National Park Service Offering Grant for National Public Lands Day Environmental Stewardship

This Funding Announcement is not a request for applications. This announcement is to provide public notice of the National Park Service (NPS), intention to fund the following project activities without competition.

ABSTRACT
Funding Announcement NPS-NOI-WASO-09-0004
Project Title National Public Lands Day
Recipient The National Environmental Education and Training Foundation
Total Anticipated Award Amount $40,000.00
Cost Share None
Anticipated Length of Agreement 5 years
Anticipated Period of Performance September 2009 – September 2014
Award Instrument Cooperative Agreement
Statutory Authority 16 USC Sec. 1 g
CFDA # and Title 00.000
Single Source Justification Criteria Cited Unique Qualifications – The applicant is uniquely qualified to performed 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;
Point of Contact

Beth Walden
Contracting Officer
National Park Service
WASO Contracting and Procurement
12795 W. Alameda Pkwy.
Lakewood, CO 80228
(303) 987-6739
Fax (303) 969-2402

OVERVIEW

National Public Lands Day (NPLD) is a program of The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) in partnership with Federal, state, and local public land management agencies and not-for-profit organizations. The Federal agency partners are Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, Department of Defense, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Park Service, US Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and USDA Forest Service.

The NPLD program began in 1994 and the National Park Service was one of the original partnering agencies. Each year, volunteers build trails and bridges, improve wildlife habitat, plant trees, remove invasive species, collect seeds, facility restoration, and much more. In 2008, 150 National Park Service parks/sites participated in NPLD events.

STATEMENT OF JOINT OBJECTIVES/PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN

The objective of the agreement between the National Park Service and NEEF is to strengthen environmental, cultural, and natural resource stewardship and awareness through encouraging volunteerism on behalf of America’s national parks by sharing resources and expertise.

RECIPIENT INVOLVEMENT
NEEF acts as the national manager for the event by providing guidance, support and technical advice to participating national parks. In coordination with the National Park Service, NEEF ensures that programs are designed and managed in a way that promotes volunteer opportunities on public lands. The National Park Service benefits from work that will be carried out by volunteers throughout the country. Also, with the event managed by NEEF, the National Park Service can be part of this large national multi-agency event without having to designate internal staff to coordinate the entire event. NEEF also provides media support and promotion throughout the country on behalf of all the agencies involved.

National Park Service INVOLVEMENT

The NPS will cooperate with NEEF in promoting and Coordinating NPLD and developing other programs, materials, events and activities.

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.

NPS did not solicit full and open competition for this award based the following criteria

(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; Recipient developed this project and it would not be cost effective to proceed with a new recipient.