Ensure that oral histories interviews are conducted in accordance with NPS standards, including thorough research and transcription, with a range of individuals connected to Manzanar, past and present, such as:
1. NPS staff and volunteers
2. members of the Manzanar Committee
3. members of the Manzanar Advisory Commission
4. Friends of Manzanar board members
5. Eastern California Museum staff
6. other key park partners
7. civil rights activists
8. academics

g. Explore and contrast the evolution and management of other confinement sites under NPS stewardship including Minidoka (Idaho) and Tule Lake (California), and well as the NPS role in the Japanese American Confinement Sites (JACS) program.

h. Contrast the role and relevance of Manzanar before and after September 11, 2001.

i. Ensure that the manuscript is prepared as a scholarly report meeting the professional history and NPS standards through effective project management, coordination of agency and peer review comments, and professional editorial services.

j. Create an Administrative History which goes beyond just providing ¿information¿ on the above topics to exploring their relevance and connections, and serves as an outstanding example of public history.

k. Acquire high resolution scans and use rights for images and graphics outside of NPS collections.

l. Coordinate, fund, and participate in two half-day meetings (one at Manzanar and one in Los Angeles) to share research and outcomes with park staff and community stakeholders.

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:

a. Participate in recruiting and selecting a professional historian who meets the Secretary of the Interior¿s standards for professional qualifications for historians.

b. Host a planning meeting/workshop at Manzanar.

c. Provide access to park staff, archives, collections, library, research files, etc.

d. Provide information on relevant archives and collections in private, local, regional, state, and national archives.

e. Provide available contact information for individuals and organizations outlined in item ¿1e.¿ above.

f. Provide high resolution images available from park collections and the public domain.

g. Provide ongoing input, feedback, and review.

h. Participate in two half-day meetings (one at Manzanar and one in Los Angeles) to share research and outcomes with park staff and community stakeholders.

i. Distribute the final Administrative History and make research available to park staff, partners, and the public.

j. Provide funding in the amount of $100,000.

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:

THIS IS A NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD

This is a Task Agreement (P13AC01118) under Cooperative Agreement (H2261100002) in the amount of $100,000.00 with a period of performance from date of award until 09/30/2016.

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.