OpportunityTitle: CHENA FLATS GREENBELT PROJECT COORDINATOR
Description: The US Fish and Wildlife Service, Headquarters Region 7 intends to award a single source Cooperative Agreement as authorized by 505 DM 2.14 (A) to the Interior Alaska Land Trust (IALT), Fairbanks, Alaska. This notice is not a request for proposals and the Government does not intend to accept proposals. Award will be made 15 days after this notice. PURPOSE: Continue the conservation efforts of the IALT to establish and expand the Chena Flats Greenbelt near Fairbanks, Alaska. The IALT is a small nonprofit land trust composed of volunteers that do not have the resources to identify and work with willing sellers to conserve high-quality wetlands identified by the Service and Fairbanks residents as uncommon and threatened in the Fairbanks area. This agreement will also foster the IALT&#146;s public outreach to Fairbanks residents about the need for open space and wildlife habitat, and to create support for other potential similar conservation projects like the Greenbelt in the Greater Fairbanks area. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this agreement is to provide support and assistance for an IALT Project Manager through 2015 to identify willing landowners, negotiate conservation easements or fee simple title transfers of property to the IALT, support incidental costs associated with easements and title transfers, and to generate the funds necessary to acquire conservation easements and title transfers for the Greenbelt. BACKGROUND In May 2005, with support from the Service and the Interior Alaska Land Trust (IALT), members of the Fairbanks community formed the Chena Flats Greenbelt Project (Project). The Project is located in Fairbanks, Alaska, between the base of Chena Ridge and Chena Pump Road. A major goal of the Project is to conserve a portion of the remaining high-quality wetlands in the Fairbanks area to benefit wildlife and to protect surface and groundwater quality. These lowlands encompass some of the last remaining natural lakes and wet-meadow wetlands in the immediate Fairbanks area. The Project area provides habitat for moose, lynx, owls, swans, cranes, and numerous other waterbirds. As part of the Project&#146;s goal, the Project seeks to conserve about 700 acres of wildlife habitat and to protect about 10 miles of multi-use trails. About 360 acres have been conserved to date with the help of the IALT. The IALT was instrumental in the initiation of the Chena Flats Greenbelt Project, and they supply technical advice, organization, and non-profit status for raising funds to conserve wildlife habitat. REASON FOR SINGLE SOURCE: (1) Continuation &#150; The activity to be funded is necessary to the 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. The IALT has been a critical partner of the Project since its inception, and has been the sole recipient of grants and donations totaling over $3.8 million to acquire 360 acres of wetland and other habitat. Without the IALT&#146;s partnership with the Service, it is unlikely that the remaining partners could achieve their goal of conserving 695 acres of threatened habitat near the rapidly expanding metropolitan area of Fairbanks. (2) Legislative intent &#150; The language in the applicable authorizing legislation or legislative history clearly indicates Congress&#146; intent to restrict award to a particular recipient or purpose. This agreement is entered into under the authority of the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956, as amended, 16 U.S.C. 742 a-j; the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act of 1958, 16 U.S.C. 661-667e; and the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 16 U.S.C. 2901-2911 (3) Unique Qualifications &#150; 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. The IALT is the only organization currently conducting this type of work in the Fairbanks area, and has been the only organization to be awarded grants and donations for the Project. They have already developed the contacts, knowledge and skills needed to pursue this work. Providing funds to continue their efforts is considerably less expensive than training others to perform these functions, including Service staff.
GrantorContactEmailDescription: Work
GrantorContactText: Robert J. Henszey, Conservation Planning Assistance &lt;br/&gt;Phone: 907-456-0323