National Park Service Grant for Archaeology Culture Camps

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 Number To be filled out by Contracting
Project Title Archaeology Culture Camps
Recipient University of Alaska Museum of the North
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Office of Grants and Contracts Administration
PO Box 757880
Fairbanks, Alaska 99775-7880

Principle Investigator / Program Manager Agreement Technical Representative:
Phoebe Gilbert
Archaeologist
National Park Service
PO Box 9
Denali National Park, AK 99755
907-683-9540
Phoebe_gilbert@nps.gov

Awarding Officer:
Margaret H. Iskra
NPS Alaska Regional Office
W. 5th Avenue
Anchorage, AK 99501
E-mail: Margaret_Iskra@nps.gov
Telephone: 907-644-3316
Facsimile: 907-644-3802

University of Alaska Museum of the North:
Dr. Joshua Reuther
Archaeology Curator
University of Alaska Museum of the North
PO Box 757880
Fairbanks, AK 99755
907-474-6945
jreuther@alaska.edu

Total Anticipated Award Amount $50,746
Cost Share None
New Award or Continuation? To be filled out by Contracting
Anticipated Period of Performance Jul 1 2015-July 16 2016
Award Instrument Cooperative Agreement
Statutory Authority 16 U.S.C. 1g [16 U. S. C. § 470]
CFDA # and Title
Single Source Justification Criteria Cited (4) Unique Qualifications

NPS ATR Point of Contact To be filled out by Contracting

OVERVIEW

The objectives of this agreement are to further the UAMN missions of; (1) research, through the testing of two archaeological sites, and (2) teaching, by educating students and the public about the history and cultural resources of central Alaska through two archaeology cultural camps. The first culture camp will focus on investigating a historic archaeology site located in Talkeetna, Alaska and will educates students and the public about the history of Talkeetna through hands-on participation in the excavation. The camp will expose and teach students and local residents about the history of their town. The second cultural camp will take place at the prehistoric Teklanika West archaeology site located in Denali National Park and Preserve. Students, teachers, local residents, and Native Alaskans, and Elders will participate in the camp and learn about the rich cultural heritage of the region by excavating one of the oldest known sites in Alaska. The NPS will be substantially involved in these activities by helping develop the curricula for and help teach at the Cultural Camps.

STATEMENT OF JOINT OBJECTIVES/PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN

Denali National Park and Preserve supports this project which is recognizing the significant value of cultural resources of the region. It is a cooperative project between the National Park Service and UAMN who each have a mission to teach and educate the public about the history and cultural resources of Alaska. This project will result in public education by UAMN and NPS cooperating to teach culture camps in Talkeetna and at the Teklanika West site in Denali National Park.

RECIPIENT INVOLVEMENT

The Talkeetna culture camp will expand on the 2013 testing of the site. These excavations will provide an educational opportunity for the community of Talkeetna to learn about the history of their town. The proposed limited excavations would occur in early July 2015 and last for approximately two weeks. The Teklanika West culture camp will expand on the understanding of the ancient use of the site and provide an educational opportunity for Alaska Natives, students, and teachers to engage in hands-on learning. The proposed limited excavations would coincide with the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Alaska Summer Research Academy (ASRA), followed by two additional education components; an Murie Science and Learning Center (MSLC) Citizen Science component (participants are mostly secondary teachers from Alaska) and a local Alaska Native component.
At all times, project staff from UAMN will be onsite to assist and supervise with the excavations of the sites. Standard field methods will be employed during the excavations at the sites. In addition, site mapping equipment (total station and data recorders etc…) will also be used during these excavations.
A. The Recipient agrees to:
1. Coordinate with NPS education and resources staff to provide students with leadership, teaching, and cultural history training.
2. Develop in conjunction with NPS Cultural Resource Staff the curriculum for the Culture Camps.
3. Provide three or more staff to co-supervise the Cultural Camps along with NPS staff.
4. Provide excavation equipment for culture camp participants
5. Post process artifacts and data collected from the culture camps.
6. Teach and administer the Culture Camps with NPS Cultural Resource Staff.
7. Ensure all relevant equipment purchased remains property of Cultural Resources, which may be used in future camps.
8. Provide final reports from these excavations to NPS.
9. Develop emergency action plans for each culture camp.

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE INVOLVEMENT

Within this paragraph use the following language to address NPS Substantial 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:
1. Coordinate with UAMN staff to recruit students, Native Alaskans, Elders, and community members to participate in the Cultural Camps.
2. Provide NTE $ 50,746 in financial assistance to UAMN to achieve the purposes of this agreement.
3. To the extent practical and depending on availability, allow UAMN personnel to use government equipment and infrastructure to achieve the goals of the project (e.g. electronics for audiovisual needs, use of Teklanika Field Camp, use of Murie Science and Learning Center classroom). Any such equipment and infrastructure shall be accounted for according to appropriate NPS rules, regulations and standards.
4. Assist in the coordination of camp and logistics and other needs as practicable.
5. Develop the Culture Camp curriculums with UAMN staff and co-teach the camps.
6. Assist in the development and delivery of the camps by assigning appropriate personnel to work with the students (i.e. cultural resource staff, archaeologists.)
7. Determine locations and make reservations for NPS sites and facilities used in the implementation of the camps.

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

Example
(4) Unique Qualifications

Single Source Justification Description:

The University of Alaska Museum of the North (UAMN) is the primary repository for Alaska Arctic and Subarctic archaeological collections. It houses the largest collection of Alaskan archaeological remains in the world and the staff and researchers who work at the museum have more knowledge of these artifacts and of the archaeology of Alaska than those at any other institute. The museum has an active archaeology education program which when combined with their extensive collections and research makes them uniquely qualified to partner and use the cultural camp as an opportunity to build understanding of Alaska’s archaeology and cultural resources and serve the community. UAMN also has works closely with Alaska Native Students to teach them about the cultural resources of Alaska. UAMN is the only appropriate recipient for this agreement as no other institutes which have missions similar to those of UAMN also provide the educational outreach that UAMN does or have working close relationships with Alaska Native students.