NRM Cottage Grove Area Schools | W9127N2120009

Opportunity Information: Apply for W9127N2120009

The NRM Cottage Grove Area Schools opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number W9127N2120009) is a discretionary federal funding announcement from the Department of Defense, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Portland District. USACE is looking to award one cooperative agreement, with an anticipated maximum award amount (ceiling) of up to $100,000, to support natural resources work on USACE-managed lands in Oregon's Willamette Valley, with the main on-the-ground focus at Cottage Grove Lake and Dorena Lake.

At its core, the project blends environmental stewardship with youth education and workforce development. USACE wants a partner that can carry out land stewardship and ecological restoration services, especially work tied to native prairie restoration and broader wildlife habitat improvement and management. The intention is to help USACE meet its environmental stewardship responsibilities by improving and maintaining prairie landscapes and associated habitat conditions on these federal project lands, while also creating structured learning and training opportunities for young people from nearby communities.

A defining feature of this grant is the youth component. The recipient organization is expected to involve participating students or youth participants in meaningful, hands-on conservation work. Those participants are intended to gain experience not just in field tasks, but also in project planning, project development, and implementation, which suggests USACE is looking for an approach that includes coaching, skill-building, and exposure to how restoration projects are scoped and executed. The work is described as being performed by small crews led by experienced crew leaders, emphasizing close supervision and a teaching environment where ecological concepts can be clearly explained and correctly applied in the field.

Eligibility is limited to non-federal entities, specifically including state governments, independent school districts, federally recognized tribal governments, and nonprofit organizations (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3), as long as they are not institutions of higher education). The announcement also highlights that the ideal applicant is a qualified youth service or conservation corps-type organization that serves at-risk youth in local communities near Cottage Grove and Dorena, and that already has demonstrated experience delivering land stewardship and restoration projects using supervised crew models. In other words, USACE is not simply funding ecological restoration outcomes; it is seeking a partner with an established track record of running safe, effective youth crews that can complete conservation work to a professional standard.

The award will be made as a cooperative agreement, meaning USACE expects active involvement and collaboration rather than a hands-off grant relationship. The authority cited for the agreement is 33 U.S.C. 2339, Conservation and Recreation Management, which aligns with USACE's ability to partner with outside organizations for conservation, restoration, and stewardship activities on Corps lands. The original posting dates indicate the opportunity was created on May 13, 2021, with an original closing date of June 14, 2021, and USACE anticipated making a single award.

• The Department of Defense, USACE Portland District in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NRM Cottage Grove Area Schools" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.010.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 13, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 14, 2021. (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 $100,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, Independent school districts, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.

Apply for W9127N2120009

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