Ames-Based Traveling Conservation Corps Vegetation Team- HTLN | NPS NOIP18AC00142

Opportunity Information: Apply for NPS NOIP18AC00142

The Ames-Based Traveling Conservation Corps Vegetation Team - HTLN grant opportunity is a National Park Service (NPS) cooperative agreement designed to pair youth conservation crews with NPS staff to carry out hands-on vegetation management work across 15 national parks in the Midwest. The overall focus is long-term care of cultural and historic landscapes that shape how visitors experience parks and learn from them. By investing in routine, on-the-ground stewardship now, the NPS aims to prevent larger and more expensive maintenance needs later. The work also supports local economic connections tied to managed landscapes, such as hay leases, crop production, grazing, and in limited cases salvage logging, while keeping parks compliant with local, state, and federal noxious weed requirements that can otherwise lead to fines or legal action.

A major driver of the project is invasive and problematic plant control, including federally listed noxious weeds. The grant supports practical field activities that parks often need but struggle to complete at scale because they are labor-intensive. Vegetation management tasks can include removing or treating invasive species, planting, mowing, and supporting other restoration-oriented work that maintains habitats and plant communities. These actions are framed not only as resource protection, but also as protection of historically significant landscapes that are part of the National Register of Historic Places and the NPS Landscape Initiative.

Youth engagement is central to the purpose and design of the program. The NPS is using this agreement to create structured service and job-training experiences that introduce young adults to natural resource careers and day-to-day park stewardship. Participants gain experience working outdoors in demanding conditions while learning about ecological systems, conservation methods, and the kinds of scientific and technical disciplines used in park management. The grant emphasizes that parks can function as training grounds for the next generation of conservation professionals and informed citizens, while also meeting real operational needs in the parks themselves.

Implementation is planned in partnership with Conservation Corps Minnesota and Iowa, which brings expertise in running youth conservation corps programs, recruiting participants, and managing crew logistics and support. The NPS provides project direction, technical guidance, and the park-based learning environment. The description highlights an example configuration where a four-person youth crew is stationed at Wilson's Creek National Battlefield and works closely with the Heartland Network's inventory and monitoring program and exotic plant management team, indicating that the project is meant to integrate with ongoing NPS resource monitoring and invasive species strategies rather than operate as a standalone effort.

The public purposes are spelled out clearly: introduce youth to natural resource jobs and mentor those interested in that path; give youth a direct role in managing national parks; build practical work readiness and leadership skills through challenging fieldwork; and measurably improve the condition of park plant communities and habitats. The program is intended to serve roughly 12 to 24 youth, generally ages 18 to 26 (with the description also referencing ages 18 to 24 in places), and to provide both technical conservation training and broader job skills such as teamwork, communication, and leadership. NPS staff are expected to act as coaches and mentors, helping participants understand career pathways within the NPS and other conservation organizations, with the skills gained positioned as directly transferable to state and federal land management work.

From the funding and administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary opportunity issued by the Department of the Interior, National Park Service, under Funding Opportunity Number NPS NOIP18AC00142. The instrument type is a cooperative agreement, which typically indicates substantial federal involvement in project planning and execution. Eligibility is limited to nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education). The opportunity listed an award ceiling of $1,248,000, with one expected award. The original posting date was June 19, 2018, with an original closing date of July 6, 2018. The activity aligns with multiple public benefit categories, including community development, education, employment and job training, and environmental and natural resource management, and it is associated with CFDA number 15.931.

• The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the community development, education, employment, labor and training, environment, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Ames-Based Traveling Conservation Corps Vegetation Team- HTLN" 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 Jun 19, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 06, 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 $1,248,000.00 in funding.
• 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.

Apply for NPS NOIP18AC00142

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