Grants.gov

The 21st Century Conservation Service Corps and Civilian Climate Corps ProgramsOverview: NPS Youth and Veteran Development Programs represent the future of the NPS and encompasses a full range of 21CSC/CCC oriented developmental programs and projects conducted in and around national park units, NPS support offices, as well as in local communities and with partner organizations. NPS Youth Development Programs are committed to evolving and advancing vibrant and relevant youth and young adult programming that emphasize the mission of the NPS. NPS Youth Development Programs are designed to provide employment, education, experiential learning, and public service opportunities to U.S. citizens and legal residents who are between the ages of 16 and 30, and veterans up to 35 years of age.The 21CSC/CCC is a collaborative effort between federal government agencies and non-profit service organizations to put America’s youth and veterans to work protecting, restoring and enhancing America’s great outdoors. Through the 21CSC/CCC, young people and veterans will accomplish meaningful work, and gain important personal and professional skills while building a lifelong connection to the outdoors. The 21CSC/CCC strives to achieve the following public purpose goals and objectives:1) Put Americans to Work: The 21CSC/CCC will provide service, training, education and employment opportunities for thousands of young Americans and veterans, including low income and disadvantaged youth.2) Preserve, Protect, and Promote America's Greatest Gifts: The 21CSC/CCC will protect, restore, and enhance public and tribal lands and waters as well as natural, cultural, and historical resources and treasures. By producing high-quality, cost-effective project work from the 21CSC/CCC will also increase public access and use while spurring economic development and outdoor recreation.3) Build America's Future: Through service to the United States of America, the 21CSC/CCC will help develop a generation of skilled workers, educated and active citizens, future leaders, and stewards of natural and cultural resources, communities, and the nation.4) Provide a Living Wage: A reasonable living wage which is at the minimum equivalent to the minimum wage for the area. A continuum of benefits to support a corps members whole person can include compensation, housing, and other benefits.5) Provide a Pathway to Employment: Build a pipeline of talent and skilled labor of individuals inspired to enter public service or set them up for good-paying careers through intentional labor partnerships, pre-apprenticeship programs, and more.6) Represent America: Corps members should reflect the rich diversity of America, including hiring people from underserved communities, individuals with disabilities, Native Tribes, returning veterans, and unskilled young adults seeking vocational, internship, and educational opportunities.7) Tackle Climate Change: Tackle climate change from all angles by expanding the scope of climate solutions projects eligible for federal government support.8) Appropriate conservation projects and other appropriate projects to be carried out on federal, state, local, or private land as part of a federal disaster prevention or relief effort.Purpose: The NPS Youth Development Programs Division seeks to develop collaborative partnerships with non-profit youth-serving organizations who have the expertise to develop and administrator 21CSC programs that focus on providing employment, education, and engagement opportunities for U.S. citizens and legal residents in NPS units and affiliated sites such as National Register of Historic Places, National Heritage Areas, National Wild and Scenic Rivers, National Historic Landmarks, National Trails, and adjacent gateway communities. The primary purpose of the funds is for the benefit of the interns participating in the program.Participant Requirements: U.S. citizens and legal residents between the ages of 16 and 30 years of age, and veterans up to 35 years of age.Types of Projects: Natural and cultural resource conservation projects that are developed in collaboration with NPS officials with an emphasis on public purpose for the benefit of the American public, as well as, for providing employment and educational opportunities to young people and veterans. These projects will provide the participants with job skills training, education, and/or professional development. The employment focused projects are organized in either: 1) a crew-based format where the participants work collectively and intensely together and are directly supervised by trained and experienced crew leaders or conservation professionals; or 2) a individual or small team-based format where participants work individually or in coordinated teams under the direction of conservation professionals on initiatives that require specific skills and dedicated attention. The work projects include significant outdoor activity and/or helps young people and veterans connect with “America’s Great Outdoors”. Some projects may include work primarily indoors (i.e., research, policy, web development, visitor services, or administration) but also has a clear and direct connection to natural and cultural resource conservation.Project Examples:Climate change mitigation and resilienceCyclic maintenanceDevelopment of educational resource materials for visitorsEcosystem restorationEnhancing recreational opportunitiesField-based service such as trail building/restoration, removing invasive species and habitat restoration.GIS and mapping resourcesInterpretation of natural and cultural resourcesMuseum curationPreserving historic structuresProtecting of wildlife and preserving lands and structuresResearch such as scientific, historic, archival, archaeological digs, oral histories, historic preservation, and habitat surveys etc.Restoration and rehabilitation of facilitiesSupport management of natural and cultural resources such as developing and implementing resource stewardship plans, developing educational and informational materials for park visitorsTechnologically based natural and cultural resource educational programs and communication outreachVisitor educationEducation Projects: The National Park Service is committed to providing educational opportunities to 21CSC qualified individuals that help them to learn about American values, civic engagement, and citizenship stewardship. These projects utilize various educational techniques to convey and teach the NPS mission of natural and resource conservation.Education Project Examples:Projects that target 21CSC qualified participants and provide place-based learning opportunities with a focus on natural and/or cultural resource stewardship.Seminars that provide training opportunities for 21CSC qualified participants that promote natural and cultural resource stewardship and gateway community collaboration.Applicant Organizational RequirementsThe applicant organization should be able to clearly demonstrate their ability to design natural and cultural resource conservation projects that accomplish needed and important work on public lands while at the same time providing their 21CSC participants with educational, technical, life, and leadership skills. Each participant should develop a sense of community and purpose from their work on these projects. NPS may give preference to qualified youth or conservation corps organizations (see definition below) located in a specific area that have a substantial portion of members who are economically, physically, or educationally disadvantaged to carry out projects within the area. Park asset acquisition or personal services are not allowable.Public Land Corps Law DefinitionQualified Youth or Conservation Corps means any program established and administered by a State or local government, by the governing body of any Indian tribe, or a nonprofit organization that: 1) Carries out appropriate conservation projects on or related to eligible service land; 2) Is capable of offering meaningful, full-time, productive work for individuals between the ages of 16 and 30, inclusive, or veterans age 35 or younger, in a natural or cultural resource setting; 3) Engages participants in a variety of work experience, basic and life skills, education, training, and support services; 4) Provides participants with the opportunity to develop citizenship values and skills through service to their community and the United States; and 5) Provides the individual with a living allowance, stipend, or wages.

In 1988, the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Preservation grant program was established to document, preserve, and stabilize historic structures on HBCU campuses. The HBCU grant program exists to repair historic structures on campuses of Historically Black Colleges and Universities that are listed or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places either individually or as contributing to a National Register or National Historic Landmark historic district. Projects must meet major program selection criteria and all work must meet the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines for Archeology and Historic Preservation. Projects may also fund survey, nomination, and preservation planning for historic HBCU campuses.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS or Service) is the premier government agency dedicated to the conservation, protection, and enhancement of fish, wildlife and plants, and their habitats. We are the only agency in the federal government whose primary responsibility is the conservation and management of these important natural resources for the American public. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s origins date back to 1871 when Congress established the U.S. Fish Commission to study the decrease in the nation’s food fishes and recommend ways to reverse that decline. The FWS is committed to building and retaining a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the ethic, age, socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds, and language diversity of contemporary America. The FWS operates a variety of programs that promote wildlife conservation and public land management under the Public Lands Corps Act (PLC) through engagement, employment, and education of our nation’s diverse youth and veterans. FWS programs operating under the Public Lands Corps Act have been designated as covered programs under Justice40 (Executive Order 14008). The FWS strives to meet the Federal Government’s goal that 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain Federal Investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved, and overburdened by pollution. The categories of investment are: climate change, clean energy and energy efficiency, clean transit, affordable and sustainable housing, training and workforce development, remediation of reduction of legacy pollution, and the development of critical clean water and wastewater infrastructure. The Public Lands Corps (PLC) Program is authorized by Congress under Title 16 USC Sec. 1721-1726; Public Law 109-154, Public Lands Corps Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2005 (amends the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993), and all subsequent amendments. Guidance authorizes U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to (1) establish PLC Programs (2) certify participants who meet the PLC eligibility requirements for the PLC non-competitive hiring authority status, and (3) ensure consistent program standards throughout the FWS. The purpose of the FWS PLC Programs is to provide work and education opportunities for youth (defined as ages 16-30 inclusive, and up to age 35 for veterans) participants in the areas of natural and cultural resource conservation, development, and scientific research. Participants perform work on our nation’s public lands by providing additional, unique capacity designed to boost the impact of the FWS for the conservation and management of fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the American people. The PLC FWS Youth Corps Program allows the FWS to establish partnerships with Partner organizations (Partners), generally defined as “qualified youth or conservation corps,” using financial assistance/cooperative agreements or MOUs, to employ the next generation of conservationists in paid PLC projects and internships. Partners must be designated as an official member of the FWS Youth Corps in order to certify Participants. FWS Youth Corps application information is available in the attachments to this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). The purpose of this NOFO is not to establish new partnerships. See Full Announcement for additional information and application instructions. Unsolicited partnership applications or projects that are not collaboratively developed between an existing FWS Youth Corps member and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will be returned as ineligible. ***Applicants seeking technical or financial assistance from a FWS PLC programs are requested to consult with a local FWS office BEFORE developing or submitting an application (see FWS Youth Program Contacts included in the Related Documents of this announcement or visit U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (fws.gov) to locate a FWS office in your area. ***Unsolicited Partnership applications submitted through Grants.gov will be returned as ineligible. See Related Documents for application instructions for FWS Youth Corps.

Bureau of Land Management Utah is seeking applicants for Master Cooperative agreements for qualifying Youth and Conservation Organizations.

The Scientists in Parks (SIP) Internship Program provides opportunities for college students, recent graduates, and early career professionals to complete paid internship projects to address natural resource issues in national parks.

This program is intended to recruit youth from Tucson and surrounding communities for paid internships. Participants will work alongside a park service staff in all areas of park management in order to gain skills and experience which will benefit them in their long-term career or education goals, while also training in essential life skills including resume building, public speaking, community engagement, and conservation projects within public lands in Southern Arizona. Interns will also gain exposure to outdoor recreation opportunities and experiences in other national parks.

In 1988, the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Preservation grant program was established to document, preserve, and stabilize historic structures on HBCU campuses. The HBCU grant program exists to repair historic structures on campuses of Historically Black Colleges and Universities that are listed or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places either individually or as contributing to a National Register or National Historic Landmark historic district. Projects must meet major program selection criteria and all work must meet the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines for Archeology and Historic Preservation.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the premier government agency dedicated to the conservation, protection, and enhancement of fish, wildlife and plants, and their habitats. We are the only agency in the federal government whose primary responsibility is the conservation and management of these important natural resources for the American public. The Service's origins date back to 1871 when Congress established the U.S. Fish Commission to study the decrease in the nation’s food fishes and recommend ways to reverse that decline. Today, we are a diverse and largely decentralized organization, employing about 8,000 dedicated professionals working out of facilities across the country, including a headquarters office in Falls Church, Virginia, and eight regional offices representing the 12 Unified Interior Regions. A variety of programs within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS, Service) and the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS, Refuge System) are focused on engaging diverse youth in wildlife conservation and public land management. The Service enters into cooperative agreements with member organizations of the FWS Youth Corps to engage with youth and veterans in projects under the Authority of the Public Lands Corps Act (PLC). The current list of FWS Youth Corps member organizations, application information for organizations interested in partnering with the FWS Youth Corps, and program contact information is available at: Youth U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (fws.gov) FWS Public Lands Corps Act Overview The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service partners with qualified youth and veteran serving organizations or qualified Conservation Corps with the organizational capacity and unique qualifications necessary to work collaboratively with the FWS to develop projects under the Public Lands Corps Act. The purpose of the PLC is to provide work and educational opportunities for youth in the areas of natural and cultural resource conservation, development, and scientific research. Youth perform work on our nation’s public lands that cannot be carried out by Federal agencies at existing personnel levels. The PLC allows the Service to enter into partnerships using a financial assistance/cooperative with partner organizations to employ youth in PLC projects and internships. PLC participants who complete program requirements will be eligible for non-competitive appointment to Federal positions for which they qualify. Eligible partner organizations must: Be a State or local government entity, the governing body of any Indian tribe, a nonprofit organization, or an accredited institution of higher education. Be members of the FWS Youth Corps. Have financial policies and procedures that reflect generally accepted accounting principles Have risk management policies that reflect industry standards and are proactive and thorough in mitigating and managing risk to PLC Participants. Have a contract or financial assistance agreement with the Service that clearly identifies both organization’s roles and responsibilities for implementing the PLC program, or have documentation (e.g. organizational charter or similar documentation) that they have performed conservation work on Federal, State, tribal, local or private lands and utilized young people between the ages of 16 and 30 years of age, and Veterans up to age 32. Provide liability insurance. Provide workers compensation insurance through the partnering organization or the state. (The FECA covers all civilian Federal employees except for non-appropriated fund employees. There is additional special legislation which provides potential coverage to Peace Corps and VISTA volunteers; Federal petit or grand jurors, volunteer members of the Civil Air Patrol, ROTC, Job Corps, YCC, and non-Federal law enforcement officers under certain circumstance involving crimes against the US. And of course, FWS volunteers have certain coverage dependent on VSA's.) Contribute a minimum of 25% of the total costs of the project or internship program either as direct funds or qualified in-kind services unless the project is carried out on Indian or Hawaiian homelands. Additionally, these organizations must have an established program that: Offers meaningful, full-time, productive work for PLC Participants in a natural or cultural resource setting. Provides a mix of work experience, basic and life skills, education training, and support services. Provides PLC Participants with the opportunity to develop citizenship values and skills through service to their community and the United States. Provides PLC Participants with a living allowance, stipend, or wages. Former Public Land Corps participants may be granted non-competitive hiring status for permanent competitive positions within the Department of the Interior, provided both they and the partner organization meet the above requirements. Non-competitive hiring status is granted through an approved FWS process. The former PLC participant also must be selected from a non-competitive selection certificate and appointed within two years of the candidate’s completion of PLC service qualifying him/her for the non-competitive hiring authority. PLC and Workforce Diversity and Inclusion Goals This special hiring authority provides the FWS with an opportunity to help meet the agency's goal of building a diverse and inclusive workforce. The FWS is committed to building and retaining a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the ethnic, age, socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds and language diversity of contemporary America. Diversity means having many different elements, ideas and qualities. We define workforce diversity as the differences that influence personal perspectives of individuals in that workforce – not just those differences based on ethnicity, gender, color, age, race, religion, disability, national origin, and sexual orientation, but also differences in communication style, career path, life experience, educational background, geographic location, income level, marital status, military experience, parental status, and other variables that influence personal perspectives. Inclusion is about recognizing, respecting, and valuing differences that influence personal perspectives. These unique perspectives make us react differently, solve problems differently, and see different opportunities. Superior organizational performance requires employing people with a diversity of thought. Equal employment opportunity: The Service has an ongoing obligation under equal employment opportunity laws, executive orders, and other standards to prevent discrimination on the bases of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, retaliation/reprisal, disability, sexual orientation, parental status, and genetic information; we are also obliged to eliminate barriers that impede free and open competition in the workplace. We conduct an annual self-assessment to monitor progress and identify areas where barriers may exclude certain groups. In conducting this assessment, we compare our internal participation rates with corresponding rates in the relevant Civilian Labor Force (CLF) as points of reference. Equal employment opportunity is focused on equality and equal access, and is primarily concerned with protected classes. Even with these protections, it is important to treat every individual with respect and to embrace differences in the workplace. In this way, equal employment opportunity is distinct from diversity. FWS Public Lands Corps Act Programs PLC projects must be developed in collaboration with a FWS program, refuge, or field office. FWS Programs that enter into cooperative agreements under the Authority of the Public Lands Corps Act include but are not limited to the following: FWS Youth Corps Under the Authorization of the Public Lands Corps Act, FWS Youth Corps, collaboratively develops projects with PLC FWS Youth Corps member organizations to provide experiential, education, and employment program opportunities for youth between the ages of 16-30 and veterans 35 and younger to address resource conservation, community engagement, environmental education, facility and trail maintenance, invasive species management, and recreation access needs. Department of the Interior Personnel Bulletin (PB) 17-03 establishes the policy and procedures for providing former members who served a minimum of 640 hours of satisfactory service during PLC qualifying projects, including 120 hours in direct support of Federally managed public lands/facilities, with a non-competitive hiring status certificate for permanent competitive positions with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Directorate Fellows Program (DFP)Under the authorization of the Public Land Corp Act, Resources Assistant Program, the Department of the Interior established policy for bureaus to implement the Direct Hire Authority, Resources Assistant Internship Program (DHA/RAIP) in 2012. The key requirements of the program are: (1) students must be enrolled in undergraduate and graduate degree programs; and (2) mandated targeted recruitment to ensure the full representation of women and participants from historically Black, Hispanic, Asian Pacific Islander and Native American schools or other schools with diverse student populations; and (3) design a rigorous project for a minimum of least 11-weeks for candidates selected to participate in the program. FWS branded the DHA/RAIP, Directorate Fellows Program (DFP), and designed it with the intent of creating a pipeline of diverse talented individuals who would qualify and be eligible for hiring into permanent entry level science positions. The FWS, DFP was implemented in 2014 with a focus on recruiting diverse students pursuing biological science, natural resources management or related degrees that support FWS conservation mission. The FWS, DFP has provided a cohort of well-qualified, motivated folks who are eligible for direct hiring authority. Since its inception, the DFP has provided 11-week rigorous fellowships for hundreds of students with exemplary talent, approximately 200 of whom have joined our workforce so far. Hispanic Access Foundation (HAF) has been selected through a directed Request for Information (RFI) as uniquely qualified to implement the Directed Fellows Program in FY 2022. In addition, several organizations have been selected through a directed RFI to provide recruitment support for the Directorate Fellows Program. Applications from qualified partner organizations for collaborative agreements to support DFP will be submitted through this announcement through GrantSolutions. Public Lands Transportation Fellows Program (PTLF) The Public Lands Transportation Fellows program (PLTF) provides fellowships to outstanding graduates in a transportation-related field to work directly with staff of Federal Land Management Agencies on key visitor transportation issues. The PLTF program began in 2012 and was modeled after the very successful Transportation Scholars program managed by the National Park Foundation (NPF) that serves the National Park Service (NPS). The PLTF program gives recent graduates (sometimes current students) in a transportation related engineering, planning, or resource management program a unique opportunity for career development and public service. Successful applicants are placed at a federal land unit facing a transportation issue to facilitate a transportation planning or implementation project. A fellow is assigned to work directly with staff at a unit or headquarters/region/field office. The assigned projects help the land units develop transportation solutions that preserve valuable resources and enhance the visitor experience. The program has three goals, which are to: Encourage emerging transportation professionals to pursue their career serving federal lands. Provide much needed transportation expertise to FMLA units and regions to help them address critical transportation issues. Support the development, implementation and evaluation of viable alternative transportation for visitors to FLMA’s. The Public Lands Transportation Fellows program is a collaborative agreement between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Montana State University Western Transportation Institute. Youth Conservation Corps The Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) is a summer youth employment program that engages young people in meaningful work experiences on public lands while developing an ethic of environmental stewardship and civic responsibility. YCC programs are generally 8 to 10 weeks long. Participants are paid the minimum wage for a 40-hour work week. Most YCC opportunities are non-residential programs that provide paid daytime work. The Service anticipates entering into cooperative agreements with multiple organizations to accomplish crew-based YCC projects in fiscal year 2022. Collaborative projects must be submitted through GrantSolutions prior to the Application Due Date of this Notice of Funding Opportunity. Youth Conservation Corps U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (fws.gov) Career Discovery Internship Program Founded in 2008, the Career Discovery Internship Program (CDIP) was created in partnership with the Student Conservation Association (SCA) to help prepare the next generation of wildlife professionals and managers by: Introducing culturally and ethnically diverse college freshman and sophomores to conservation careers in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service); Giving field staff the experience of working with culturally and ethnically diverse employee; and Increasing the diversity of the applicant pool for conservation based jobs. These internships provide a diverse group of youth with the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the field. Interns are paid a living wage and, in some cases, are also provided with room and board for the duration of their service. CDIP interns are assigned to Service field stations for a summer of hard work and experiential education. Before beginning their assignment, interns attend a week-long training and orientation program. During this time, interns receive a variety of training units including an introduction to the Service and SCA, cultural and intergenerational awareness training, mentor/mentee training to name a few. The interns also engage in simulations and Service challenges designed and facilitated by Service and SCA staff. Interns also meet their designated mentor for the summer, who is a Service employee. Service challenges are usually management issues common to daily life on a Service field station, with topics considering public relations, invasive species, and resource conservation. The interns close their week with a presentation on their solutions to these challenges. CDIP project applications must be submitted in GrantSolutions prior to the Application Due Date of this Notice of Funding Application. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service CDIP Student Conservation Association CDIP

Department of the Interior - Bureau of Land Management Idaho Youth Conservation Opportunities on Public Lands

Bureau of Land Management Oregon Washington Youth Conservation Opportunities on Public Lands

Bureau of Land Management Alaska Youth Conservation Opportunities on Public Lands

Department of the Interior - Bureau of Land Management Utah Youth Conservation Opportunities on Public Lands

WY Wind River Bighorn DO Haz Fuels - Youth

NV Youth

The Bureau of Land Management California Youth Conservation Opportunities on Public Lands

Department of the Interior - Bureau of Land Management Montana/Dakotas Youth Conservation Opportunities on Public Lands

Eastern States Youth Announcement

Bureau of Land Management New Mexico Youth Conservation Opportunities on Public Lands

Bureau of Land Management Colorado Youth Conservation Opportunities on Public Lands

In 1988, the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Preservation grant program was established to document, preserve, and stabilize historic structures on HBCU campuses. The HBCU grant program exists to repair historic structures on campuses of Historically Black Colleges and Universities that are listed or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places either individually or as contributing to a National Register or National Historic Landmark historic district. Projects must meet major program selection criteria and all work must meet the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines for Archeology and Historic Preservation.