OARS funding Environmental Sustainability

Through this proposed undertaking, ￧ BLM collaboration with a partner to accomplish river and habitat restoration projects throughout the Upper and Lower Platte Valley within the Platte River Watershed, aimed at protection and improvement of terrestrial and aquatic habitats at the watershed level with the principal purpose of preservation of a functioning ecosystem on public lands within the Platte River Watershed.

continuing the project on invasive plants in thinned and burned project areas, TTU will add an analysis of ant assemblages in these project areas. Ants are important dispersers and consumers of seeds of native and non-native plants, and understanding the presence of different ant species and colonies is an important facet of invasive plant ecology. Ant samples are being collected by NPS entomologists, and sorted in the laboratory. Sorted ant samples will be shipped to TTU and identified by ant specialists on campus. Data recorded will include ant species, site and trap number, collection date, and numbers of individuals of different ant castes (workers, soldiers, queens, etc.)

The U.S. Department of State Bureau of East Asia Pacific Affairs (EAP) announces an open competition for organizations interested in submitting applications for a series of small environmental awards to support local and regional small-scale environmental projects in eligible countries in the Pacific Islands region, via the Regional Environmental Office in Suva, at $24,999 or less per award. Since FY 2007, EAP and the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs (OES) have worked together to award and administer small environmental grants in the EAP region. These awards are funded through EAP regional foreign assistance funds, and managed by the OES Regional Environment, Science, Technology, and Health (ESTH) Officer for the Pacific Island states posted to Suva.Projects should address one or more of the following environmental areas of focus:* Food security: agriculture and/or fisheries* Sustainable economic development* Adaptation to changing environmental conditions, e.g., coastal management* Waste management, including marine litter* Air quality* Maintaining biodiversity and healthy ecosystems * Creation and/or management of marine protected areas * Environment or health-related education (particularly for underserved groups)* Capacity building for scientific research on environmental issues* Deployment of new technology for application to environmental issuesProjects may propose activities targeted through this solicitation in the following countries: Fiji; Kiribati; Marshall Islands; the Federated States of Micronesia; Nauru; Palau; Samoa; Solomon Islands; Tonga; Tuvalu; or Vanuatu.Projects

The objective of this Task Agreement is to support and stimulate work and/or education and training opportunities for young adults through collaborative participation in Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve's Division of Maintenance. ARTICLE II - LEGAL AUTHORITY 16 USC 1723 (c), Public Lands Corps, authorizes the Secretary to enter into contracts and cooperative agreements with any qualified youth or conservation corps to perform appropriate conservation projects referred to in subsection (d) of section 1723. The Secretary may also authorize appropriate conservation projects and other appropriate projects to be carried out on Federal, State, Local, or private lands as part of disaster prevention or relief efforts in response to and emergency or major disaster declared by the President under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.). ARTICLE III - STATEMENT OF WORK The project to be carried out is located at Glacier Bay National Park, as outlined here: * Brushing work along boundary line sections chosen by the NPS. Work will be done to clarify the boundary between State, Private, Native Corporation and National Park lands within the Gustavus Forelands District. Job will require working with chainsaws, axes, brush loppers and other clearing tools; plus pulling and scattering cut slash into the adjoining forest. * Routine trail maintenance, campground maintenance and roadside brushing to roads, trails and grounds chosen by the NPS.

This is a notice of intent to award a single source grant agreement to SEEDS Youth Conservation Corps without competition under justification 505DM 2.14.B.4. Competition for the award is not practical as SEEDS has been established for the purpose of employment and development of young people and the conservation and enhancement of natural and cultural resources. SEEDS has a robust Youth Conservation Corps program that is nationally recognized. They use a collaborative approach to connect vulnerable youth with the protection and enhancement of our environmental and cultural heritage. In the last five years, SEEDS has employed almost 300 underserved youth who live in northwest lower Michigan.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service is beginning a study within the Southeast Missouri Lead Mining District to model habitat criteria for freshwater mussels in the Big River. This is a notice of intent to award a single source cooperative agreement to the University of Missouri without competition through Grant.gov under justification 505DM 2.14.B.4 in. Competition for the award is not practical as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has selected, through a prior competitive process the University of Missouri to receive funding for implementing a NRDAR assessment study to model the distribution of mussel habitat in the Big River within the Southeast Missouri Lead Mining District. The duration of the study will be approximately one and one-half years and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) will be substantially involved in projects under this funding opportunity. In particular, the Service will be responsible for the following:- Providing previous data on mussel distribution in the Big River,- Providing input on species specific habitat requirements

proactive documentation and information gathering on cultural resources on the public lands. The first planned project focuses on a rockshelter site in Sandoval County, New Mexico, and involves detailed mapping and recording of features and artifacts. Artifacts have been identified as dating to the Late Archaic/Basketmaker II time period (2000 BC to AD 500). Other artifacts in the shelter may date to the Ancestral Pueblo time period. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) archaeologists have collected some unique artifacts when the site was first reported, and detailed analysis of existing collections would be included.

Provide technical and financial assistance via partnerships to identify, protect and restore or improve habitats in priority coastal areas for fish an wildlife. Funds are used for habitat assessments planning, and coastal habitat protection and restoration on public or private lands.

In 2004, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) conducted a program evaluation of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) resource protection activities. The OMB found gaps in the monitoring of resource conditions to support management decisions and that the BLM had no reliable mechanism for reporting on the condition of public lands above the local scale. The BLM established an Interdisciplinary Core Team that evaluated assessment processes, resource inventories, and monitoring procedures and developed a comprehensive plan of action that would lay the foundation for a monitoring strategy. Two reports, (1) the Local Workgroup Report for the National Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring Strategy (BLM 2007) and (2) the Findings and Recommendations for Regional Monitoring for Wildlife and Water with an Emphasis on Energy Development (Falise et al. 2008), were also completed and provided vision toward developing an Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring (AIM) Strategy. Additional or supplemental data collection for fuels treatments (pre and post treatment), wilderness study area monitoring, and rangeland health indicators provide the information to determine the effectiveness of management actions, and may be shared across BLM offices and interested publics.

From rangeland management to protection of cultural resources; fire suppression to energy development; trails and travel management to National Conservation Lands, the BLM values public involvement and a collaborative environment. When we facilitate activities and uses of the public lands, they are designed, permitted, and monitored with the goal of retaining or returning the land to a healthy condition once the use or activity ends. Our objective is to provide opportunities for youth (ages 16-30 years of age) to engage in BLM cultural and natural resource conservation-related projects and to increase public awareness and appreciation of those resources and recreational resource values found on public lands. These projects will provide participants with a mix of work experience, education, training, community involvement and support services, as well as the opportunity to develop citizenship values and skills through service to their community and the United States. As the young men and women gain experience in natural and cultural resource management, they will also develop an appreciation for public lands and learn about conservation-related career fields

For the purpose of conducing project and programs that strengthen and revitalize communities; provide self-esteem, educational enhancements, and employment opportunities through meaningful work experiences for youth and adults; and conserve, develop and enhance natural resources.

NRCS Oregon requests proposals for Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies on forestland lands. Proposals will be accepted from any eligible entity within the state of Oregon. For fiscal year 2017, up to $150,000 may be available for the Oregon statewide CIG competition.

The objectives of the project are to: (1)Prevent the spread of AIS in Pyramid Lake and other waterbodies via contaminated watercraft.(2)Prevent introductions of new AIS in Pyramid Lake by contaminated watercraft.(3) Protect the waters, native wildlife, and recreational fisheries by preventing or slowing the spread of AIS.

NLGCA Institutions may use the funds: (a) to successfully compete for funds from Federal grants and other sources to carry out educational, research, and outreach activities that address priority concerns of national, regional, State, and local interest; (b) to disseminate information relating to priority concerns to interested members of the agriculture, renewable resources, and other relevant communities, the public, and any other interested entity; (c) to encourage members of the agriculture, renewable resources, and other relevant communities to participate in priority education, research, and outreach activities by providing matching funding to leverage grant funds; and (d) through: (1) the purchase or other acquisition of equipment and other infrastructure (not including alteration, repair, renovation, or construction of buildings); (2) the professional growth and development of the faculty of the NLGCA Institution; and (3) the development of graduate assistantships.

he objectives of this Agreement are to further development of change detection research using an existing methodology developed at Oregon State University by Robert Kennedy termed LandTrendr. The two networks both utilize this approach as part of their respective long-term monitoring programs and rely on its development as technology changes. In addition to LandTrendr, OSU has also developed a companion stand-alone program called TimeSync which is crucial during the validation of the LandTrendr-delineated disturbances. This tool also needs to be upgraded to be compatible with current Windows operating systems. This agreement would allow the I&M networks to work collaboratively with OSU to ensure I&M networks receive the specific tools they need to continue their respective long-term monitoring programs without interruption. Oregon State University will also facilitate easier use of LandTrendr for the public and other researchers because this service is being moved to cloud computing which will greatly increase compute speed, decrease the amount of data storage necessary at the network offices, and remove the need for high level computing within the office. STATEMENT OF WORK RECIPIENT AGREES TO: 1. Provide computer code on running LandTrendr through Google Earth Engine 2. Provide documented workflow on Google Earth Engine 3. Provide computer code to process output rasters of changes to polygons of change 4. Provide updated version of TimeSync compatible with Windows 10 5. Provide documented workflow on installing and running TimeSync

The U.S. Embassy Panama announces a Notification of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to promote sustainability and accountability in Panama with up to $1,500,000 in FY 2016 Economic Support Funds for a project period between 12-24 months; however, the Embassy will consider award periods of up to three years for exceptional proposals on a case-by-case basis. The anticipated start date for this activity is September 30, 2017. The U.S. Embassy Panama anticipates funding up to ten awards as a result of this NOFO. The focus for this funding opportunity is on governance, including the roles and responsibilities of civil society and the government. Successful proposals will develop projects aimed at: 1) strengthening civil society and democratic institutions in Panama; 2) strengthening the rule of law and government accountability and transparency; 3) prison reform programs; or 4) supporting the government's ability to deliver social services to underserved populations.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is soliciting applications from eligible organizations to manage a cooperative agreement to help educate the medical community on how to recognize and treat pesticide-related health conditions. The long-term goal of the project is to achieve improved health for communities at risk for overexposure to pesticides through outreach, technical assistance and training to increase knowledge and awareness of environmental and occupational health risks. This is a national environmental and occupational health effort solicited by doctors, clinicians, and state health departments. With this award, EPA seeks to build on the progress of previous project titled "From the Fields to the Exam Room: Integrating the Recognition, Management and Prevention of Pesticide Poisonings into the Primary Care Setting." The publication "Recognition and Management of Pesticide Poisoning" was an earlier product of the initiative. EPA is seeking applications to (1) provide continuing education, training and technical assistance to relevant audiences; (2) update existing, and/or develop new materials and resource tools; (3) conduct outreach to existing and new audiences to use materials and tools; and (4) develop partnerships and a sustainable network of stakeholders. EPA expects to provide an estimated $500,000 annually, depending on the Agency's budget, for a total of up to $2,500,000 for five years (2017 through 2022).

Currently, four cooperative agreements supporting the Centers are in place. These agreements expire between April 2017 and September 2017. EPA is soliciting proposals from eligible applicants to manage the Center Program. Specifically, EPA is soliciting proposals from eligible applicants to present innovative and effective approaches and partnerships that will support existing Center websites and resources and address the long-term financial security of the Centers as EPA funding is reduced over time

The US Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) intend to develop a Restoration and Compensation Determination Plan (RCDP) for the Missouri portion of the Tri-State Mining District (TSMD) consistent with the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration regulations. This work will build off of related preliminary analyses developed for these TSMD Sites during previous natural resource damage assessment work.

The Western Washington Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office (FWCO) promotes a balanced approach toward aquatic resource stewardship that recognizes a need to conserve and manage self-sustaining populations and their habitats while providing quality recreational fishing.