Partnership in Resource Management, Protection, and Education- NIOB | NPS NOIP14AC00392 08

Opportunity Information: Apply for NPS NOIP14AC00392 08

The Partnership in Resource Management, Protection, and Education - NIOB grant opportunity is a National Park Service (NPS) cooperative agreement designed to keep strong, ongoing local support in place for the Niobrara National Scenic River, consistent with the 1991 legislation that established the river. The focus is straightforward: funded work must either protect and care for natural and cultural resources inside the river corridor boundary or provide essential visitor services tied to the river. A central purpose is to ensure local priorities and interests remain aligned with NPS goals, with the Niobrara Council serving as a key local partner that helps carry out day-to-day needs and longer-term stewardship along the corridor.

This opportunity was issued by the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, as a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement, which generally means the NPS expects to be actively involved in the project rather than simply providing a hands-off grant. The funding activity areas connect to community development, environmental stewardship, and regional development (CFDA 15.954). Eligibility is limited to nonprofits with IRS 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education). The opportunity anticipated a single award, with a funding ceiling of $655,000. It was originally posted on March 15, 2019, with an original closing date of March 25, 2019, under funding opportunity number NPS NOIP14AC00392 08.

A key point in the description is that NPS funding is described as the primary source of support for the Niobrara Council, and the Council is portrayed as dependent on that support to continue operating. In practice, the funding is meant to sustain a continuing local organization that performs a wide mix of operational, monitoring, coordination, and education functions that directly benefit the Niobrara National Scenic River and the public that uses it.

The scope of work outlined is broad and very practical, covering both infrastructure and conservation. The Council is expected to lead efforts to identify and address infrastructure needs along the river corridor, including monitoring and advocating for maintenance of public roads and bridges that are essential for safe access and management. It also includes hands-on visitor service responsibilities such as monitoring and maintaining public restrooms and arranging for summer visitor counts, which are important for understanding visitation levels, planning services, and managing impacts during peak use.

On the resource protection side, the Council is expected to participate in efforts to protect, enhance, and restore the river corridor's Outstandingly Remarkable Values (ORVs), which are the defining features that justify the river's national scenic river designation. Work also includes mitigation and control of noxious and invasive species, including collaboration with the Middle Niobrara Weed Awareness Group (MNWAG). In addition, the Council engages in cooperative efforts to maintain the stream gauge at Sparks, supporting ongoing monitoring that can inform river management, safety, and ecological understanding.

Education and outreach are also core elements of the agreement. The Council is expected to conduct and participate in educational efforts, in partnership with the NPS, aimed at protecting, enhancing, and restoring the ORVs. This includes implementing educational programming for all ages, with both summer and non-summer options, which suggests a year-round commitment to stewardship messaging and community engagement rather than outreach limited to peak tourist months. Finally, the Council is expected to remain a local source of information for conservation easements, helping landowners and community members understand tools that can support long-term conservation goals while reflecting local land-use realities.

Overall, this opportunity is structured to keep an established local partner functioning as the on-the-ground hub for infrastructure coordination, visitor services, ecological protection, and public education along the Niobrara National Scenic River, with the NPS providing essential funding and collaborating closely through a cooperative agreement framework.

• The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the community development, environment, regional development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Partnership in Resource Management, Protection, and Education- NIOB" 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 Mar 15, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 25, 2019. (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 $655,000.00 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 NOIP14AC00392 08

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