OpportunityTitle: BLM AZ Tucson Field Office Youth Natural Resource Conservation and Monitoring Interns (TFO)
AdditionalInformationOnEligibility: ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION  1. Eligible Applicants  The following types of entities are eligible to apply for award under this announcement.  Failure to meet eligibility requirements will result in precluding the BLM from making an award.  Eligible applicant types are:   Qualified Youth or Conservation Corps only  2. Cost Sharing or Matching  The cost sharing or matching required from the recipient under this agreement will be 25% of the total project funding.  The BLM shall not pay more than 75% of the cost of any appropriate conservation project carried out on public lands by a qualified youth or conservation corps under the Public Lands Corps authority.  The term &quot;qualified youth or conservation corps&quot; means any program established by a State or local government, by the governing body of any Indian tribe, or by a nonprofit organization that -   a. is capable of offering meaningful, fulltime, productive work for individuals between the ages of 16 and 25, inclusive, in a natural or cultural resource setting;  b. gives participants a mix of work experience, basic and life skills, education, training, and support services; and  c. provides participants with the opportunity to develop citizenship values and skills through service to their community and the United States. The matching 25% of costs may be provided from non-federal sources in the form of funds, donations, services, facilities, materials, equipment, and/or any combination of the above.
Description: Description of Program and/or Project a. Background: There are multiple active conservation and restoration efforts occurring within the Tucson Field Office (TFO) jurisdiction. These efforts involve multiple partners, state and federal agencies, private landowners, and non-profit organizations. Conservation efforts include watershed, Sonoran desert, grassland, and riparian restoration. Resource Management Plans (RMPs) and associated Biological Opinions (BOs) with the TFO require a variety of monitoring and assessment activities for Federally Listed and Special Status Species and their habitats. In addition implementation of the RMPs require collection of resource specific information on plant communities, fish and wildlife species and habitats, rangelands, watersheds, water sources and climate, as well as responses of these resources to various land treatments and uses. TFO has worked extensively with several Public Land Corps organizations to promote youth engagement and work experience in conservation and restoration projects in a variety of habitats. These internships have provided participants with a variety of work experiences and skill development, and promotion of stewardship values, through service to the BLM managed public lands. b. Objectives: The BLM seeks partners for a collaborative program whose interests are to promote engagement of youth in conservation projects including wildlife or watershed improvement and restoration projects; natural resources inventory, monitoring and assessment; environmental research; education; and conservation throughout the Tucson Field Office, Gila District, Arizona, with particular focus on 1) resource inventory and monitoring / data collection, and wildlife habitat/watershed restoration.This collaboration would provide an outlet for young professionals to obtain training and on the ground experience in data collection, data analysis, site restoration and multiple resource monitoring throughout the Tucson Field Office. Project outcomes may include inventories, reports, completed databases, maps, and ArcGIS shapefiles. The principle purpose of the program is to provide opportunities for youth and recent college graduates to develop and practice skills related to: a) Gaining experience and training in arid lands watershed and habitat restoration and monitoring of multiple resources, government agency policies and procedures, public outreach and education, data collection and management, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Global Positioning Systems (GPS). b) Expose young professionals to procedures used to implement watershed, wildlife, fisheries, range, and recreation management principles within the BLM. c) Explore methods for improving resource management through cooperative efforts. d) Enhance management of natural resources. Help meet national expectations for conserving, protecting, and restoring ecosystems and for protecting landscape qualities on lands managed in the public trust by the BLM. Resource Monitoring / Data Collection There would be an emphasis in using this agreement to support and undertake multiple active conservation and restoration efforts occurring and planned in the future within the Tucson Field Office (TFO) jurisdiction as well as inventory, monitoring and assessment of multiple resources within the TFO. These ongoing efforts involve multiple partners, state and federal agencies, private landowners, and non-profit organizations. Conservation efforts include watershed, Sonoran desert, grassland, and riparian restoration. Resource Management Plans (RMPs) and associated Biological Opinions (BOs) with the TFO require a variety of monitoring and assessment activities for Federally Listed and Special Status Species and their habitats. In addition implementation of the RMPs require collection of resource specific information on plant communities, fish and wildlife species and habitats, rangelands, watersheds, water sources and climate, as well as responses of these resources to various land treatments and uses. Recreation and Visitor Services There would be an emphasis in using this agreement to undertake recreation site challenges, including, but not limited to: site maintenance, improvement of facilities, interpretation, trail construction and maintenance; campground maintenance; trash clean-up. For our dispersed recreation program, the recipient of the award would assist in creation and maintenance of trails, trailheads, interpretive signs, brochures, and collect data for improved mapping and documentation. Wilderness monitoring is another project the award recipient could assume with specific goals of streamlining data collection protocols, improving wilderness signs, and implementing projects that would alleviate unauthorized uses of these areas. Environmental education near our communities is an opportunity that would develop interpretation skills for the recipient of the award. Wildlife Habitat Restoration The projects will vary throughout the TFO and may include: watershed restoration activities; wildlife and fisheries habitat restoration; fuels reduction; seed collection; sediment and erosion control; user education and outreach; installation or maintenance of water developments; fence and barrier installations; installation, removal, or modification of fences; route signing; route closure and restoration; invasive weed removal; inventory of plants and wildlife; cultural site recordation, and stabilization and rehabilitation of areas damaged by wildland fires.
GrantorContactEmailDescription: ebell@blm.gov
GrantorContactText: Grants Management Officer Eddie W Bell Jr (602) 417-9268&lt;br/&gt;ebell@blm.gov&lt;br/&gt;
CloseDateExplanation: See announcement cover sheet for the deadline (1 August 2016, 17:00) for submission of applications.  Applications must be received by the BLM prior to the posted deadline.