Restoration Work with NPS Southwest Exotic Plant Management Team and Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area | P17AS00014

Opportunity Information: Apply for P17AS00014

The grant opportunity titled "Restoration Work with NPS Southwest Exotic Plant Management Team and Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area" (Funding Opportunity Number P17AS00014) is a National Park Service cooperative agreement focused on hands-on natural resources work that blends youth education with practical field training. The core purpose is to educate Native American youth by placing them in real restoration settings where they can build job-relevant technical skills. Rather than being a classroom-style program, the emphasis is on direct experience: participants learn by working alongside professionals on active projects tied to invasive plant management and native habitat restoration.

The work described centers on the management and control of persistent invasive, non-native plant species, which are a major threat to native ecosystems in many parts of the Southwest. In practical terms, projects under this opportunity are meant to expose youth to how invasive plant problems are assessed, how control strategies are selected and implemented, and how restoration is planned and carried out after invasive species removal. The restoration component highlights native habitat techniques, meaning participants would be involved in activities that support the recovery of native plant communities and the ecological functions they provide. Because invasive plant control is often a long-term effort requiring consistent monitoring and follow-up, the experience also helps youth understand the ongoing nature of stewardship work, including tracking results over time and adapting techniques as conditions change.

Geographically, the projects are intended to take place within National Park Service units across the Southwest, which suggests the work may occur in multiple park areas or in partnership landscapes connected to the NPS Southwest Exotic Plant Management Team. The involvement of the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area indicates a strong partnership angle, where local or regional heritage-area priorities can intersect with NPS land management goals. In effect, the opportunity is structured to connect conservation outcomes with workforce development, particularly for Native American youth who may be interested in natural resources, field biology, land stewardship, or related career paths.

Administratively, this is a discretionary funding opportunity offered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, and the funding instrument type is a cooperative agreement. That matters because cooperative agreements typically imply substantial involvement by the federal agency in carrying out the project, such as collaboration on planning, technical guidance, and coordination with park units or specialized NPS teams. The activity category is Natural Resources, and the CFDA number listed is 15.954, which aligns the program within the broader federal assistance structure used for tracking and accountability.

In terms of scale and competitiveness, the opportunity lists an award ceiling of $40,000 with an expected number of awards of one, indicating a single recipient would likely be selected to carry out the described scope of work. The posting dates reflect a short application window, with a creation date of November 7, 2016, and an original closing date of November 17, 2016, which is typical of some targeted cooperative agreements designed for a specific project need or partnership readiness. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," with additional clarification referenced in an external eligibility text field, implying that the NPS expected proposals from a specific type of partner organization (often a nonprofit, educational entity, youth corps, or similar group capable of delivering youth programming and field-based conservation work).

Overall, the opportunity is best understood as a targeted, partnership-driven conservation and youth development project. It aims to produce tangible on-the-ground benefits for NPS-managed ecosystems in the Southwest by addressing invasive plants and supporting habitat restoration, while simultaneously building technical capacity and career exposure for Native American youth through supervised, hands-on field experience.

• The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Restoration Work with NPS Southwest Exotic Plant Management Team and Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area" 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 Nov 07, 2016.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Nov 17, 2016. (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 $40,000.00 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 P17AS00014

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