THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS- Youth Education and Involvement in Vegetation Managment and Restoration in Heartland Network National Parks- THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS

National Park Service

Description

The Recipient is a member of the Conservation Corps of Minnesota and Iowa who was awarded a Master Cooperative Agreement P15AC00009 allowing Conservation Corps of Minnesota and Iowa to participate in specific tasks, and can provide the necessary activities involved in this particular task while providing an effective outcome for NPS and the objectives of this research/educational project. The objective of this agreement is to: 1) provide youth opportunities to work in National Parks, 2) provide youth an introduction to careers in conservation and natural resource management, 3) to educate youth on the management decisions, management techniques, and operations required to manage natural resources, 4) to control invasive plants known to be a public nuisance including plants designated as noxious weeds under state or federal laws, and 5) to restore plant communities within national parks through the use of prescribed fire, vegetation removal, and vegetation planting. This will be accomplished by partnering with the Recipient to conduct vegetation management projects in fifteen NPS units that comprise the Heartland Inventory and Monitoring Network - http://science.nature.nps.gov/im/units/htln/ Recipient Involvement: The Conservation Corps of Minnesota and Iowa will provide the following items and services: 1. Recruit, select, and train 15 youth interns (18-25 years of age), working as three five-person teams. 2. Recruit, select, and train 3 team leaders to supervise teams and interact with NPS staff. 3. Manage a robust safety program designed to reduce risk associated with travel, field work, and job-related illness. 4. Travel with one or more teams, up to 25 times per year, to national parks to conduct vegetation management projects. 5. Provide teams with vehicles and equipment to perform vegetation management. 6. Provide teams with appropriate housing and meals during their work within national parks. National Park Service Involvement: The NPS is substantially involved with this agreement and agrees to: 1. NPS will provide introductory training regarding the service’s mission prior to the start of the field season. 2. NPS will provide hands-on training in the identification of invasive plants and the operation of equipment, including GPS. 3. NPS will provide 6 GPS units to be returned following use, and will provide technical support on their use and maintenance. 4. NPS will maintain an ftp site for the upload of data from remote, field locations. 5. NPS will provide at least five talks related to NPS careers. These talks will be given by NPS personnel from natural resource management, cultural resource management, interpretation, law enforcement, and administration. Depending upon availability, a park superintendent will also address the work crew. 6. An NPS employee will provide 1 hour of 1-on-1 job counseling with at least 6 crew members. 7. For every project, an NPS employee will brief the crew on significant resource management issues and decisions leading to their work at each park. 8. The NPS and partnering agency will coordinate closely with the scheduling of the work crews in order to reduce expenses and increase productivity, while providing for safety, morale, and welfare of crew members. 9. The NPS will provide trucks, UTVs, portable sprayers, herbicide, mechanical equipment, work areas, and areas for camping or lodging, as available, for use in parks. 10. The NPS will provide technical input on restoration techniques and herbicide selection. 11. The Heartland Invasive Plant Program manager or an NPS designee will work with the partnering agency in order to design project specifications that fit within the capabilities of partner and the NPS. 12. NPS staff will work cooperatively with crew members in the field in the accomplishment of invasive plant control, prescribed burning, wildfire control, and general maintenance. 13. NPS will determine where crews are most needed depending on evolving conditions such as local weather, emergencies (such as wildfire), progress and needs of park-based invasive plant control projects, prescribed fire windows, and availability of local park staff. 14. NPS will stop work on any project that does not meet specifications with regard to herbicide use, effectiveness, resource impacts, or other observed unsafe practices. 15. NPS will review and approve proposed modifications or sub-grants, prior to award.

Who can apply

• Others

Contact

Noel Miller <br/>Grants Management Specialist <br/>Phone 402-661-1658
noel_miller@nps.gov