Grand Calumet River AoC Habitat Restoration Prescribed Fire Implementation

This is a notice of intent to award a single source cooperative agreement to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources without competition under justification 505DM 2.14.B.4. Competition for the award is not practical as the extent of the area-wide prescribed fire plan includes several properties owned or managed by the state of Indiana as part of the nature preserve system. The state is suited to using the funds to mobilize its resources to perform the work on these properties. This funding opportunity is for conducting prescribed burning on state owned and state managed property in northwest Indiana in the cities of Gary, Hammond, and East Chicago. Approximately four burn units are expected to have burning completed. The total expected acreage ranges from 47.3 acres to 190.4 acres. The properties requiring prescribed burning are located adjacent to industrial, residential, and municipal property. Fire on several of the properties has the potential to interact with an interstate and other high traffic volume roads which is expected cause a prescribed burn on those properties to be rated as high-complexity. The typical time period for which conditions are favorable for prescribed fire work in the area during each burn season is estimated at 7-14 days. Work will be conducted in accordance with National Wildfire Coordination Group standards and executing personnel must be appropriately certified. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) will be substantially involved in projects under this funding opportunity. In particular, the Service will be responsible for assessing the effectiveness of the prescribed fire and providing information to the AoC advisory committee about progress towards the removal of the BUI. Service personnel and equipment will be available and used, as appropriate, for the implementation of the prescribed fire.