Adventure Outdoor Recreation History and Management | P18AS00147

Opportunity Information: Apply for P18AS00147

The "Adventure Outdoor Recreation History and Management" grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number P18AS00147) is a National Park Service (NPS) cooperative agreement designed to support a focused research and documentation effort on the outdoor recreation history of Grand Teton National Park (GRTE). The project centers on how people have accessed and used key recreation landscapes in the park, especially the Scenic Snake River Corridor and the Teton Mountain Range, and how the NPS has managed those uses over time. The core idea is to turn a relatively under-studied part of the park's cultural and management history into something that is better documented, easier to interpret, and more useful for day-to-day decision-making.

A major driver behind the opportunity is a recognized gap in historical and spatial information. The notice explains that few previous studies have examined Grand Teton's recreation and management history in depth, which has left important context scattered, hard to access, or not synthesized in a way that planners and the public can readily use. Because of that, NPS staff are at a disadvantage when they have to make choices about allocating limited resources, particularly for managing use along the Snake River. The intent is to strengthen understanding of how past patterns of recreation and management developed so those patterns can inform current and future planning, rather than forcing managers to make decisions with incomplete baseline knowledge.

The opportunity also responds to modern management pressures in high-elevation areas. Visitor use of mountain peaks and other high elevation resources has been increasing, yet the notice highlights that data collection related to these uses has declined over the years. This mismatch creates a practical challenge for park managers: use is growing in sensitive or complex terrain while the information needed to understand trends, impacts, and management needs is not keeping pace. By supporting interpretation and documentation work, the project is meant to help rebuild or strengthen baseline data that can support better-informed recreation management strategies.

Another theme is public access to information. Beyond internal NPS planning needs, the project aims to address the lack of an accessible way for visitors and the broader public to explore spatial and historical information about how recreation has occurred and been managed in Grand Teton. The description points to educational and interpretive value, suggesting deliverables that translate historical research into formats that can be used for learning, interpretation, and broader understanding of the park's recreation history. In practical terms, this implies synthesizing historical records and management history into clearer narratives and, potentially, map-based or spatially organized information products that help people visualize change over time.

Administratively, this is a discretionary funding opportunity issued by the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, under the Natural Resources activity category (CFDA 15.945). The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, which signals that NPS staff expect to be actively involved alongside the partner rather than simply issuing a hands-off grant. Eligibility is limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, and the notice explicitly describes collaboration between Idaho State University (ISU) and NPS staff, indicating the project is structured around that partnership. The award ceiling is $25,000, with one expected award, and the opportunity was created on April 12, 2018, with an original closing date of April 21, 2018.

• The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Adventure Outdoor Recreation History and Management" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.945.
• This funding opportunity was created on Apr 12, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 21, 2018. (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 $25,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.

Apply for P18AS00147

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