NOTICE OF INTENT: FY2018 Sangre de Cristo NHA Implementation of Management Plan | P18AS00346

Opportunity Information: Apply for P18AS00346

This grant opportunity, titled "NOTICE OF INTENT: FY2018 Sangre de Cristo NHA Implementation of Management Plan" (Funding Opportunity Number P18AS00346), is a National Park Service (Department of the Interior) cooperative agreement designed to support implementation of the Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area (SdCNHA) management plan. The work is grounded in the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-11), which formally established the Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area and directed the Secretary of the Interior to enter into a compact with the designated local management entity, Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area, Inc. In practice, this means the federal government is supporting a locally led organization to carry out activities that advance the heritage area mission and meet the public purposes laid out in the authorizing law.

The opportunity centers on the concept of National Heritage Areas as congressionally recognized places where natural, cultural, historic, and scenic resources come together to form a cohesive landscape that tells a nationally important story. The notice emphasizes that these areas reflect the national experience through both tangible physical features (such as historic sites, landscapes, and built resources) and living traditions that have developed over time in response to geography and human use. The Sangre de Cristo NHA is framed in this broader national heritage area model, where the goal is not simply preservation of individual sites, but coordinated stewardship, interpretation, and community-based projects that sustain and communicate the region's distinctive identity.

In terms of what the funding is meant to accomplish, the agreement focuses on three main categories of work that are specifically identified in the SdCNHA management plan: administration, public outreach, and grant projects. Administration generally covers the core capacity needed to operate the heritage area program and manage implementation, including coordination among partners, oversight of plan activities, and basic program management necessary to keep projects moving and compliant with federal requirements. Public outreach refers to engaging residents, visitors, and stakeholders through communication, education, and interpretation efforts that increase awareness of the heritage area, encourage participation, and promote understanding of the stories and resources that define the landscape. Grant projects refers to supporting or administering projects that align with the management plan priorities, often carried out with local partners, and structured to serve a clear public benefit consistent with Public Law 111-11.

The funding is offered as a discretionary award using a cooperative agreement instrument, which typically indicates a more hands-on federal role than a standard grant. Under a cooperative agreement, the National Park Service may have substantial involvement in project coordination, technical guidance, review of work products, or other collaborative elements as the management entity carries out plan implementation. The activity category is listed as natural resources, reflecting the integrated way heritage areas treat natural and cultural resources as connected parts of a single landscape rather than separate program silos.

Key logistical details include an award ceiling of $327,720, with one expected award. The opportunity was posted June 20, 2018, with an original closing date of June 30, 2018, indicating a short response window typical of notices directed toward a specific management entity or a narrow applicant pool. Eligibility is listed as "Others," with clarification referenced in an additional eligibility field (not included in the provided text), but the description strongly signals that the intended recipient is the congressionally designated management entity for the Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area, Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area, Inc., since the authorizing statute specifically identifies a compact relationship between the Secretary of the Interior and that organization.

Overall, the opportunity is essentially federal support to help the Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area management entity carry out the already-approved management plan through core operations, communication and engagement with the public, and plan-aligned project funding, all aimed at conserving, interpreting, and sustaining the nationally significant landscape and stories that Congress recognized in establishing the heritage area.

• The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NOTICE OF INTENT: FY2018 Sangre de Cristo NHA Implementation of Management Plan" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.939.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jun 20, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 30, 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 $327,720.00 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).

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