Natural Resource Management (NRM) Education and Training for Willamette Valley Adjudicated Crews | W9127N2120007

Opportunity Information: Apply for W9127N2120007

Natural Resource Management (NRM) Education and Training for Willamette Valley Adjudicated Crews (Funding Opportunity Number W9127N2120007) is a discretionary federal grant opportunity offered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Portland District. The agency plans to make a single cooperative agreement to support hands-on land stewardship and restoration work on USACE-managed lands across the Willamette Valley in Oregon. The overall aim is to help the Portland District meet its environmental stewardship obligations by improving and maintaining native and wildlife habitat and by carrying out practical on-the-ground management activities at USACE project sites in Linn, Marion, and Lane Counties.

The work supported under this agreement is centered on crew-based natural resource management, meaning participants will be organized into work crews that complete real field projects while building practical skills. The scope described includes land stewardship tasks, habitat restoration, campground maintenance, and vegetation management connected to dam safety needs. The effort is tied to the network of 13 USACE lakes in the Willamette watershed, indicating projects may occur at multiple reservoir and recreation areas where the Corps manages shoreline lands, access areas, and surrounding habitats. Because this is a cooperative agreement rather than a standard grant, USACE is signaling that it expects active collaboration and coordination with the selected recipient during planning and implementation, consistent with the cooperative agreement model.

A defining feature of this opportunity is its focus on serving locally adjudicated individuals. The recipient organization must be a qualified non-federal public entity or a nonprofit that works with adjudicated people who may be completing restitution obligations, earning required community service hours, and simultaneously receiving vocational training and job readiness development. In practice, the program is structured to blend environmental conservation work with workforce development and reentry-style supports, giving participants exposure to conservation careers and structured employment expectations while they complete court-related requirements.

To ensure both safety and training quality, the recipient is expected to employ experienced crew leaders. These leaders are intended to translate ecological concepts into field practice and to clearly communicate work standards and requirements to participants, which is important in restoration and vegetation management settings where improper techniques can undermine habitat goals or create safety risks. The legal authority cited for the award is 33 U.S.C. 2339, Conservation and Recreation Management, which is commonly used by USACE to partner with non-federal entities on stewardship, conservation, and recreation-related management on Corps lands.

In terms of basic funding details, the opportunity is listed under CFDA 12.010 (Natural Resources) and carries an award ceiling of $325,000, with USACE expecting to make one award. Eligible applicants include state governments, independent school districts, federally recognized tribal governments, and nonprofits (including both 501(c)(3) organizations and nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status, as long as they are not institutions of higher education). The opportunity record shows it was created on April 14, 2021, with an original closing date of May 13, 2021, reflecting the initial application window published by the Portland District for this specific cooperative agreement.

• The Department of Defense, USACE Portland District in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Natural Resource Management (NRM) Education and Training for Willamette Valley Adjudicated Crews" 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 14, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 13, 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 $325,000.00 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.

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