NOTICE OF INTENT: Next Generation Ranger Reaches Out About Invasive Species | P18AS00464

Opportunity Information: Apply for P18AS00464

The funding opportunity titled "NOTICE OF INTENT: Next Generation Ranger Reaches Out About Invasive Species" (Funding Opportunity Number P18AS00464) is a discretionary National Park Service program under the U.S. Department of the Interior that plans to make a single cooperative agreement award. The work falls under the Natural Resources activity category (CFDA 15.954) and was posted on July 24, 2018, with an original application deadline of August 3, 2018. The anticipated maximum federal funding amount for the award is $90,997, and the announcement indicates that eligibility is limited to certain applicants described as "Others" with additional clarification expected in the full eligibility text.

At its core, the project is designed as a hands-on, workforce development and public-facing natural resources initiative focused on invasive species management and wildfire risk reduction in and around a national park setting in southern Arizona. The central idea is to place interns, described as young adults, into practical field and outreach roles where they can learn by doing. Rather than being purely classroom training, the program emphasizes real-world experience that combines ecological stewardship with public engagement, meaning participants are expected to work not only on the land but also with the people who live near, visit, or otherwise interact with the park.

The stated project goals focus on building intern capacity in several connected areas of park resource management. Interns will gain practical experience working with the public while also learning to manage non-native (invasive) plant species. The ecological management component includes reducing hazardous fuel loads, which directly ties invasive vegetation control to wildfire prevention and mitigation. The goals also include helping mitigate wildfire damage and supporting restoration of native plant species, implying that the effort is not just removal of problem plants but also recovery of the native plant community afterward. In addition, the program aims to broaden interns exposure beyond a single specialty by introducing them to a range of other resource management techniques and by showing them the roles and responsibilities of other divisions within the park, which helps participants understand how natural resources work fits into broader park operations.

The project objectives describe the agreement as a mechanism to support and stimulate work, education, and training opportunities for young adults through collaborative participation and public interaction. The objective is explicitly tied to engaging with multiple audiences: park neighbors, park visitors, and other members of the public. This indicates that outreach, communication, and relationship-building are not side tasks but are integral to the internship experience, likely reflecting the reality that invasive species and wildfire risk in park landscapes often require coordination beyond park boundaries. Interns are expected to be mentored in managing flammable vegetation, preventing wildfire damage, and protecting and restoring biological diversity in southern Arizona, framing the work as both a practical fuels and fire-adaptation effort and a broader biodiversity conservation effort.

The opportunity also highlights several ancillary benefits that explain why this project matters beyond intern training. By reducing the chance of damaging wildfire effects and focusing on flammable invasive or non-native vegetation, the project is intended to protect fire-sensitive native vegetation, which can be disproportionately harmed by severe fires or altered fire regimes. The program also emphasizes public safety and the protection of adjacent private property, particularly in the Wildland Urban Interface, where development and natural lands meet and where wildfire risk can have direct consequences for communities. In sum, the project blends workforce development, invasive plant management, fuels reduction, and community-facing wildfire risk mitigation into a single cooperative agreement aimed at producing on-the-ground ecological outcomes while building the next generation of natural resource professionals.

• The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NOTICE OF INTENT: Next Generation Ranger Reaches Out About Invasive Species" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.954.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jul 24, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 03, 2018. (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 $90,997.00 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 P18AS00464

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