National Park Service Offering Grant to Improve Conditions at Nike Missile Site

NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD

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 P12AC10595
Project Title Improve Conditions at the Nike Missile Site
Recipient Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy
Principle Investigator / Program Manager Susan Ewing Haley – Program Manager
Total Anticipated Award Amount $220,000
Cost Share None
New Award or Continuation? New
Anticipated Length of Agreement 4 years
Anticipated Period of Performance 06/11/2012 – 06/10/2016
Award Instrument Task Agreement
Statutory Authority 16 USC§1g
CFDA # and Title 15.946 – Cultural Resources Management
Single Source Justification Criteria Cited Fill in with number in parenthesis and short title (see below) – such as (4) Unique Qualifications
NPS Point of Contact Erica Cordeiro – 415-561-7048

OVERVIEW

Cultural sites serve as living history museums and are supported by museum object and specimen collections used in educational exhibits throughout the park and other public areas. The results of this project will be an increased understanding of and accountability over the Nike Missile Site and its related collections, improved storage for these collections and a proactive plan for management, preservation, and interpretation into the future. This agreement addresses Nike Missile Site management, preservation, and various improvements through a collaborative and community-based stewardship model, as stipulated by the new General Management Plan and the Comprehensive Interpretive Plan.

STATEMENT OF JOINT OBJECTIVES/PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN

The Nike Missile Site SF-88L, located at Fort Baker in the Marin Headlands, is a unique and special facility, the last of its kind remaining essentially intact in the world. This site, staffed largely by interested volunteers, draws many visitors to the park each year, and provides an unequaled opportunity to interpret the Cold War and American defenses during that period for the public. A collection of military surplus equipment and materiel was acquired by the park to support and interpret the missile site, with the intention of creating additional displays and, possibly, working equipment for interpretation purposes. In a related project at Battery Wallace, the Nike missile components were inventoried and selections were made for the permanent museum collection and a spare parts support collection for use at the site. These component parts are now ready to be preserved through improved museum storage conditions at the Nike Site and identified area batteries. The project may also include research into and implementation of increased interactive exhibit programs at the site. Due to the extreme weather variations in this marine environment, all Nike material stored or displayed outdoors are subject to rapid deterioration if constant preservation maintenance is not implemented. This project will seek to address a variety of concerns relating to the Nike Missile Site. The work will engage National Park Service (NPS) staff, the Conservancy, consultants, volunteer interns and community volunteers to make improvements to and provide preservation treatments for large artifacts and museum exhibits and exhibit sites, and will support improvements to public programs, security, safety, and appearance of the site.
Project tasks include the following:

1. Perform site inventory and triage of artifacts, facilities, and landscape elements; review existing plans such as interpretive plans, maintenance plans and work orders, to create an overall site treatment plan, projecting and prioritizing cultural cyclic maintenance components for a minimum of five (5) years into the future.

2. Based upon the overall site treatment plan, identify and provide improved management for museum cataloged artifacts; dispose of deteriorated artifacts and non-Nike equipment; perform improvements to visitor circulation through relocation of artifacts; perform incidental historic facility and landscape preservation improvements to more closely resemble period of significance.

3. Coordinate with NPS Interpretation staff to develop or expand partnership programs to create volunteer opportunities to contribute to site maintenance.

4. Contribute to development of new exhibit designs and implement to extent possible based on funding. Contribute to improved public programs and publication upgrades based on site improvements.

5. Identify and implement security and safety improvements at the site.

6. Reorganize permanent museum collection of Nike missile components on exhibit at the Nike Missile Site and in storage at Battery Wallace, Battery Alexander and Battery Townsley Reserve to better prepare for future exhibit and public programs.

7. Create new and upgrade existing museum storage areas according to professional standards.

Work may occur over a period of four (4) years, based on the availability of funding. Task requirements will be based on priority task list resulting from site triage and inventory.
Results of this project over the full four (4) year term will include:

• comprehensive cyclic maintenance plan for funding and work projection into the future;
• prioritized list of buildings and equipment tasks for immediate or ongoing maintenance;
• improved safety and security at the site;
• improved interpretive programs and publications, and increased volunteer opportunities for partnerships with the community;
• improved exhibits through refining of draft exhibit/interpretation plans and implementation of new exhibits;
• restoration of the site’s Cold War appearance to the extent possible;
• improved intellectual and physical control and storage conditions for artifacts stored at the Nike Missile Site, Battery Wallace, Battery Alexander and Battery Townsley Reserve;
• completed disposal of artifacts and equipment that are deteriorated beyond usability and are outside the park’s collecting scope;

These tasks will be performed by cultural resource, maintenance and museum professionals from the National Park Service, Parks Conservancy consultants including technical experts and subject matter specialists, and volunteers. Professional commercial services, such as movers, cleaners and pest management firms, or contractors may occasionally be engaged under this agreement to perform limited services in support of the task agreement and project. Professional services, supplies and materials will be funded, as will select repairs/treatments to improve site preservation, artifact preservation and appearance, improve museum exhibits and environment, and ensure appropriate museum security systems are in place.

RECIPIENT INVOLVEMENT

1. Hire qualified individuals under contract to conduct hands-on work outlined in this task agreement in consultation with GGNRA Historian, Maintenance Supervisor, and Supervisory Curator. All contract agreements shall be conducted solely by and with the Parks Conservancy. Consultants are considered independent contractors and are bound by the terms in their individual consultant services agreements, including the Scope of Work. Consultants shall work collaboratively with National Park Service and Parks Conservancy staff to carry out the tasks of this agreement.

2. Implement work program established by NPS staff based on findings in Task 1: Perform site triage and create an overall site treatment program document.

3. Consult on developing improved exhibits, further interpretive products and sales items relating to the Nike Site.

4. Comply with federal government budget and contract reporting requirements.

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE 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:

Provide financial assistance as presented in Article VI of this task agreement.

2. Provide technical qualifications to the Parks Conservancy identifying the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to complete the work outlined in this task agreement.

3. Provide technical and procedural guidance (including National Park Service guidance policies such as the Museum Handbook, Secretary’s Standards for Historic Preservation, etc.); and periodic coordination of the work, especially as it may impact regular interpretation programs at the Nike Site. Work performed by consultants must meet established professional cultural resources and museum management guidelines.

4. Assist in identifying and procuring supplies and materials needed for the project; provide Parks Conservancy a work station and access to a computer and software needed to accomplish the project; provide a government vehicle for travel/transport to the remote worksites.

5. Be substantially involved in performance and regular monitoring and review of the work for quality and completeness. Track progress and ensure work is scheduled to coordinate with NPS activities at the site.

6. Schedule regular reporting meetings to share information about the project with the Parks Conservancy staff.

7. Provide financial administrative support for the project.

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 – The Parks Conservancy and Golden Gate National Recreation Area have collaborated on projects in the past to develop community based stewardshipof historic sites and museum collections to promote educational programming, to inform visitors through exhibits, and for project development. More specifically, photographs of original objects have been highlighted in publications, and replicas of key museum objects have been a huge success at Alcatraz, enabling visitors to purchase iconic artifacts that help fulfill a mutually desirable educational goal, and Nike-related items are offered for sale at the Marin Headlands Visitor Center.

Our objective in collaborating with the Parks Conservancy is the continued research, interpretation and care for the park’s historic sites and museum collections with joint programs that engage youth and the community in on-going natural resource stewardship. Our long term objective is to preserve and maintain historic sites and manage museum collections, tasks that we are working on each year. Site preservation and maintenance improves appearance and ensures long term availability of the resource; museum cataloging provides proper documentation which is essential for accountability, preservation and management of these significant cultural resources. Improved sites and exhibits promote public visitation, educational programs, publications and research.