Implement Cuyahoga Valley National Park Rual Landscape Management Program

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The objective of this agreement is to allow for the full implementation of the park’s Rural Landscape Management Program. CUVA's Rural Landscape Management Program (Countryside Initiative) involves up to 13 long-term (60 year) leases with farmers on NPS property. The primary purpose of the program is to protect and preserve the rural heritage of the Cuyahoga Valley by adaptive reuse of historic farmsteads for farmers living on and actively farming the land. For the past 20 years, the NPS and the Recipient have worked collaboratively to bring active, sustainable, community-driven agriculture back into Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP) and the Northeast Ohio Region. This partnership helps educate and inspire visitors about the value of the rural landscape and how individuals can play a part in the preserving this vanishing resource, as well as providing access to healthy local food for the park, visitors, and surrounding communities. The project engages recipients, partners, communities, and/or visitors in shared environmental stewardship. The project promotes greater public and private participation in historic preservation programs and activities. The project builds resource stewardship ethics in its participants. The information, products and/or services identified or developed by this project will be shared through a variety of strategies to increase public awareness, knowledge and support for historic preservation and stewardship of the nation’s cultural and historical heritage. The project motivates its youth participants to become involved in the natural, cultural and /or historical resource protection of their communities and beyond. Students gain “real world” or hands-on experience outside of the classroom of natural, cultural and/or historical resource projects. The project assists in the creation, promotion, facilitation, and/or improvement of the public’s understanding of natural, cultural, historic, recreational and other aspects of areas such as ecological conservation areas, and state and local parks. Recipient will employ multiple staff positions toward implementation and co-management of the CUVA Rural Landscape Program (Countryside Initiative [CI]) to achieve the following: 1) Advise NPS and farmers on agricultural best management practices for protection of natural and cultural resources. 2) Serve as core member the NPS farm management team to review and approval farm proposals and annual operating plans and assist in property inspections for maintenance needs. 3) Provide guidance, training, equipment and other technical assistance resources to farmer lessees for sustaining their operations over the length of their leases, according to terms and conditions of their NPS leases. Address specific agricultural challenges farmers face in their operations. 4) Serve as a community liaison among NPS, farmers, and the public regarding healthy local food systems, food access, and sustainable farming. Develop a beginning farmer program to recruit and hire apprentices (mostly youth) to gain farming experience by assisting park farmers with their operations.

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