National Park Trust, Inc Buddy Bison School Program and Kids to Parks Day

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This Funding Announcement is not a request for applications. This Announcement is to provide public notice of the National Park Service (NPS), intention to fund the following project activities without competition. ABSTRACT Funding Announcement P15AS00235 Project Title Buddy Bison School Program and Kids to Parks Day Recipient National Park Trust, Inc Total Anticipated Award Amount $450,000 Cost Share $450,000 Anticipated Length of Agreement From date of award for 5 years Anticipated Period of Performance From date of award for 5 years Award Instrument Cooperative Agreement Statutory Authority 54 USC 101702(a) CFDA # and Title 15.954 Conservation, Protection, Outreach and Education Single Source Justification Criteria Cited (4) Unique Qualifications Point of Contact June Zastrow 303-987-6718 june_zastrow@nps.gov OVERVIEW This Cooperative Agreement (Agreement) is entered into by the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service (NPS), and National Park Trust (NPT) to provide educational programs in conservation, nature and outdoor recreation to youth from underserved and urban communities STATEMENT OF JOINT OBJECTIVES/PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN The objective of this Agreement is to provide access to outdoor educational and recreational programs to youth from underserved urban communities through financial assistance in the form of a cooperative agreement with NPT. In 2013, the NPS signed a memorandum of understanding with the NPT to establish a framework to facilitate the planning and execution of NPT programs and activities that promote the respective missions of the NPT and the NPS. The focus of these programs and activities will the encouragement of youth and young adults from diverse backgrounds to experience, and to preserve and protect, the natural and cultural resources of the units of the National Park System. RECIPIENT INVOLVEMENT The Recipient agrees to; ��� Collaborate with the NPS in providing outdoor educational and recreational activities for youth through the Buddy Bison and the Kids to Parks Day programs. NATIONAL PARK SERVICE INVOLVEMENT NPS agrees to: ��� Collaborate and consult with NPT in selecting communities and schools to participate in the Buddy Bison school program. ��� Consult with NPT in connecting communities and schools to NPS units where students can participate in outdoor educational and recreational programming. 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 ��� 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 ��� 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 ��� The language in the applicable authorizing legislation or legislative history clearly indicates Congress��� intent to restrict the award to a particular recipient of purpose; (4) Unique Qualifications ��� 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 ��� 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. NPS did not solicit full and open competition for this award based the following criteria: (4) UNIQUE QUALIFICATIONS The National Park Trust has a long history of providing quality educational programs and outdoor recreation programs in national parks to youth from underserved and urban communities. NPS has worked with the recipient on many of the Buddy Bison school programs and Kids to Parks events and, with funding from this cooperative agreement, seeks to expand the programs' outreach to new communities and schools. A Memorandum of Understanding between NPS and NPT was signed in 2013 to establish a framework to facilitate the planning and execution of NPT programs that promote the mission of the NPS. They are the only organization running the Buddy Bison school programs and provide transportation to underserved urban youth to visit National Parks. NPT is providing a100% cost match with NPS and has the unique Buddy Bison-licensed Teachers Toolkits for the Buddy Bison School Programs and National Kids to Parks Day events. No other organization has access to these unique program specific curriculum materials. These programs and teacher toolkits serve mainly the elementary age students which no other organization working with the NPS does.

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