Conservation Survey and Record Updates for NPS Herbarium Specimens
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 P15AS00999 Project Title Conservation Survey and Record Updates for NPS Herbarium Specimens Recipient University of Alaska Fairbanks Total Anticipated Award Amount $22,682 Cost Share 0 Anticipated Length of Agreement 1.5 years Anticipated Period of Performance 1.5 years Award Instrument Task Agreement Statutory Authority 54 USC 100703 CFDA # and Title 15.945, Cooperative Research and Training Programs â₏“ Resources of the National Park System Single Source Justification Criteria Cited Unique Qualifications Point of Contact Erica Cordeiro OVERVIEW The objectives of this agreement with University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) are to perform a conservation survey/condition assessment for approximately 13,000 NPS plant specimens housed at University of Alaska Museum of the North Herbarium (ALA)and to update georeferencing for these National Park Service (NPS) specimens. ALA will provide technical support in the form of inventories, conservation/condition assessments, and catalog record updates. This project will commence in FY2015 and be completed prior to the end of FY2016. STATEMENT OF JOINT OBJECTIVES/PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN RECIPIENT INVOLVEMENT 1. Provide the scientific and technical oversight leading to the completion of all deliverables outlined below. 2. Perform a physical inventory of over 650 Kenai Fjords National Park (KEFJ) specimens at ALA and assign condition assessment determinations and locality and georeferencing updates in Arctos as appropriate for each specimen. We do not foresee a large amount of georeferencing to be done, but if latitude and longitude data are not available for a particular specimen, ALA will provide these data for the locality information through the use of common georeferencing services such as BioGeomancer and add those data in Arctos. 3. Perform a physical inventory of over 12,440 NPS Alaska Region specimens at ALA and assign condition assessment determinations and locality and georeferencing updates as appropriate for each specimen (see under 2). This work will be performed alphabetically beginning with ferns, fern allies, gymnosperms, monocots and dicots. 4. Provide NPS with a digital file that notes inventory results, condition assessment determinations, updated catalog information, and specimen needs including which includes NPS catalog and accession numbers and ALA catalog and accession numbers. 5. Submit a financial status report (SF-425) semi-annually. NATIONAL PARK SERVICE INVOLVEMENT 1. Provide funding to UAF to perform the conservation survey/condition assessment, inventory, record updates and data upload for the Kenai Fjords National Park herbarium collection housed at ALA. 2. Submit a digital file to ALA with a specimen list of KEFJ specimens housed at ALA and cataloged into the NPS Interior Collections Management System. 3. Distribute results of the conservation survey/condition assessment and record updates to individual Alaska Region parks. 4. Clearly identify and acknowledge ALA in all published material developed under this task agreement. 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 â₏“ 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 â₏“ 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 â₏“ The language in the applicable authorizing legislation or legislative history clearly indicates Congressâ₏™ intent to restrict the award to a particular recipient of purpose; (4) Unique Qualifications â₏“ 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 â₏“ 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: Unique Qualifications: The objectives of this agreement with UAF-ALA are to perform a conservation survey/condition assessment for approximately 13,000 NPS plant specimens housed at UAF-ALA and to update georeferencing for these NPS specimens. The NPS specimens are curated on a long-term loan at UAF-ALA and are made available for the NPS, public, and university for research and reference. UAF-ALA supports a number of graduate and undergraduate internships and extends the existing university curriculum through project-based experience.
Office: National Park Service
Contract Specialist
Phone 907-644-3315
