Covered Bridge Educational Prpjects

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 P14AS00225
Project Title Covered Bridge Educational Projects
Recipient National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridgets
Principle Investigator / Program Manager William Caswell
Total Anticipated Award Amount Approximately $260,000.00
Cost Share none
New Award or Continuation? New Award
Anticipated Length of Agreement From Date of award until 9/1/2019
Anticipated Period of Performance From Date of award until 9/1/2019
Award Instrument Cooperative Agreement
Statutory Authority 16 USC 1(g); 16 USC 470(b)7
CFDA # and Title 15.944 Natural Resource Stewardship
Single Source Justification Criteria Cited Unique Qualifications
NPS Point of Contact June Zastrow 303-987-6718 june_zastrow@nps.gov

OVERVIEW

NPS Heritage Documentation Programs is identified by Congress as the principal Federal agency to lead the nation's efforts in historic preservation.

The National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges, the country¿s only national organization dedicated to the preservation of covered wooden truss bridges. A 501.c3 organization, the NSPCB has been instrumental in saving many historic spans from demolition since its founding in 1950.

The objective of the Agreement is to cooperate in the sharing of knowledge, skills, and resources on mutually satisfactory terms in furtherance of the recognized objectives, policies, and responsibilities of preserving the historic built environment of the United States.

RECIPIENT INVOLVEMENT

1. Assist Heritage Documentation Programs in the preparation of documentation of engineering and industrial sites, to the Secretary of the Interior¿s Standards, for transmittal to the Library of Congress and inclusion in the HABS/HAER/HALS collections.
2. Work with the NPS in activities related to the documentation projects providing expertise in the fields of covered bridge history, timber framing, covered bridge rehabilitation, and truss engineering analysis.
3. Participate with the NPS in the exchange of information and knowledge in the area of engineering heritage by means of seminars, conferences, publications, and exhibitions.

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:

1. Work together with NSPCB to provide opportunities for students and professionals in engineering and other relevant disciplines to learn and develop architectural, engineering and historical documentation skills, and to observe directly the administration and management of a national historic engineering documentation program.
2. Work closely with NSPCB personnel to share resources, facilities, information and expertise for the purpose of enhancing the ability of NSPCB to advance the educational opportunities in the areas of engineering heritage and historic preservation

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:

THIS IS A NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD
This is a Cooperative Agreement (P14AC01002) in the amount of $0.00 with a period of performance from date of award until 09/01/2019.

The public purpose of support and stimulation as authorized bf federal law is to develop adequate coordination, cooperative research and training programs concerning historic cultural resources. There are thousands of historic bridges nationwide; the work to be conducted will increase the ability of those in charge of these bridges to assess their safety and plan for appropriate rehabilitation and maintenance, thus making these valuable historic resources safer for the American public.

The National Society of Preservation of Covered Bridges (NSPCB) is uniquely qualified to perform the tasks in this agreement. Its members and directors are among the most knowledgeable in the country in the areas of sensitive preservation techniques and research of historic covered bridges. The tasks in this agreement represent the core mission of the society, to promote the preservation of covered bridges, and further understand the nature of historic materials in order to preserve bridges while saving as much of the original fabric as possible.

Qualifications of Directors:
¿ Sixty combined years of experience in working with historic covered bridges as a professional engineer, designer and timber farmer
¿ Combination of good engineering, preservation and craftsmanship
¿ Preserve structures with their history intact and maximize the original fabric
¿ Engineers with both a preservation and a design background education
¿ Engineering and timber-framing experience on preserving over 40 covered bridges of a variety of truss types and conditions from the New England to the Midwest areas.

The NSPCB owns and reconstructed structures to be exhibited and is motivated to continue to insure its long term preservation and maintenance. In addition, much of the work to be performed in the tasks will be donated by the directors. Only the cost of subcontractors and materials will be charged to the budget. Through is membership the NSPCB will disseminate information about the National Covered Bridge projects through its quarterly journal ¿Covered Bridge Topics¿, a quarterly newsletter, social media, conferences and exhibitions.

STATUTORY AUTHORITY

16 U.S.C. 1g NPS authority to enter into cooperative agreements and transfer appropriated funds to nonprofit organization for the public purpose of NPS programs.

16 U.S.C. 461-467 Specifically, Section 462(e) of the Historic Sites Act, wherein the Secretary of the Interior is authorized to ¿contract and make cooperative agreements with States, municipal subdivisions, corporations, associations, or individuals, with proper bond where deemed advisable, to protect, preserve, maintain, or operate any historic or archeological building, site, object, or property used in connection therewith for public use.