Summer Youth Team - Wetland Restoration - INDU | NPS NOIP17AC00176 001

Opportunity Information: Apply for NPS NOIP17AC00176 001

The "Summer Youth Team - Wetland Restoration - INDU" grant opportunity is a National Park Service (NPS), Department of the Interior discretionary funding announcement intended to support a youth conservation crew focused on wetlands habitat management and restoration work. The funding is issued as a cooperative agreement under Funding Opportunity Number NPS NOIP17AC00176 001 (CFDA 15.931). Rather than being a new open competition, the notice serves as public documentation of NPS's intent to make a non-competitive financial assistance award by modifying an existing agreement (P17AC00176) to add additional funding. In practical terms, this means the agency is extending or expanding an ongoing project relationship with a current partner, rather than soliciting proposals from a broad pool of applicants.

The project itself centers on hands-on wetland restoration activities carried out by a small, structured youth team. Core work elements include plant propagation (growing native plants for restoration use), plant installation (placing those native plants into restoration sites), seed collection (gathering local seed sources to maintain appropriate genetics and improve restoration success), and site preparation. Site preparation is described as both mechanical and chemical, including targeted herbicide applications as well as removal of undesirable or invasive vegetation using common field tools and equipment. The announcement specifically notes the use of hand saws, loppers, pruners, sprayers, and brush cutters, indicating that the work is practical, field-based, and focused on vegetation management and restoration readiness. The work is also described as adaptive, meaning tasks may shift based on field conditions, seasonal needs, or progress toward restoration goals.

A major objective of the agreement is workforce development for young people alongside tangible resource management outcomes. The program is designed to provide youth training and career development while accomplishing meaningful natural resource work that directly benefits wetland ecosystems. Beyond natural resources, the announcement also references involvement in natural, cultural, and historic resource protection activities, suggesting the crew may assist with stewardship tasks that support broader park management priorities as needed. The intent is to give participants direct, real-world experience outside a classroom setting, building job skills, exposure to conservation careers, and familiarity with public land stewardship practices.

The recipient organization (listed generally as "Others" with clarification expected in the full eligibility text) is responsible for recruiting and assembling a five-person youth crew composed of one crew leader and four crew members. NPS staff will provide training to the crew in key restoration actions, including invasive species eradication, plant installation, plant propagation, and seed collection. The emphasis on NPS-led training signals active federal involvement typical of cooperative agreements, where the agency substantially participates in project planning, technical guidance, and/or oversight rather than simply issuing a pass-through grant.

Administratively, the opportunity was created on April 18, 2019, with an original closing date of April 28, 2019, and it anticipates a single award with an award ceiling of $500,000. Because the notice states the award will be made without competition and is a funding modification to an existing agreement, the short closing window is consistent with a public notice requirement rather than a standard competitive application period. Overall, the opportunity funds a targeted wetland restoration effort that doubles as a structured youth employment and training program, producing both ecological improvements (through invasive plant control and native revegetation) and career-development benefits for participating youth.

• The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the education, employment, labor and training, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Summer Youth Team - Wetland Restoration - INDU" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.931.
• This funding opportunity was created on Apr 18, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 28, 2019. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for NPS NOIP17AC00176 001

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