Opportunity Information: Apply for NOIP17AC01222
The National Park Service (NPS), within the Department of the Interior, issued a public notice for a discretionary cooperative agreement titled "Management for the Conservation of Park Grasslands" (Funding Opportunity Number NOIP17AC01222; CFDA 15.945; activity category: Natural Resources). The notice explains that this is not an open, competitive call for applications. Instead, it serves to inform the public of NPS's intent to make a single expected award (up to an award ceiling of $180,000) without competition, with the original posting dated August 26, 2017 and an original closing date of September 5, 2017.
The core aim of the project is to help Midwest Region parks that manage grasslands used by grazing-dependent wildlife balance two needs that can sometimes pull in different directions: maintaining functional grazing habitat and conserving broader biodiversity. NPS frames the objective as building a more robust and resilient grassland landscape by setting management goals that go beyond simply maximizing how many grazing animals the land can support. Instead, the emphasis is on long-term population sustainability and ecosystem health, meaning management should promote conditions that support stable or improving reproduction, reduced mortality, and appropriate distribution of grazing species across the landscape. At the same time, the project is meant to protect and strengthen key grassland processes such as pollination, soil conservation, erosion reduction, and the maintenance of native plant and animal diversity. The broader context includes climate change, with the expectation that healthier, better-managed grasslands will be more resilient to extreme weather and shifting temperature and precipitation patterns. The notice also stresses that park-level decisions should be made with awareness of the surrounding landscape, so management actions contribute to resilience at larger regional scales, not just within park boundaries.
The statement of work centers on developing practical, site-appropriate management techniques and sequencing those techniques in a way that best improves habitat for multiple grazing-reliant species while maintaining ecological integrity. The types of management tools anticipated are familiar grassland conservation approaches, including prescribed fire, controlling woody plant encroachment, removing exotic or invasive plant species, and restoring native grasses and forbs. A major deliverable is not only identifying which tools to use, but also planning the order and timing of actions so that interventions complement each other and produce the best outcomes for grazed grasslands. The parks identified as likely beneficiaries include Wind Cave, Badlands, Theodore Roosevelt, Tallgrass Prairie, and Agate Fossil Beds, all of which contain grassland systems where grazing dynamics and conservation goals intersect.
The recipient's responsibilities are described as a collaborative, synthesis-and-planning effort across multiple parks. The recipient is expected to work directly with park and regional staff to define specific management goals and measurable objectives for each park that align with a more resilient grassland vision. They must also consolidate and synthesize existing information, including current resource conditions, past management actions, and any available monitoring or assessment data. Using those objectives and the compiled information, the recipient will work with staff to identify the most appropriate next management steps for each park. The project culminates in a final report covering the parks listed in the statement of work, and the recipient must also provide the parks with copies of any data collected during the study so NPS can retain and use the information for ongoing management and future planning.
NPS, in turn, commits to providing the recipient with the key publications, reports, and data needed to complete the work, and to actively engaging in discussions about each park's unique characteristics and constraints. This includes practical realities such as management limitations, operational feasibility, and site-specific considerations that could affect the recommended approach. NPS will also facilitate access for site evaluations by guiding the recipient to the areas that should be visited and assessed, and the agency anticipates collaborating on final reports and any resulting publications, reinforcing that the cooperative agreement structure is intended to be a partnership rather than a hands-off grant.
A significant part of the notice is the single-source justification, which explains why NPS believes a competitive process is not practicable under applicable Department of the Interior and NPS financial assistance policies (including 505 DM 2 and NPS policy FAPP 1443-2015-06). The justification is based on "unique qualifications" of the intended recipient. NPS points to Dr. McGranahan's demonstrated expertise and publication record in fire and grazing ecology, including work in North American tallgrass prairie systems and in Southern African grassland and savanna ecosystems. The notice also highlights his leadership role with the Rangeland Society's International Affairs Committee, suggesting that his global professional network and exposure to a wide range of rangeland management strategies would help ensure the project considers the broadest possible set of feasible approaches when developing site-specific recommendations for NPS parks. Methodologically, his work is described as focusing on the factors that influence fire behavior and the ecological effects of fire in fire-dependent ecosystems, using field sampling, modeling of fuelbeds and fire behavior, and multivariate analysis of ecological communities. NPS also notes a practical advantage: his location within the Great Plains is expected to improve travel efficiency and reduce costs for conducting site visits and evaluations across the relevant parks.
Overall, the opportunity is essentially a targeted, collaborative planning and synthesis project aimed at translating existing science and park data into clear, park-specific grassland management objectives and next-step recommendations. The desired outcome is a set of coordinated strategies, potentially combining fire, vegetation control, invasive species management, and native restoration, that improve grazing habitat while strengthening pollination, soil health, biodiversity, and climate resilience across several key Midwest Region park grasslands.Apply for NOIP17AC01222
- The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Management for the Conservation of Park Grasslands" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.945.
- This funding opportunity was created on Aug 26, 2017.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 05, 2017 This announcement is not a request for applications. This announcement is to provide public notice of the National Park Services intention to award financial assistance for the following project activities without competition.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $180,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - Management for the Conservation of Park Grasslands (NPS)
What is the title of this funding opportunity?
The notice describes a discretionary cooperative agreement titled "Management for the Conservation of Park Grasslands."
Which agency is offering this opportunity?
The opportunity is issued by the National Park Service (NPS) within the Department of the Interior.
What type of award is this?
It is a discretionary cooperative agreement. The notice emphasizes a partnership-style relationship, with NPS actively engaged in discussions, site access support, and collaboration on reports and potential publications.
Is this an open, competitive funding opportunity?
No. The public notice states this is not an open, competitive call for applications. It is a notice of NPS intent to make a single expected award without competition.
How many awards does NPS expect to make?
The notice indicates NPS expects to make one award.
What is the maximum funding amount (award ceiling)?
The notice lists an award ceiling of up to $180,000.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is NOIP17AC01222.
What is the CFDA number and activity category listed?
The notice lists CFDA 15.945, with the activity category described as Natural Resources.
When was the opportunity originally posted and when did it close?
The notice states the original posting date was August 26, 2017, and the original closing date was September 5, 2017.
What is the overall purpose of the project?
The project is intended to help Midwest Region parks that manage grasslands used by grazing-dependent wildlife balance two related goals: maintaining functional grazing habitat and conserving broader biodiversity. NPS frames this as building a more robust and resilient grassland landscape by focusing on long-term population sustainability and ecosystem health rather than simply maximizing grazing capacity.
What does NPS mean by focusing on long-term population sustainability?
Based on the notice, the emphasis is on management conditions that support stable or improving reproduction, reduced mortality, and appropriate distribution of grazing species across the landscape, alongside ecosystem health.
What ecological processes and outcomes are parks expected to protect or strengthen through this work?
The notice highlights protecting and strengthening key grassland processes and outcomes, including pollination, soil conservation, erosion reduction, and maintaining native plant and animal diversity.
How is climate change addressed in the project goals?
The notice places the work in the context of climate change, noting an expectation that healthier and better-managed grasslands will be more resilient to extreme weather and to shifting temperature and precipitation patterns.
Does the notice mention managing beyond park boundaries?
Yes. It states that park-level decisions should be made with awareness of the surrounding landscape, with the intent that management actions contribute to resilience at larger regional scales, not just within park boundaries.
What parks are identified as likely beneficiaries of this work?
The notice identifies these parks as likely beneficiaries: Wind Cave, Badlands, Theodore Roosevelt, Tallgrass Prairie, and Agate Fossil Beds.
What kinds of management tools or approaches are anticipated?
The statement of work anticipates familiar grassland conservation tools, including prescribed fire, controlling woody plant encroachment, removing exotic or invasive plant species, and restoring native grasses and forbs.
What is a major practical deliverable besides identifying management tools?
A major deliverable is planning the order and timing (sequencing) of management actions so interventions complement each other and produce the best outcomes for grazed grasslands while maintaining ecological integrity.
What is the recipient expected to do under the cooperative agreement?
The recipient responsibilities are described as a collaborative synthesis-and-planning effort across multiple parks. Key expectations include working with park and regional staff to define specific management goals and measurable objectives for each park, consolidating and synthesizing existing information, and identifying appropriate next management steps for each park based on objectives and available information.
What information is the recipient expected to compile and synthesize?
The notice specifies consolidating and synthesizing existing information such as current resource conditions, past management actions, and any available monitoring or assessment data.
What is the final required output at the end of the project?
The project culminates in a final report covering the parks listed in the statement of work.
What are the data-sharing expectations for the recipient?
The notice states the recipient must provide the parks with copies of any data collected during the study so NPS can retain and use the information for ongoing management and future planning.
What does NPS commit to providing to support the work?
NPS commits to providing key publications, reports, and data needed to complete the work, as well as actively engaging in discussions about each park's characteristics and constraints.
How will NPS support field or site evaluations?
The notice states NPS will facilitate access for site evaluations by guiding the recipient to areas that should be visited and assessed.
Why is this being issued as a cooperative agreement rather than a more hands-off grant?
The notice explains that the cooperative agreement structure is intended to be a partnership, with NPS anticipating active collaboration on final reports and any resulting publications, along with ongoing engagement about feasibility and park constraints.
Why is NPS not using a competitive process for this award?
The notice includes a single-source justification stating competition is not practicable under applicable Department of the Interior and NPS financial assistance policies due to the unique qualifications of the intended recipient.
What policies are cited in the single-source justification?
The notice references applicable policies including 505 DM 2 and NPS policy FAPP 1443-2015-06.
What qualifications does NPS cite to justify the intended recipient?
NPS cites Dr. McGranahan's expertise and publication record in fire and grazing ecology, including work in North American tallgrass prairie systems and Southern African grassland and savanna ecosystems, along with his professional leadership and methodological background related to fire behavior and ecological effects.
What professional roles or networks are mentioned as relevant to the work?
The notice highlights Dr. McGranahan's leadership role with the Rangeland Society's International Affairs Committee and notes that his global professional network and exposure to varied rangeland strategies would help ensure broad consideration of feasible approaches for NPS parks.
What methods or technical approaches are mentioned in relation to the intended recipient's work?
The notice describes work focusing on factors influencing fire behavior and ecological effects of fire in fire-dependent ecosystems, using field sampling, modeling of fuelbeds and fire behavior, and multivariate analysis of ecological communities.
Does the notice mention any efficiency or cost advantages?
Yes. It notes a practical advantage that the intended recipient's location within the Great Plains is expected to improve travel efficiency and reduce costs for site visits and evaluations across relevant parks.
In plain terms, what kind of project is this?
As described, it is a targeted, collaborative planning and synthesis project intended to translate existing science and park data into clear, park-specific grassland management objectives and next-step recommendations, potentially combining fire, vegetation control, invasive species management, and native restoration to improve grazing habitat while strengthening pollination, soil health, biodiversity, and climate resilience.
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