Long Term Monitoring of Southern Colorado Plateau Network

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 P14AS00125
Project Title Long Term Monitoring of Southern Colorado Plateau Network
Recipient Northern Arizona University CP-CESU
Principle Investigator / Program Manager Dr. James Allen
Total Anticipated Award Amount $195,000.00
Cost Share none
New Award or Continuation? Continuation of Cooperative Agreement H2370094001
Anticipated Length of Agreement From Date of award until 12/31/2016
Anticipated Period of Performance From Date of award until 12/31/2016
Award Instrument Cooperative Agreement
Statutory Authority 16 USC 1(g)
CFDA # and Title
Single Source Justification Criteria Cited (2) Continuation
NPS Point of Contact June Zastrow 303-987-6718 june_zastrow@nps.gov

OVERVIEW

Cooperative Agreement Number H2370094001 was entered into by and between the Department of the Interior, National Park Service (NPS), and Northern Arizona University (NAU) for the purpose of providing field ecology and technical support for long-term monitoring in Southern Colorado Plateau Network (SCPN) parks. The purpose of the monitoring program is to improve our scientific understanding of the status and trends in the condition of a targeted subset of park resources, thus contributing to describing regional resource conditions. Unless otherwise specified herein, the terms and conditions as stated in the Cooperative Agreement will apply to this Task Agreement.

Field Ecology and Technical Support for Long-Term Monitoring in National Parks of the SCPN

As part of the SCPN Vital Signs monitoring program, this project contributes to understanding the current status and tracking trends in condition through time for a selected suite of indicators of ecosystem condition. The purpose of the project described herein is for SCPN and NAU to collaborate to conduct long-term monitoring of upland, riparian/aquatic and landscape-level indicators in targeted park ecosystems and to communicate monitoring results to a broad audience of park managers, partners and the general public. Through this collaboration, NPS and NAU will contribute to describing regional ecological integrity and furthering scientific understanding of the current conditions of park resources, which often serve as reference conditions when evaluating the condition of public lands that are more impacted by human use. Results from this project will be publicly available through the SCPN website (http://science.nature.nps.gov/im/units/scpn/index.cfm) and the Learning Center of the American Southwest website (http://www.southwestlearning.org/).

RECIPIENT INVOLVEMENT

1. To implement long-term water resources monitoring of selected SCPN streams and springs and to collaborate with the SCPN staff toward the completion of water resources monitoring protocols and reports. Monitoring topics include 1) riparian ecosystems, 2) aquatic macroinvertebrates, 3) water quality, and 4) spring ecosystems.
2. To implement long-term upland vegetation and soils monitoring within selected upland ecological sites and to collaborate with the SCPN staff toward the completion of upland monitoring reports.
3. To implement the SCPN Data Management Plan and to to collaborate with the SCPN staff toward developing and maintaining the program¿s data management and GIS capabilities.
4. To collaborate with SCPN staff to provide technical writing, editing, and report preparation. The writer/editor will work in collaboration with SCPN staff to produce Natural Resource Technical Report Series publications and other web-based or printed materials for the program, thus promoting the communication of I&M results to NPS managers, partners and the broader public. NAU will also provide printing services support to prepare final reports for distribution to SCPN parks, cooperators and the public.
5. To collaborate with SCPN staff to develop science communication materials about the natural resources of SCPN parks and related NPS management and science issues/activities. These projects will contribute to public understanding of park resources and resource topics and may be written for the SCPN and/or LCAS websites. A NAU School of Communication Intern will be involved in some of these projects.
6. To provide support for the Learning Center of the American Southwest (LCAS) website in coordination with SCPN and the Chihuahuan, Sonoran, and Southern Plains Networks.
7. Through Deaver Herbarium, to resolve NPS herbarium collection record issues in order to improve tracking of NPS collections. This will also contribute to a more accurate regional understanding of the distribution of plant species across the Colorado Plateau.
8. To provide project oversight and administration. The NAU Principal Investigator will supervise the NAU staff involved with tasks above and will serve as a senior scientist providing scientific review and guidance, as well as coordination with SCPN staff.

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:

SCPN staff will work collaboratively with NAU to complete monitoring protocols. NPS Staff will select systems & sites for monitoring & will provide training/oversight for monitoring work. SCPN GIS specialist will provide sampling design & GPS Support. SCPN data managers will develop database formats & metadata standards for documenting results of NAU monitoring. SCPN staff will work with NAU to communicate research results to NPS resource managers & the public. Substantial involvement is also necessary to ensure NPS I&IM data standards are met & to provide substantive review of data products and the reports.

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:

(2) CONTINUATION

SINGLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION DESCRIPTION:

THIS IS A NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD
This is a Task Agreement (P14AC00859) under Cooperative Agreement (H2370094001) in the amount of $195,000.00 with a period of performance from date of award until 12/31/2014.

"This proposed project between Northern Arizona University and the National Park Service is authorized to go through the Colorado Plateau CESU at the negotiated overhead rate of 17.5% because it passes the test of substantial involvement by the NPS, public purpose and consistency with the mission of the CESU Network" Also, on the SF 424 forms that the partner sponsored programs office fills out for each project, requires a CFDA number - 15.945, which is the number associated with the CFDA Title: COOPERATIVE RESEARCH AND TRAINING PROGRAMS - RESOURCES OF THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE (CESU).

STATUTORY AUTHORITY

A. 16 U.S.C. §1g authorizes the NPS to enter into cooperative agreements that involve the transfer of NPS appropriated funds to state, local and tribal governments, other public entities, educational institutions, and private nonprofit organizations for the public purpose of carrying out National Park Service programs.

B. 16 U.S.C. §1a-2(j) Cooperative research and training programs. Authorizes the NPS to 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. Pursuant to such agreements, the cooperator may accept from or make available to the NPS 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 (research projects subject to Federal Acquisition Regulation excluded).
Modified 5/31/05 ¿ Agreement Handbook Memorandum Number 2

C. 16 U.S.C. §5933 Cooperative agreements. 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.