GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK HERMIT TRAIL REHABILITATION 2017 | NOIP17AC00229

Opportunity Information: Apply for NOIP17AC00229

The "Grand Canyon National Park Hermit Trail Rehabilitation 2017" notice (Funding Announcement Number NOIP17AC00229) is a National Park Service (NPS) Notice of Intent to Award, meaning it is not an open call for applications. Instead, it serves as a public posting that NPS planned to issue a task agreement under an existing master cooperative agreement that had already been competed (or otherwise justified as single-source). The award was tied to Cooperative Agreement P15AC00015, a standing partnership between the Department of the Interior, National Park Service and American Conservation Experience (ACE), focused on providing trail maintenance support for Grand Canyon National Park (GRCA) corridor and greenway trail systems.

The anticipated recipient for this 2017 task agreement was American Conservation Experience, a qualifying 501(c)(3) nonprofit youth conservation organization, under CFDA 15.931 (Conservation Activities by Youth Conservation Organizations). The planned federal funding amount was $190,400, with no non-federal cost share required. The anticipated period of performance ran from May 2017 through December 2017, and the intended award instrument was identified as P17AC00229. The statutory authority cited for the financial assistance was 16 USC 1g. A point of contact was provided for program and award questions: Tina Holland (307-344-2082, tinaholland@nps.gov). While the posting includes a creation date and a listed closing date (March 8, 2017 and March 22, 2017), the notice makes clear the opportunity was not competitive at that stage because it was announcing intent to fund a specific task under an existing agreement.

The core objective of the project was on-the-ground rehabilitation and maintenance work associated with Grand Canyon trail infrastructure, described in terms of trail maintenance needs for GRCA trail systems and implemented through a youth corps model supported by NPS staff. The statement of work emphasizes practical, labor-intensive trail improvements and repairs consistent with GRCA Trails Standards, along with responsiveness to damage caused by weather and natural events. In practice, this included clearing drainage ditches and maintaining water diversion features using hand tools, constructing and repairing trail structures, and maintaining the trail tread (the walking surface) to reduce erosion and improve visitor safety and sustainability. The scope also covered responding to sudden or unforeseen trail damage such as rockslides, which are common in canyon environments and can quickly create hazards or route failures that require immediate stabilization.

A significant part of the work involved traditional trail construction and preservation techniques, particularly stonework. The tasks listed include assisting the NPS trail crew with masonry projects, repairing mortar-set and dry-stacked masonry walls, repairing or replacing stone liner, and repairing or replacing tread materials. The project also contemplated quarrying and transporting raw materials like stone and soil, which is often necessary when matching existing historic or visually compatible trail construction in a national park setting. Because of narrow trail alignments, sensitive vegetation, and wildlife considerations, the notice specifies that materials would need to be moved from staging areas to the work sites primarily by hand or wheelbarrow to comply with environmental and resource protection requirements, rather than by motorized equipment.

The project was structured as a youth corps deployment integrated with NPS oversight. Youth groups were to be paired with journeyman-level NPS staff at an approximate 5-to-1 ratio, reinforcing that the work would be closely supervised for safety, quality, and compliance. Beyond physical trail work, the agreement built in an educational component for each youth corps member. The intent was that participants would learn not only technical trail maintenance practices but also how NPS manages parks and protects resources. The educational programming was described as including group discussions and exposure to staff and subject matter experts across multiple disciplines, including Facilities Management, Cultural Resource Management, Interpretation, and Law Enforcement. Topics identified in the notice include the park mission and goals, compliance review and mitigation (how projects are evaluated and adapted to protect natural and cultural resources), work tracking and documentation, visitor contact and communication, safety awareness, and identifying trail deficiencies.

The recipient responsibilities were spelled out in practical terms tied to day-to-day operations and field logistics. ACE was expected to communicate daily with NPS representatives to ensure all activities complied with park policy and project compliance requirements, and to assist NPS staff as needed to meet overall project goals. The recipient was also expected to carry out a range of trail maintenance activities (the notice mentions the Clear Creek Trail in the recipient commitments, even though the project title references Hermit Trail rehabilitation, suggesting either overlapping tasking within the same trail program or a templated description drawn from related GRCA trail work). ACE was responsible for providing basic personal protective equipment for the crew, such as gloves, safety glasses, orange safety vests, and hardhats. In addition, ACE was responsible for covering food, transportation, and camping equipment for the work crew, which reflects the remote and field-based nature of much Grand Canyon trail work where crews may be camping near work zones to reduce travel time and increase productivity. Finally, the recipient was required to produce a summary report documenting the work accomplished, supporting NPS needs for accountability, project tracking, and resource management records.

Overall, this notice describes a time-limited, task-specific cooperative agreement action intended to fund and execute trail rehabilitation work at Grand Canyon National Park during the 2017 field season. It combines trail infrastructure maintenance and emergency repair capability with a youth development and education model, with NPS providing close oversight and ACE providing crews, logistics, safety equipment, and reporting. The public notice format indicates transparency about the planned award rather than an invitation for new applicants to compete for the funds.

• The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK HERMIT TRAIL REHABILITATION 2017" 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 Mar 08, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 22, 2017. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.

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