BLM AZ Gila District Youth Development Grants

A. Eligible Applicants: Anyone

B. Cost Sharing or Matching: Yes 25% the BLM will pay no more than 75% for all projects

Project Background Information:

The Gila District BLM has engaged young adults through Public Lands Corps programs for the past 5 years in order to stimulate youth development and career skills in Biology, Hydrology, Recreation, Range, Natural Resources, and Environmental Sciences. Participants in the programs developed skills in watershed inventory, management, and restoration; seed collection; plant community inventory and monitoring; wildlife habitat protection and improvement; water resources inventory and monitoring; outdoor recreation; and invasive species control and management. Participants also developed skills in project coordination (office and field based), crew supervision, database development/reporting, field logistics management, field project layout/design, application of land restoration/reclamation techniques, and volunteer management.

Project Objective:

The BLM seeks partners for collaboration whose interests are to provide internships and Public Land Corps opportunities for young adults to gain work experience in natural and recreation resources management throughout the Bureau of Land Management¿s Gila District, Arizona. The internships would have particular focus on 1) resource monitoring / data collection, 2) recreation and visitor services, 3) fish and wildlife habitat restoration and 4) border resources rehabilitation. This collaboration would provide an opportunity for young professionals to obtain training and ¿on the ground¿ experience in data collection, data analysis, site restoration and multiple resource monitoring throughout the Gila District. Project outcomes may include inventories, reports, complete databases, maps, and ArcGIS shapefiles.

Multiple Resource Monitoring / Data Collection
There are multiple active conservation efforts occurring within the Gila District Office (GDO) jurisdiction. These efforts involve multiple partners, state and federal agencies, private landowners, and non-profit organizations. Conservation efforts include watershed, grassland, and riparian restoration, re-establishment of native species, and conservation of water resources. Resource Management Plans are being implemented for the Ironwood Forest National Monument and Las Cienegas National Conservation Area and a plan is under development for the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area within the Tucson Field Office. A Resource Management Plan (RMP) revision for the Safford Field Office (SFO) is scheduled in the upcoming years. All of the RMPs require either collection of baseline data or collection of monitoring data for multiple resource programs including hydrology, fish and wildlife, range, riparian, and recreation. Existing Biological Opinions require collection of monitoring data for federally listed and proposed fish, wildlife, and plant species. Special Status Species management also requires collection of resource specific information on water, plant communities, wildlife, range, visitor use, and various land uses.

Recreation and Visitor Services
There would be an emphasis in using this agreement to undertake recreation site challenges, including, but not limited to: site maintenance, improvement of facilities, interpretation, trail maintenance; campground maintenance; trash clean-up. For our dispersed recreation program, the recipient of the award would provide interns and/or youth crews to assist in creation and maintenance of trails, trailheads, interpretive signs, brochures, and collect data for improved mapping and documentation. Wilderness monitoring is another project the award recipient could assume with specific goals of streamlining data collection protocols, improving wilderness signs, and implementing projects that would alleviate unauthorized uses of these areas. Environmental education near our communities is an opportunity that would develop interpretation skills for the interns recruited by the recipient of the award.

Wildlife Habitat Restoration
The projects will vary throughout the Gila District and may include: watershed restoration activities; wildlife and fisheries habitat restoration; fuels reduction; seed collection; sediment and erosion control; user education and outreach; installation or maintenance of water developments; fence and barrier installations; installation, removal, or modification of fences; route signing; route closure and restoration; invasive weed removal; inventory of plants and wildlife; cultural site recordation, and stabilization and rehabilitation of areas damaged by wildland fires.

Border Resources Rehabilitation
The projects consist of patrolling areas subject to illegal smuggling activity for associated resource damage, and addressing such damage. Activities may include, but are not limited to: trash cleanup; installation or repair of barriers, fence, cattle guards; rehabilitation of unauthorized roads; erosion control; installation of signs; coordination of volunteer groups; document and maintain database of accomplishments.

The principle purpose of the program is to develop collaborative partnerships with organizations to provide internships and Public Lands Corps opportunities for young adults and recent college graduates in order for them to develop and practice resource and recreation management skills such as:

¿Procedures for arid lands restoration,
¿Procedures to implement watershed, wildlife, fisheries, range, and recreation management projects within the BLM.
¿Methods of inventory and monitoring for natural resources including fish, wildlife, plants, water resources, rangelands, and recreation.
¿Methods for improving resource management through cooperative efforts.
¿Enhancing management of natural resources.
¿Meeting national expectations for conserving, protecting, and restoring ecosystems and for protecting landscape qualities on National Conservation Lands and other public lands managed in the public trust by the BLM.
¿Understanding of government agency policies and procedures, data collection and management, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Global Positioning Systems (GPS).
¿Methods for public outreach and education,