Opportunity Information: Apply for NPS NOIP17AC00391
The GL-EPMT Young Adult Exotic Plant Interns opportunity is a National Park Service (NPS) cooperative agreement task under an existing master cooperative agreement (P15AC00009) between the Department of the Interior/NPS and the Conservation Corps of Minnesota and Iowa. Its core purpose is to place young adults in paid, hands-on natural resource work focused on invasive (exotic) plant management across the Great Lakes region. The program is designed as a service-learning and workforce-development pipeline: interns gain real field experience while parks improve habitat conditions and protect both natural and cultural resources so they remain "unimpaired" for future generations.
The work centers on active vegetation management activities that parks rely on to maintain healthy plant communities, such as mowing or cutting, seeding, prescribed burning support, and direct control of problematic and invasive plants. A key feature is that the interns do not work in a single park; instead, they rotate through multiple national park units across a larger geographic area and collaborate with different park staff and stakeholders. The intent is to build practical job skills and professional habits (work ethic, leadership, teamwork), reduce invasive species impacts, and introduce participants to resource-management careers, ultimately helping train the next generation of conservation professionals.
Under the statement of work, the Conservation Corps of Minnesota and Iowa serves as the primary recipient responsible for staffing and participant support. They jointly recruit and select two individually placed young adult Exotic Plant Interns with the NPS Great Lakes Exotic Plant Management Team (GL-EPMT). The Corps is responsible for creating a leadership and training program, tracking each intern's progress and experience, and hosting a mid-year retreat for reflection and professional growth. They also manage essential administrative and safety requirements, including health, safety, and risk-management programs (driver safety, liability insurance, health insurance, and workers compensation). In addition, the Corps provides a housing stipend and assistance finding housing when needed, supplies uniform items and required personal protective equipment, and funds travel for up to 75 travel days per season per intern. The position is full time at 40 hours per week, typically built around long field days (often 10 hours) with flexibility to shorten to 8 or extend up to 16 hours as operational needs require. The typical field-season schedule is structured as eight straight 10-hour days (Wednesday to Wednesday) followed by six days off, with language noting that emergency or intensive operations could require extended consecutive hours with required rest periods. The Corps also supports cost control by encouraging shared lodging and camping when it meets safety, morale, and welfare needs, and interns may use UTVs or truck-mounted sprayers when trained and authorized by park staff.
The National Park Service, through the GL-EPMT and participating park units, provides the operational framework, technical oversight, training, and field resources needed to carry out the work. NPS commits to staffing support in the field (an NPS staff member accompanies interns for most field project work and provides advising across field projects), orientation to the NPS mission before the season begins, and access to computers and USAccess credentials if needed. NPS also supplies transportation and fuel for field work and training across up to 11 national park units, depending on priorities and conditions: Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Grand Portage National Monument, Ice Age National Scenic Trail, Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, Isle Royale National Park, Keweenaw National Historical Park, Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, and Voyageurs National Park. NPS ensures interns complete required certifications and safety training such as CPR/First Aid, driver training, herbicide application safety, and chainsaw user training, and also ensures interns obtain licensing to mix and apply herbicides in Wisconsin and Michigan. On-the-job instruction includes invasive plant identification, equipment operation (including GPS), and technical guidance on restoration methods and herbicide selection. NPS provides GPS units (with support for use and maintenance) and supplies the field equipment and materials needed for the work, such as UTVs, chainsaws, portable and backpack sprayers, mechanical tools, herbicides, fuel, and PPE. NPS also supports intern professional development by delivering at least five career-focused presentations featuring staff from natural resources and potentially other career tracks (cultural resources, interpretation, law enforcement, administration), and provides a one-hour one-on-one job counseling session for each intern. For each project, NPS briefs interns on the resource issues and management decisions that make the work necessary, and NPS retains authority to halt any project if herbicide practices, effectiveness, resource impacts, or safety do not meet specifications.
Funding and administrative details identify this as a mandatory cooperative agreement notice rather than an open competition. The public posting is explicitly not a request for applications; it is a notice of NPS intent to award a task agreement under an already-established or single-source-justified master cooperative agreement, limited to members/participants under the Conservation Corps of Minnesota and Iowa Youth Master Agreement (P15AC00009). The opportunity is listed under Funding Opportunity Number NPS NOIP17AC00391, CFDA 15.931, with an award ceiling of $500,000 and an expectation of one award, originally posted July 10, 2017 with an original closing date of July 28, 2017.Apply for NPS NOIP17AC00391
- The National Park Service in the education, employment, labor and training, environment, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "GL-EPMT Young Adult Exotic Plant Interns" 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 2017-07-10.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-07-28. (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 $500,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): GL-EPMT Young Adult Exotic Plant Interns (NPS Cooperative Agreement Task)
1) What is the GL-EPMT Young Adult Exotic Plant Interns opportunity?
It is a National Park Service (NPS) cooperative agreement task designed to place young adults in paid, hands-on natural resource work focused on invasive (exotic) plant management across the Great Lakes region. The work supports habitat improvement and protection of natural and cultural resources so they remain unimpaired for future generations.
2) Is this an open grant competition where anyone can apply?
No. The notice is a mandatory cooperative agreement notice and explicitly states it is not a request for applications. It is an announcement of NPS intent to award a task agreement under an existing master cooperative agreement, limited to members/participants under the Conservation Corps of Minnesota and Iowa Youth Master Agreement (P15AC00009).
3) Who are the main partners involved?
The opportunity is carried out under an existing master cooperative agreement (P15AC00009) between the Department of the Interior/National Park Service and the Conservation Corps of Minnesota and Iowa, in coordination with the NPS Great Lakes Exotic Plant Management Team (GL-EPMT) and participating national park units.
4) What is the core purpose of the program?
The program functions as a service-learning and workforce-development pipeline. Interns gain real field experience and professional habits (work ethic, leadership, teamwork) while national parks reduce invasive species impacts and improve habitat conditions.
5) What kind of work would interns perform?
The work centers on active vegetation management used by parks to maintain healthy plant communities, including mowing or cutting, seeding, support for prescribed burning, and direct control of problematic and invasive plants. Interns also receive on-the-job instruction in invasive plant identification and restoration methods.
6) Do interns stay in one park for the season?
No. A key feature is rotation through multiple national park units across a larger geographic area. Interns collaborate with different park staff and stakeholders rather than working in a single park the entire time.
7) Which national park units may be involved?
Field work and training may occur across up to 11 national park units, depending on priorities and conditions: Apostle Islands National Lakeshore; Grand Portage National Monument; Ice Age National Scenic Trail; Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore; Isle Royale National Park; Keweenaw National Historical Park; Mississippi National River and Recreation Area; Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore; Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway; Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore; and Voyageurs National Park.
8) How many intern positions are planned under this task?
The statement of work describes jointly recruiting and selecting two individually placed young adult Exotic Plant Interns with the NPS GL-EPMT.
9) Who recruits, selects, and supports the interns?
The Conservation Corps of Minnesota and Iowa serves as the primary recipient responsible for staffing and participant support, and they jointly recruit and select the interns with the NPS GL-EPMT.
10) What is the expected work schedule and weekly hours?
The position is full time at 40 hours per week and is typically built around long field days (often 10 hours). The schedule is described as flexible, with days that can shorten to 8 hours or extend up to 16 hours as operational needs require.
11) What is the typical field-season rotation schedule?
The typical schedule is eight straight 10-hour days (Wednesday to Wednesday) followed by six days off. The description also notes that emergency or intensive operations could require extended consecutive hours with required rest periods.
12) Are interns supported by NPS staff in the field?
Yes. NPS commits to staffing support in the field, including an NPS staff member accompanying interns for most field project work and providing advising across field projects.
13) What training and certifications are included?
NPS ensures interns complete required certifications and safety training such as CPR/First Aid, driver training, herbicide application safety, and chainsaw user training. NPS also ensures interns obtain licensing to mix and apply herbicides in Wisconsin and Michigan.
14) What technical skills will interns learn on the job?
On-the-job instruction includes invasive plant identification, operation of equipment (including GPS), and technical guidance on restoration methods and herbicide selection.
15) What equipment and tools are involved in the work?
NPS provides GPS units and supplies field equipment and materials needed for the work, including UTVs, chainsaws, portable and backpack sprayers, mechanical tools, herbicides, fuel, and personal protective equipment (PPE). Interns may use UTVs or truck-mounted sprayers when trained and authorized by park staff.
16) Who provides uniforms and personal protective equipment (PPE)?
The Conservation Corps of Minnesota and Iowa supplies uniform items and required PPE. NPS also supplies PPE as part of providing field equipment and materials needed for the work.
17) Who provides transportation and fuel for field work?
NPS supplies transportation and fuel for field work and training across the participating park units.
18) Is travel funding included, and how much travel is supported?
Yes. The Conservation Corps of Minnesota and Iowa funds travel for up to 75 travel days per season per intern.
19) Is housing provided?
A housing stipend is provided by the Conservation Corps of Minnesota and Iowa, along with assistance finding housing when needed. The task also emphasizes cost control by encouraging shared lodging and camping when it meets safety, morale, and welfare needs.
20) What health and safety coverage is addressed in this opportunity?
The Conservation Corps of Minnesota and Iowa manages essential administrative and safety requirements, including health, safety, and risk-management programs such as driver safety, liability insurance, health insurance, and workers compensation.
21) Does NPS provide orientation to the agency and its mission?
Yes. NPS provides orientation to the NPS mission before the season begins.
22) Will interns have access to NPS computer systems or credentials?
NPS provides access to computers and USAccess credentials if needed.
23) What professional development is built into the program?
NPS supports intern professional development by delivering at least five career-focused presentations featuring staff from natural resources and potentially other career tracks (such as cultural resources, interpretation, law enforcement, and administration). NPS also provides a one-hour, one-on-one job counseling session for each intern. In addition, the Corps hosts a mid-year retreat for reflection and professional growth.
24) How is intern progress tracked?
The Conservation Corps of Minnesota and Iowa is responsible for tracking each intern's progress and experience as part of its leadership and training program.
25) Who controls project decisions and safety/quality requirements in the field?
NPS briefs interns on the resource issues and management decisions behind each project and retains authority to halt any project if herbicide practices, effectiveness, resource impacts, or safety do not meet specifications.
26) What is the Funding Opportunity Number and CFDA listing?
The opportunity is listed under Funding Opportunity Number NPS NOIP17AC00391 and CFDA 15.931.
27) What is the award ceiling and how many awards are expected?
The award ceiling is $500,000, and the notice indicates an expectation of one award.
28) When was this opportunity posted and what was the original closing date?
It was originally posted on July 10, 2017, with an original closing date of July 28, 2017.
29) What type of agreement is this funded through?
It is a cooperative agreement task under an existing master cooperative agreement (P15AC00009) between the Department of the Interior/NPS and the Conservation Corps of Minnesota and Iowa.
30) Why does the notice emphasize invasive plant management?
The program is intended to reduce invasive species impacts and support parks in maintaining healthy plant communities through active vegetation management, helping protect resources and improve habitat conditions across the Great Lakes region.
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