National Park Service Grant: Marine Debris Education and Cleanup in Kotzebue Sound Communities

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 P15AC00686
Project Title Marine Debris Education, Outreach and Cleanup in Kotzebue Sound Communities
Recipient
Principle Investigator / Program Manager Beth Trowbridge – Center for AK Coastal Studies
Peter Neitlich – National Park Service
Total Anticipated Award Amount $16,000
Cost Share $4,000
New Award or Continuation? New Award
Anticipated Period of Performance July 1, 2015-September 30, 2016
Award Instrument Cooperative Agreement
Statutory Authority 54 USC 101702(a)
CFDA # and Title 15.931 Conservation Activities by Youth Service Organizations
Single Source Justification Criteria Cited (4) Unique Qualifications
NPS ATR Point of Contact Peter Neitlich
Acting Chief of Natural Resources/Ecologist
National Park Service
41A Wandling Road
Winthrop, WA 98862
(509) 996-3917
Peter_Neitlich@nps.gov

OVERVIEW

NPS has recently initiated a project to remove marine debris from Bering Land Bridge National Preserve and Cape Krusenstern National Monument. Because marine debris is highly mobile, a successful cleanup needs to take a regional approach and to focus additional attention on coastal communities in the region (which generate a large volume of debris), education on marine debris and its effects, outreach, and community cleanups. This agreement is designed as a cooperative partnership between NPS-WEAR and the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies (CACS), which has extensive experience in conducting educational programs for students and communities throughout Alaska. NPS has a strong interest in supporting the mission of CACS as their goal is to reduce the amount of marine debris in Alaskan seas through education, outreach and community cleanup. Since NPS and CACS share common goals, this funding is designed to address the broader issue of supporting these goals and stimulating greater action and awareness of this issue. The education component of WEAR’s project will work with youth to raise awareness of marine debris issues for students and local schools throughout the Kotzebue Sound region. The project will also directly work with community groups to develop strategies to reduce marine debris inputs.

STATEMENT OF JOINT OBJECTIVES/PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN

NPS and CACS will partner in marine debris cleanup and education efforts by:
1. Cleaning up approximately 250 miles of coastline in Bering Land Bridge National Preserve and Cape Krusenstern National Monument.
2. Coordinating local cleanups in Shishmaref, Wales, Deering, Kotzebue, Kivalina, Kiana and Ambler. These are communities adjacent to the Western Arctic National Parklands and primary stakeholders in the management of NPS lands which are heavily used for subsistence. As debris is highly mobile, community cleanups benefit all stakeholders in the region (i.e., village, tribes, Native Corporations, NPS, other federal and state agencies).
3. Presenting concurrent school programs and outreach campaigns focusing on food safety and wildlife health.
4. Facilitating youth development of videos on marine debris and to mentor youth on videography allowing for the posting of videos on social media and presentations at the Alaska Forum on the Environment and/or other conferences.

RECIPIENT INVOLVEMENT

CACS will:
1. Develop a customized version of their statewide curriculum that will be used in northwest Alaskan schools and communities. The new version will include fauna examples from Kotzebue Sound and will tie marine debris directly to important community issues such as subsistence hunting and food safety.
2. Present school programs and conduct community cleanups in August and September 2015 in Shishmaref, Wales, Deering, Kotzebue, and Kivalina. If cost savings can be found or additional funding appears, programs will be presented in Ambler, Kiana and other nearby villages.
3. Work with Kotzebue Sound schools to facilitate development of 2-4 youth videos on marine debris and marine health.
4. Participate in NPS-sponsored cleanups on NPS lands to the extent practical.

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE INVOLVEMENT

NPS will:
1. Coordinate large-scale marine debris cleanup effort on NPS lands.
2. Work jointly with CACS to develop and execute a plan for removal of the debris gathered in the school and community cleanups. The cleanups of local communities will enhance NPS’s efforts to clean up NPS lands, thereby facilitating a broader regional approach to the cleanups.
3. Work with community leaders, local Native Councils and schools to facilitate joint NPS-CACS programs and to make appropriate local introductions.
4. Make joint NPS-CACS presentations at community and Native Association meetings to update communities on marine debris removal efforts and on broader efforts statewide.
5. Make joint NPS-CACS presentations of youth videos and youth programs at the Alaska Forum on the Environment.
6. Provide CACS staff with logistical support such as housing, vehicle use, airport shuttles.

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:

At present, the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies is the only organization in Alaska that has a focused program on youth and community education and cleanups on marine debris throughout the state. While there are many citizens groups and other organizations working on marine debris, CACS has a unique focus on creating and delivering school programs on marine debris statewide. They also have a tremendous track record of coupling these programs with effective community cleanups that help to remove the debris from entire regions (including communities, conservation units, private lands).
We have discussed this issue with the NOAA marine debris program, the Alaska Sea Life Center, and the Gulf of Alaska Keepers. None of these organizations had the interest or current ability to conduct these programs during the current fiscal year. Certainly these capacities could be developed by other organizations, but as of yet, they have not been.