MISS Corridor Natural Resource Management Plan | NOIP17AC01140

Opportunity Information: Apply for NOIP17AC01140

The MISS Corridor Natural Resource Management Plan grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number NOIP17AC01140) was offered by the Department of the Interior, National Park Service as a cooperative agreement under CFDA 15.954. It focused on addressing a clear planning gap at the Mississippi River National River and Recreation Area (MISS): the park unit did not have a single, comprehensive Natural Resource Management Plan (NRMP) for the full Mississippi River Corridor it manages. The corridor scope is large and complex, covering roughly 72 miles of the Mississippi River corridor plus an additional 4 miles of the lower Minnesota River that fall within the MISS boundary. The need described in the notice goes beyond general stewardship and points to specific analytical shortcomings, including the lack of a corridor-wide verification of where the highest-quality natural areas are, where critical habitat connections are missing, what lands or reaches most need protection, which locations are most vulnerable to climate change impacts, and where serious degradation is already occurring. A major example of degradation called out is floodplain forest decline driven by Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) infestations, which threaten ash-dominated systems and require proactive restoration and replanting strategies.

The agreement’s central objective was to produce two major components of the broader corridor NRMP: (1) a forest management plan section and (2) a Coldwater plan section. The intent was not to start from scratch, but to build these sections using newly created vegetation mapping data developed by the National Park Service for MISS. That mapping was positioned as the baseline dataset for analysis and decision-making, allowing the plan sections to identify conditions and prioritize actions with a consistent corridor-wide information foundation. Another core requirement was active coordination with corridor partners so that any existing plans already produced by other agencies, nonprofits, or local entities could be incorporated rather than duplicated. The final deliverable emphasis was practical: the plan sections were expected to include recommendations that identify priority work areas, and those priorities were to be shaped with input from partners and stakeholders, reflecting the multi-jurisdictional reality of managing habitat, forests, and water resources along an urban river corridor.

The opportunity also spelled out how the work would be organized and who would play key roles. The Mississippi Park Connection (MPC), identified as the friends group for MISS, was highlighted as a central partner because it already supports the park through volunteer coordination, restoration and cleanup efforts, and fundraising for education and outreach. Under this agreement, MPC would oversee and coordinate the work by compiling relevant data, managing a subcontract with a consultant to draft the plan content, and contributing at least $5,000 in matching funds raised through its fundraising efforts. The notice also noted that technical groundwork had already begun through Green Corps staff support, which would continue during plan development. In particular, there was an existing 2016 rough draft management plan for Coldwater that, while needing updates and additional work, was considered robust enough to serve as a starting base for the Coldwater component. Separately, one Green Corps staff member had spent the previous year analyzing expected EAB impacts on corridor forests and supporting practical adaptation strategies, including coordinating with NPS and volunteers to establish gravel beds on partner properties to grow alternative tree species for future planting in EAB-impacted areas. That applied restoration work and the associated findings were intended to feed directly into the forest management planning section.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity was structured as a single anticipated award with an award ceiling of $100,000 and an expected awards count of 1. It was categorized under “Other” for both the opportunity category and funding activity category, and eligibility was listed broadly as “Others” with further clarification referenced in the original notice. The posting was created on August 29, 2017, with an original closing date of September 3, 2017, indicating a short application window typical of certain cooperative agreements or partner-oriented opportunities. Overall, the grant was designed to produce actionable, partner-informed plan sections that use NPS vegetation mapping and on-the-ground restoration knowledge to guide forest management and Coldwater area management across the full MISS river corridor, with particular attention to connectivity, protection priorities, climate vulnerability, and urgent threats like Emerald Ash Borer.

• The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "MISS Corridor Natural Resource Management Plan" 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 Aug 29, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 03, 2017. (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: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for NOIP17AC01140

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: