Description
A 1998 settlement for natural resource damages required that funding be provided to the Service to "use these funds and the interest thereon at the Green Point Environmental Learning Center to restore, replace, or acquire equivalent resources consistent with CERCLA and applicable regulations." Through two cooperative agreements, the Service is seeking to implement the alternative selected in the Final Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment (RP/EA) for the Green Point Area Restoration. The selected alternative includes an ecological classification and inventory to inform habitat restoration and a community interest assessment to integrate potential future recreational amenities in the development of a site-specific implementation plan. This plan will allow the Service to achieve restoration of resources and services lost due to prior natural resource damage. The Service intends to award single source cooperative agreements to both Wayne State University and Michigan State University without competition under justification 505DM 2.14.B.4. The Service will be substantially involved in both projects under this funding opportunity. In particular, the Service will be responsible for the following for the ecological classification and inventory: (1) Assisting with sample design, data collection, analysis, and writing, (2) Providing bathymetric, LiDAR, and topographic data, (3) Providing hydrologic data including groundwater data, river stage, and discharge measurements, (4) Providing oversight to students and technicians collecting ecological classification and inventory data. The Service will be responsible for the following for the community needs assessment: (1) assisting with registered voter and visitor survey instrument design and distribution, (2) providing refuge specific information and data to aid with study design, (3) attending, participating in, and helping to coordinate public meetings, (4) attending and participating in information gathering meetings with community groups and organizations, (5) assisting with outreach to refuge user groups, visitors, and general public, (6) work with Midwest Regional Office staff to get survey instruments approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Competition for these awards is not practical as Wayne State University and Michigan State University are uniquely qualified to complete the ecological classification and the community needs assessment, respectively. Researchers at Wayne State University are recognized experts in the field of forest ecology and have unique skills and abilities that were specifically sought out for this project. Wayne State University researchers have extensive experience working in ash (Fraxinus sp.) dominated forest with extensive emerald ash die-offs, and conducting ecological classifications in floodplain systems. Michigan State University researchers have recognized experts in the field of natural resource based recreation management, planning and policy. They have conducted public surveys for a variety of groups including the US Forest Service, state parks, and county parks.