Training and Educational Opportunities for Services Relating to Natural Resources Conservation or Recreation Management in Jackson County, OR | W9127N 19 2 0001

Opportunity Information: Apply for W9127N 19 2 0001

The Department of Defense, through the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Portland District, offered a discretionary cooperative agreement to support land stewardship, restoration, and recreation-area maintenance on USACE-managed lands in the Rogue River Basin in Jackson County, Oregon. The opportunity is designed to help USACE meet its environmental stewardship responsibilities while also creating hands-on training and educational opportunities for local participants. Work would take place at key Rogue River Basin Project sites, including Lost Creek Lake, Elk Creek, and Applegate Dam, where ongoing natural resource management and facility upkeep needs create a practical setting for workforce-style training tied directly to conservation and recreation management.

The core purpose of the agreement is twofold: improve and protect natural resources on federal lands (especially native prairie landscapes and wildlife habitat) and provide structured work experience that teaches ecological and land management concepts in real-world conditions. USACE’s intent is not simply to fund one-time cleanup or minor repairs, but to implement best natural resource management practices across both high-use and low-use recreation areas and to support broader operations and facilities maintenance needs. In effect, the project blends habitat and vegetation restoration with the day-to-day upkeep required to keep parks, trails, and water resource infrastructure safe, functional, and environmentally resilient.

The scope of work includes a wide range of environmental and maintenance services. Examples listed in the notice include dam and flood control structure maintenance, vegetation management, park and trail maintenance, vegetation planting, litter control, fencing installation and repair, and trail construction and maintenance. These tasks reflect the mixed mission of USACE reservoir and dam properties, where recreation management, public safety, and ecosystem stewardship often overlap. The agreement structure suggests a collaborative relationship in which USACE and the recipient coordinate activities to achieve conservation and recreation outcomes, rather than a simple purchase of services.

A key eligibility requirement makes this opportunity unusual compared to many conservation grants. The recipient must be a qualified non-federal public entity or a nonprofit organization that works with low-security inmates and/or individuals completing community service sentences through the Jackson County Community Justice Department. The recipient also must have demonstrated experience conducting land stewardship and restoration using small work crews supervised by experienced leaders. That supervision requirement is emphasized because the program is expected to deliver genuine training and education: crew leaders must be capable of explaining ecological concepts accurately and translating them into safe, effective field practices while completing work on federal property.

Eligible applicants included state, county, and city or township governments, as well as 501(c)(3) nonprofits (excluding institutions of higher education). The funding instrument was a cooperative agreement under the Natural Resources funding activity category (CFDA 12.010) and was awarded under the authority of 33 USC 2339(a), which supports conservation and recreation management partnerships. The opportunity anticipated a single award with an award ceiling of $51,600. The notice was created on April 3, 2019, with an original application closing date of May 3, 2019, indicating a relatively short application window typical of smaller, targeted cooperative agreements.

In practical terms, the grant targeted an organization that can run a supervised conservation work program that benefits both the land and the community. USACE would gain support for habitat restoration and recreation-site upkeep across several Jackson County project areas, while participants would gain job-relevant skills in vegetation work, trail and park maintenance, basic infrastructure upkeep, and environmental stewardship practices carried out under professional oversight.

• The Department of Defense, USACE Portland District in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Training and Educational Opportunities for Services Relating to Natural Resources Conservation or Recreation Management in Jackson County, OR" 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 Apr 03, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 03, 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 $51,600.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.

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