OpportunityTitle: Re-measuring the Effects of Heavy Metals on Vegetation in Cape Krusenstern National Monument
Description: 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&#226;&#191;&#191;s intention to fund the following project activities without full and open competition. ABSTRACT Funding Announcement Number P16AC00394 Project Title Re-measuring the Effects of Heavy Metals on Vegetation in Cape Krusenstern National Monument Recipient Oregon State University Principle Investigator / Program Manager Peter Neitlich Acting Chief of Natural Resources/Ecologist National Park Service 41A Wandling Road Winthrop, WA 98862 (509) 996-3917 Peter_Neitlich@nps.gov Total Anticipated Award Amount $153,041 Cost Share none New Award or Continuation? New Anticipated Period of Performance 1 September 2016 &#226;&#191;&#191; 31 December 2018 Award Instrument Cooperative Tast Agreement Statutory Authority 54USC&#194;&#167;101702 CFDA # and Title 15.945 Cooperative Research and Training Programs &#226;&#191;&#191; Resources of the National Park System, Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units Network Single Source Justification Criteria Cited N/A NPS ATR Point of Contact Jim Lawler OVERVIEW The purpose of this project is to continue to monitor of the effects of fugitive dusts released along the Delong Mountains Transportation System (DMTS) on vegetation, with particular emphasis on lichens. The DMTS passes through Cape Krusenstern National Monument (CAKR) and connects the Red Dog mine, one of the largest zinc-lead mines in the world, with the DMTS port site on the Chukchi Sea. Trucks have used the DMTS to haul ore concentrate from the mine to the port since 1989, and previous studies have documented elevated concentrations of cadmium and lead in the vicinity of the road (Hasselbach et al 2005). In response to the potential environmental impacts of heavy metal contamination on vegetation, the NPS sampled a set of lichen monitoring plots in 2006, with the intent to re-measure them at an approximately 10-year interval. Additional details about the history of the DMTS monitoring project and the sampling protocol are found in Swanson and Neitlich (2016). Oregon State University and NPS are collaborating on the publication of manuscripts related to that earlier sampling under task agreement P15AC00958 executed in 2015. Through the current agreement we will re-sample the plots by the established protocol and then draw on the expertise of the cooperator to develop methods for documenting change, or lack of change, by comparison with the previous sampling instance, and complete a second set of reports. STATEMENT OF JOINT OBJECTIVES/PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN NPS seeks the cooperation of Oregon State University for assistance in monitoring of the levels and effects of heavy metals contamination in CAKR. This joint research team is currently engaged in completing the manuscripts reporting the first remeasurement of metals distribution and the first measurement of effects of contaminants on vegetation. This project will embark on field work for the next monitoring round and will complete two manuscripts: 1. Remeasurement of spatial patterns of heavy metal deposition along the Red Dog Mine Haul Road in Cape Krusenstern National Monument. 2. Remeasurement of vegetation and lichen community structure along the Red Dog Mine Haul Road in Cape Krusenstern National Monument This project provides NPS funding to serve two public goals: 1) providing information about the status and trends of contaminants in and adjacent to CAKR to a broad group of stakeholders with strong subsistence and economic interests, and 2) to provide funding to a public educational and research institution to further their capacity to engage in these types of projects for the public&#226;&#191;&#191;s benefit. RECIPIENT INVOLVEMENT 1. Collaboratively undertake a study titled &#226;&#191;&#191;Re-measuring the Effects of Heavy Metals on Vegetation in Cape Krusenstern National Monument &#226;&#191;&#191;as described in Article I and throughout this document 2. Appoint Dr. Alyssa Shiel as Principal Investigator (PI), with Drs. Bruce McCune and Debashis Mondal as co-PI&#226;&#191;&#191;s. 3. Employ a research associate or graduate student (or students) and field assistants to work under the direct supervision of the PI. 4. Perform logistical planning in cooperation with the Agreement Technical Representative (ATR). 5. Conduct all fieldwork needed to accomplish the sampling protocol provided by NPS. 6. Identify lichen unknowns collected during fieldwork. 7. Develop data analysis methods in cooperation with the NPS project lead, including spatial and/or multivariate statistics as needed. 8. Produce one or more reports in the form of a NPS NRR-series technical report, a student thesis, or a manuscript suitable for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. 9. Produce a set of vouchered lichen specimens curated according to NPS specifications 10. Comply with all park policies in the conduct of field operations 11. Provide NPS with a database according to an NPS-approved template containing all data gathered as a part of this project. 12. Communicate regularly with the NPS ATR by email and telephone in lieu of interim reports. 13. Fully acknowledge the NPS in any published or formally presented material developed or derived from this Task Agreement. 14. Participate as appropriate with the NPS in a 60-day wrap-up period following the due date of the last project product. NATIONAL PARK SERVICE INVOLVEMENT Substantial involvement on the part of 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. Provide financial assistance to the OSU. This includes salary for the required personnel and transportation for fieldwork. 2. Assign Peter Neitlich, WEAR Natural Resources Program Manager, as the NPS Project Lead and NPS co-PI for the project. The Project Lead will provide technical direction and advice on NPS field operations policy, assist with project logistics, and participate in management decisions throughout the duration of the project. 3. Provide plot locations, written sampling protocol, and data from prior sampling of the plots. 4. Assign appropriate personnel to train the OSU personnel in study objectives, field methods, and logistical considerations. 5. Cooperate with OSU in development of data analysis methods. 6. Inform the PI, via activities detailed in Project Products, of the specific activities required to comply with the NPS Interim Guidance Document Governing Code of Conduct, Peer Review, and Information Quality Correction for National Park Service Cultural and Natural Resource Disciplines. The ATR is the peer review manager for this project. 7. Collaborate with OSU in the production of 2 reports in the form of one or more NPS technical report, thesis, or peer-reviewed journal article. 8. Provide lichen voucher database templates and curation specifications. 9. Provide specifications for database design and project documentation. 10. Provide the PI, graduate student or research associate, and approved volunteers with camping gear, lodging at NPS facilities in Kotzebue, and generally facilitate the conduct and operation of the project in CAKR. 11. Provide the field party with a mapping-grade GPS receiver (Trimble) and perform corrective post- processing of the data obtained. 12. Assist in obtaining required NPS permits. 13. Clearly acknowledge OSU in any published or formally presented material developed or derived from this Task Agreement. 14. Participate, as appropriate with OSU in a 60-day wrap-up period following the due date of the last project product. 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 &#226;&#191;&#191; 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 &#226;&#191;&#191; 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 &#226;&#191;&#191; The language in the applicable authorizing legislation or legislative history clearly indicates Congress&#226;&#191;&#191; intent to restrict the award to a particular recipient of purpose; (4) Unique Qualifications &#226;&#191;&#191; 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 &#226;&#191;&#191; 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: N/A &#226;&#191;&#191; Three sources were looked at within the CESU network.
GrantorContactEmailDescription: Work
GrantorContactText: Erica Cordeiro 907-644-3315&lt;br/&gt;Erica_Cordeiro@nps.gov&lt;br/&gt;
CloseDateExplanation: This is a notice of intent to award to Oregon State University.  This task agreement is within the CESU network and as such has already been competed.  Applications will not be accepted from any vendor other than Oregon State University.