National Park Service’s Rocky Mountain Network Stream Water Chemistry Analysis 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.

OVERVIEW

The National Park Service’s (NPS) Rocky Mountain Inventory and Monitoring Network (ROMN) monitors long-term stream ecological integrity and water quality in network parks. An important aspect of this work is to sample and analyze water chemistry/quality. NPS-ROMN staff will take water chemistry/quality samples at many locations in ROMN parks. NPS-ROMN staff will process the samples in the field and deliver them to the University of Colorado Boulder’s Kiowa Laboratory for analysis. Kiowa Laboratory staff will complete the laboratory analyses and deliver the data to NPS-ROMN. NPS-ROMN will work with Kiowa Laboratory staff to identify potential errors and quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) the data, and interpret patterns in the sample results resulting in a final report for the project.

In using the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU), federal agencies and nonfederal partners (e.g. tribes, universities, state agencies, and other organizations) collaborate through technical assistance, education, and training to address natural and cultural resource management issues. Under the Rocky Mountain CESU, the National Park Service and University of Colorado will collaborate through technical assistance in analyzing water from the Rocky Mountain National Park streams. The work will result in a better understanding of the water chemistry and water quality of the national park streams in the Rocky Mountain region. These streams are often headwater streams in relatively pristine parks that flow into other public and private lands downstream. The public (and various resource management and regulatory agencies) has an interest in understanding water quality (for various uses) and how it changes over time and space in the Rocky Mountain region.

RECIPIENT INVOLVEMENT

University of Colorado Boulder agrees to:
– Provide bottles and ultrapure deionized water for NPS to use in collecting water chemistry samples.
– Analyze water chemistry samples based on 20 parameters and in accordance with the Kiowa Lab standard operating procedures.
– Provide data report and deliver it electronically to NPS in a timely manner.

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:
– Assigning an Agreement Technical Representative.
– Working closely with University of Colorado personnel throughout the project to evaluate the progress of this project and provide direction for project objectives.
– Provide water chemistry samples and assist in identifying errors and quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) of the data and interpreting patterns in the results.

SINGLE-SOURCE JUSTIFICATION

THIS IS A NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD

This is a Task Agreement, P13AC01097, under the Rocky Mountain Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Cooperative Agreement H2370094000, in the amount of $25,547.00 with a period of performance from date of award through July 31, 2018.

STATUTORY AUTHORITY

16 U.S.C. §1a-2(j) Cooperative research and training programs
Secretary of the Interior¿s authorization of activities – Enter into cooperative agreements with public or private educational institutions, States, and their political subdivisions, for the purpose of developing adequate, coordinated, cooperative research and training programs concerning the resources of the National Park System, and, pursuant to any such agreements, to accept from and make available to the cooperator such technical and support staff, financial assistance for mutually agreed upon research projects, supplies and equipment, facilities, and administrative services relating to cooperative research units as the Secretary deems appropriate; except that this paragraph shall not waive any requirements for research projects that are subject to the Federal procurement regulations.

16 U.S.C. §5933 Cooperative agreements
(a) Cooperative study units – The Secretary is authorized and directed to enter into cooperative agreements with colleges and universities, including but not limited to land grant schools, in partnership with other Federal and State agencies, to establish cooperative study units to conduct multi-disciplinary research and develop integrated information products on the resources of the National Park System, or the larger region of which parks are a part.
(b) Report – Within one year of November 13, 1998, the Secretary shall report to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the United States Senate and the Committee on Resources of the House of Representatives on progress in the establishment of a comprehensive network of such college and university based cooperative study units as will provide full geographic and topical coverage for research on the resources contained in units of the National Park System and their larger regions.