Department of the Interior: The Amphibian & Reptile Conservancy Grant

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 P14AS000310
Project Title The Amphibian & Reptile Conservancy
Recipient The Amphibian & Reptile Conservancy
Principle Investigator / Program Manager Jeffery Holmes
Total Anticipated Award Amount $25,000
Cost Share none
New Award or Continuation? Continuation under Cooperative Agreement P14AC01454
Anticipated Length of Agreement From date of award until 9/30/2015
Anticipated Period of Performance From date of award until 9/30/2015
Award Instrument Cooperative Agreement
Statutory Authority 16 USC 1(g)
CFDA # and Title 15.944 Natural Resources Stewardship
Single Source Justification Criteria Cited (2) Continuation
NPS Point of Contact June Zastrow 303-987-6718 june_zastrow@nps.gov

OVERVIEW

Cooperative Agreement Number P14AC01454 was entered into by and between the Department of the Interior, National Park Service (NPS), and Amphibian and Reptile Conservancy (ARC) for the purpose of providing trainings in habitat management for amphibians and reptiles, inventory and monitoring of amphibians and reptiles, and wetland construction / restoration and for developing e-reader versions of Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (PARC¿s) publications.

PARC is a coalition of Federal and State agencies, tribes, organizations, and industry groups who have agreed to contribute to the PARC mission ¿to conserve amphibians, reptiles, and their habitats as integral parts of our ecosystem and culture through proactive and coordinated public/private partnerships.¿ The NPS along with ten other federal agencies, entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with PARC in October of 2011.

One objective of PARC is the ¿development of procedures, practices, and programs that promote conservation of amphibians and reptiles and that reduces risks or averts threats.¿ The NPS currently funds the Federal Agencies Coordinator for PARC position under its fixed costs and travel cap.

The objectives of this agreement are to:
¿ Provide capacity-building training for inventory and monitoring of amphibians and reptiles, habitat management to benefit amphibians and reptiles, and wetland restoration, and to provide e-reader versions of PARC publications.
¿ Improve partnership efforts with adjacent and related protected areas (federal, state, tribal, private, and international) to conserve natural resources and landscapes.
Collaborate with ARC to contribute to advancing knowledge and/or increasing practical skills with regard to natural resource management, as well as fostering partnerships and information exchange among governments, agencies, and nongovernmental organizations.

RECIPIENT INVOLVEMENT

1. Administer NPS funds to implement training in inventory and monitoring of amphibians and reptiles, habitat management to benefit amphibians and reptiles, and wetland restoration, as well as development of e-reader versions of some PARC publications.
2. Ensure proper planning, management and completion of the projects detailed in this agreement via ARC¿s institutional, managerial, and financial capabilities.
3. Find and hire trainers appropriate for PARC training in habitat management to benefit amphibians and reptiles, inventory and monitoring of amphibians and reptiles, or wetland restoration, and will select locations for these training activities.
4. Coordinate and implement attendance opportunities for the federal agencies who are part of PARC¿s Federal Agency Steering Committee (US Fish and Wildlife Service, NPS, US Forest Service, US Geological Survey, Bureau of Land Management, Department of Defense, Environmental Protection Agency, Farm Service Agency, National Marine Fisheries Service, Natural Resource Conservation Service) and ensure a set number of seats for federal employees.
5. Ensure that e-reader or PDF versions will be made free to federal employees (e.g., via a special code) indefinitely.

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. Work cooperatively (via the Federal Agency Coordinator for PARC, who is part of the Wildlife Conservation Branch of the Biological Resources Management Division) with ARC at the national, regional, and local levels to accomplish the objectives (See Article I) of this agreement.
2. Make available to ARC any suggestions from PARC¿s Federal Agency Steering Committee.

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:

(2) CONTINUATION

SINGLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION DESCRIPTION:

THIS IS A NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD
This is a Task Agreement (P14AC01611) under Cooperative Agreement (P14AC01454) in the amount of $25,000.00 with a period of performance from date of award until 09/30/2015.

STATUTORY AUTHORITY
16 U.S.C. §1g, authorizes the NPS to enter into cooperative agreements that involve the transfer of NPS appropriated funds to nonprofit organizations for the public purpose of carrying out NPS programs.

Because the aforementioned MOU was signed by ten federal agencies and this cooperative agreement will be for projects that benefit PARC as a whole and specifically, the Federal Agency Steering Committee for PARC, the following laws also apply:

National Park Service Organic Act of 1916 (16 U.S.C. §§1-3)
Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. § 742 et seq.)
Multiple-Use Sustained-Yield Act of 1960 (16 U.S.C. §§ 528-531)
Sikes Act (16 U.S.C. § 670a-670o)
National Wildlife Refuge Administration Act of 1966, as amended by the National Wildlife
Refuge System Improvement Act of 1977 (16 U.S.C. § 688dd et seq.)
Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. § 1531 et seq.)
Federal Land and Policy Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. § 1701 et seq.)
National Forest Management Act of 1976 (16 U.S.C. § 1600 et seq.)
Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act (16 U.S.C. §§ 661-667)
Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Research Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. §§ 1641-1648)
National Parks Omnibus Management Act of 1998 (16 U.S.C. §§ 5931-5937)
USGS Organic Act ofMarch 3, 1879, as amended, 43 U.S.C. § 31 et seq. and 43 U.S.C. § 36c.