Opportunity Information: Apply for P18AS00083
The Notice of Intent titled "Next Generation Ranger: Trails Maintenance and Creation" is a National Park Service (Department of the Interior) discretionary funding opportunity structured as a cooperative agreement. It builds on an existing cooperative agreement (P17AC00171) between the National Park Service and Friends of Saguaro National Park (FOSNP). The core purpose is to recruit, hire, and manage paid youth interns from Tucson and surrounding communities and place them in National Park Service work settings, with this specific task focusing on trails work at Saguaro National Park. The program is presented as a community-based workforce and conservation initiative designed to connect local youth to public lands careers while delivering tangible maintenance and resource benefits to the park.
At the center of the project is the creation of a youth employment pipeline called the Next Generation Ranger Corps. Using National Park Service funds, FOSNP is responsible for recruiting and hiring local youth to serve as "NextGen Rangers" who will be embedded with Saguaro National Park staff, specifically alongside the park's Trail Crew in the Maintenance Division. The interns are intended to work in real operational environments and gain exposure to the day-to-day functions of park management, with a particular emphasis here on the practical skills and professional expectations involved in trail maintenance and trail construction. The program is also framed as a longer-term career and education support effort, giving participants work experience and mentorship that can translate into future opportunities in conservation, public lands stewardship, or related trades and technical fields.
The opportunity highlights multiple public-purpose goals. It explicitly aims to alleviate poverty by providing paid employment and structured work experience for youth interested in conservation and public lands. It also seeks to broaden access for young people from under-represented areas of Tucson by offering professional development in career paths they may not have considered realistic or accessible. Beyond employment, the project is designed to deepen environmental learning through hands-on conservation projects in national parks, encourage ongoing involvement in natural resource protection within participants' home communities, and support the broader public understanding of natural resources and conservation. The description also references the gaining and dissemination of new scientific knowledge, suggesting that interns may be exposed to, or contribute to, learning and information-sharing that supports park management and public education, even though the primary assignment described is trails-focused.
The work assignment described in the notice places NextGen Rangers with the Trails program at Saguaro National Park, where they are mentored by a designated staff member (Nick Huck). Interns are expected to learn the tools, techniques, and safety practices used in trail maintenance and construction, and to build an understanding of trail design and stewardship as practiced within the National Park Service. In addition to the technical, field-based training, the program emphasizes "life skills" and professional readiness, including resume building, public speaking, community engagement, and participation in conservation projects on public lands in Southern Arizona. The structure includes regular check-ins with the assigned mentor and an expectation that interns will report on activities and accomplishments, reinforcing that this is meant to be a supervised learning experience with measurable outcomes.
From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is identified as Funding Opportunity Number P18AS00083, tied to CFDA 15.954 (Natural Resources). It lists one expected award with an award ceiling of 1 (as stated in the source data), and it was created on March 6, 2018 with an original closing date of March 16, 2018. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," with additional eligibility details indicated to be in the full application materials. Overall, the notice describes a targeted, partnership-driven internship program where FOSNP handles recruitment and intern management while the National Park Service provides funding, on-the-ground work placement, mentorship, and training opportunities centered on trails maintenance and creation at Saguaro National Park.Apply for P18AS00083
- The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Notice of intent: Next Generation Ranger: Trails Maintenance and Creation" 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 06, 2018.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 16, 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 $1.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the "Next Generation Ranger: Trails Maintenance and Creation" opportunity?
It is a National Park Service (Department of the Interior) discretionary funding opportunity structured as a cooperative agreement. The notice describes a trails-focused youth internship effort at Saguaro National Park delivered through an existing partnership with Friends of Saguaro National Park (FOSNP).
Is this a grant, a contract, or something else?
The notice describes it as a discretionary funding opportunity structured as a cooperative agreement (not a procurement contract). The work is carried out in partnership, with roles shared between the National Park Service and Friends of Saguaro National Park.
Does this opportunity build on an existing agreement?
Yes. It explicitly builds on an existing cooperative agreement identified as P17AC00171 between the National Park Service and Friends of Saguaro National Park (FOSNP).
Who is the federal agency offering this opportunity?
The opportunity is issued by the National Park Service, which is part of the Department of the Interior.
What is the main purpose of the project?
The core purpose is to recruit, hire, and manage paid youth interns from Tucson and surrounding communities and place them in National Park Service work settings. The specific task described in this notice focuses on trails maintenance and trail creation work at Saguaro National Park.
What is the Next Generation Ranger Corps?
The notice describes the Next Generation Ranger Corps as a youth employment pipeline. Youth are recruited and hired as paid interns (referred to as "NextGen Rangers") and embedded with Saguaro National Park staff to gain hands-on experience and mentorship.
Who recruits and hires the youth interns ("NextGen Rangers")?
Friends of Saguaro National Park (FOSNP) is responsible for recruiting and hiring local youth using National Park Service funds, and for managing the interns as part of the cooperative agreement framework.
Where will the interns work?
The work assignment described places NextGen Rangers at Saguaro National Park in National Park Service work settings, specifically with the park's Trail Crew in the Maintenance Division.
What type of work will interns do under this notice?
The described assignment is centered on trails work: learning the tools, techniques, and safety practices used in trail maintenance and trail construction, and developing an understanding of trail design and stewardship as practiced within the National Park Service.
Who provides day-to-day mentoring in the park setting?
The notice identifies a designated staff mentor: Nick Huck. Interns are expected to have regular check-ins with the assigned mentor as part of a supervised learning experience.
Is the program paid?
Yes. The notice emphasizes paid youth interns and frames the initiative as providing paid employment and structured work experience.
Who is the program intended to serve?
The program is described as recruiting youth from Tucson and surrounding communities, with an emphasis on broadening access for young people from under-represented areas of Tucson.
What are the workforce and community goals of the project?
The notice lists multiple public-purpose goals, including alleviating poverty through paid youth employment, expanding access to career pathways in conservation and public lands, and connecting local youth to public lands careers while delivering tangible maintenance and resource benefits to the park.
What kinds of skills and professional development are included?
Beyond field-based trail training, the program emphasizes "life skills" and professional readiness, including resume building, public speaking, community engagement, and participation in conservation projects on public lands in Southern Arizona.
Does the opportunity mention education, mentorship, or longer-term career support?
Yes. It is framed as a longer-term career and education support effort that provides work experience and mentorship intended to translate into future opportunities in conservation, public lands stewardship, or related trades and technical fields.
Are interns expected to document their work or outcomes?
Yes. The structure described includes regular check-ins and an expectation that interns will report on activities and accomplishments, indicating measurable outcomes and supervised learning.
Is there an environmental education or conservation learning component?
Yes. The notice describes deepening environmental learning through hands-on conservation projects in national parks, encouraging ongoing involvement in natural resource protection within participants' home communities, and supporting public understanding of natural resources and conservation.
Does the notice reference science or knowledge-sharing?
Yes. It references gaining and dissemination of new scientific knowledge, suggesting interns may be exposed to or contribute to learning and information-sharing that supports park management and public education, even though the primary assignment described is trails-focused.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number?
The Funding Opportunity Number listed in the notice is P18AS00083.
What CFDA program is associated with this opportunity?
The notice ties the opportunity to CFDA 15.954 (Natural Resources).
How many awards are expected?
The notice lists one expected award. It also states an award ceiling of 1 (as presented in the source data).
When was the opportunity created and what was the original closing date?
The notice indicates it was created on March 6, 2018, with an original closing date of March 16, 2018.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," with the notice indicating additional eligibility details are provided in the full application materials.
What roles do FOSNP and the National Park Service play?
As described, FOSNP handles recruitment, hiring, and intern management using National Park Service funds, while the National Park Service provides the work placement within the park, on-the-ground training, mentorship, and the operational setting (specifically trails work within the Maintenance Division at Saguaro National Park).
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