Engaging Diverse audiences in public educational, recreational and stewardship opportunities along the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail. | NPS 17 NERO 0177

Opportunity Information: Apply for NPS 17 NERO 0177

This government grant notice, titled "Engaging Diverse audiences in public educational, recreational and stewardship opportunities along the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail," is a National Park Service (NPS) discretionary funding opportunity tied to education and public engagement along the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail. The listing is identified by Funding Opportunity Number NPS 17 NERO 0177 and CFDA (now often referred to as Assistance Listing) 15.930, which is commonly associated with NPS financial assistance for projects that support park-related education, interpretation, and community engagement outcomes.

The key point of the notice is procedural rather than competitive: it explicitly states that it is not a request for applications. In practical terms, that means the NPS is not inviting new proposals from the general public or from organizations that were not already part of the underlying agreement structure. Instead, the notice serves as a formal public announcement that the NPS intends to make an award in the form of a task agreement under an existing master cooperative agreement. The wording indicates that the master cooperative agreement was either previously competed (meaning a competition happened earlier, and the selected partner(s) are already established) or was supported by a single-source justification (meaning the agency documented why a specific partner was uniquely qualified or needed). This kind of public notice is often used to maintain transparency when an agency is moving forward with a specific award action that will not be competed as a standalone opportunity.

The anticipated funding level is relatively modest, with an award ceiling of $45,000, suggesting a focused, project-scale effort rather than a large multi-year program. While the notice does not list detailed project tasks, the title signals the intended purpose: creating or expanding ways to reach diverse audiences through educational programming, recreational access, and stewardship activities connected to the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail. In the NPS context, "stewardship" typically refers to hands-on conservation, resource protection, volunteer engagement, citizen science, or community-based initiatives that help care for natural and cultural resources. "Educational and recreational opportunities" can include interpretive programs, outreach events, partnerships with local groups and schools, paddling or water trail-related engagement, and activities that connect communities to the historical and environmental significance of the trail.

The eligibility field is broadly labeled "Others," but because this is not an open solicitation, eligibility is effectively constrained to the organization(s) already covered by the master cooperative agreement referenced in the announcement. The original closing date shown (2017-09-07) functions more like an administrative marker in the grants system than an application deadline, since the notice is not soliciting proposals. The creation date (2017-08-28) indicates when the notice was posted.

Overall, the notice is best understood as a transparency posting: the National Park Service is signaling its intent to fund a specific, predefined partner through a cooperative agreement mechanism to support public-facing education, recreation, and stewardship work aimed at engaging diverse communities along the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail, with funding up to $45,000, rather than opening a new competitive grant round.

• The National Park Service in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Engaging Diverse audiences in public educational, recreational and stewardship opportunities along the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail." and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.930.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-08-28.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-09-07. (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 $45,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for NPS 17 NERO 0177

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