RMYC Interns working directly with a Wilderness Trail Crew | P17AS00196

Opportunity Information: Apply for P17AS00196

The grant opportunity titled "RMYC Interns working directly with a Wilderness Trail Crew" (Funding Opportunity Number P17AS00196) was a National Park Service discretionary funding announcement issued by the U.S. Department of the Interior. It was offered as a cooperative agreement under the Natural Resources funding activity area (CFDA 15.931). The opportunity was created on April 18, 2017, and originally closed on April 27, 2017. The funding level was relatively small and targeted, with an award ceiling of $31,112 and an expectation of a single award.

The central purpose of the task agreement was to support and expand hands-on work, education, and job training opportunities for young adults by placing them in collaborative roles focused on backcountry resource management in Rocky Mountain National Park. In practical terms, the project was designed to combine real field work with structured learning so participants could build concrete conservation and trail-crew skills while directly contributing to priority park needs.

On the ground, the work scope focused on deferred maintenance and resource protection along wilderness and backcountry trails. Key tasks included repairing or replacing deteriorated log causeways (wooden structures used to stabilize wet or fragile trail segments), improving trail drainage, and implementing erosion control measures to reduce ongoing trail damage and protect surrounding natural resources. Another major element was re-establishing the required trail corridor width, which generally involves clearing encroaching vegetation and restoring the trail to established standards so visitors stay on durable surfaces and impacts to adjacent habitat are minimized.

An education component was explicitly built into the project for participating students (referred to as TCN students in the description). Beyond learning through field labor, the interns were expected to gain exposure to National Park Service professionals and park operations. This included interactions with staff working in resource preservation and stewardship, visitor management and protection, facility management, interpretation, and overall park administration. Taken together, the structure suggests a workforce development model where interns learn both the technical side of trail and resource work and the broader context of how a major national park is managed.

Eligibility was limited to nonprofit organizations with IRS 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education). This points to the intent to partner with a youth-serving or conservation corps-style nonprofit capable of recruiting young adults, supporting them in the field, and coordinating closely with NPS staff under a cooperative agreement framework, where substantial federal involvement in the project implementation is typical.

• The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "RMYC Interns working directly with a Wilderness Trail Crew" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.931.
• This funding opportunity was created on Apr 18, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 27, 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 $31,112.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.

Apply for P17AS00196

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