THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS-Trail Development and Management- NOCO- THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS | NPS NOIP17AC00006

Opportunity Information: Apply for NPS NOIP17AC00006

This notice describes a National Park Service (NPS) cooperative agreement intended to support ongoing trail development and management work for the North Country National Scenic Trail, specifically through the North Country Trail Association (NCTA). It is explicitly labeled "THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS," which signals that it is not an open, competitive funding round where multiple organizations are expected to apply. Instead, it reads like a public posting of an intended award or a non-competitive action connected to an established partner relationship.

The overall purpose of the agreement is to partially fund NCTA staff time and capacity so they can coordinate and support volunteer efforts that protect, build, maintain, develop, and promote the North Country National Scenic Trail. The trail’s work model relies heavily on volunteers, and NCTA is positioned as the organizing backbone that helps those volunteers operate effectively and consistently across a very large, multi-state trail system. The grant is structured to strengthen the systems that keep volunteer-driven trail construction and stewardship functioning at scale: planning, coordination, training, problem-solving, and technical guidance.

A central theme of the opportunity is that NCTA has been the NPS lead nonprofit partner since the trail’s inception and already has an established infrastructure for this mission. The source description highlights that NCTA’s network includes more than thirty chapters of volunteers plus affiliate trail organizations. That existing network is important because the agreement is not just paying for isolated projects; it is supporting an organizational platform that can deliver ongoing trail results over time. In practical terms, the funding supports the coordination engine behind volunteer recruitment and retention, standards-based maintenance, trail improvements, and the public-facing promotion needed to grow use and support for the trail.

The award instrument is a cooperative agreement, not a standard grant. That matters because a cooperative agreement is used when the federal agency expects substantial involvement in carrying out the work. Here, NPS involvement is described as active collaboration in setting priorities and planning projects, developing joint strategies for protection and development, and jointly resolving management and development issues as they arise. The agreement also emphasizes comprehensive training for members and volunteers, along with technical assistance and guidance, which aligns with NPS playing an ongoing role rather than simply providing funds and receiving reports.

In terms of official listing details, the opportunity title is "THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS-Trail Development and Management- NOCO- THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS" with funding opportunity number NPS NOIP17AC00006. It is categorized as a discretionary funding opportunity and uses the cooperative agreement funding instrument type. The activity areas listed include community development, education, environment, and natural resources, reflecting the trail’s blend of conservation, recreation, volunteerism, and public engagement. The CFDA number is 15.935, which corresponds to NPS assistance programs associated with conservation, scenic trails, and related stewardship purposes.

Eligibility is listed as nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education). Even though eligibility is defined, the "not a request for applications" language and the description of NCTA as the lead long-term partner indicate the practical intent is to support that specific partner relationship rather than solicit new applicants. The posting shows an expected number of awards of 1 and an award ceiling of $2,500,000, further reinforcing that this is designed as a single, large cooperative agreement rather than multiple smaller awards spread among many recipients.

Key dates in the listing show a creation date of November 9, 2016, and an original closing date of November 19, 2016. In contexts like this, the closing date often functions as an administrative deadline tied to publishing and processing rather than a typical application deadline, because the notice is not inviting full proposals from the public.

Taken together, this opportunity is best understood as an NPS-NCTA partnership support mechanism. The federal goal is to advance a public purpose: the long-term protection, development, maintenance, and promotion of a National Scenic Trail. The operational strategy is to fund the staffing and coordination capacity of the nonprofit that organizes volunteers across a wide geographic footprint, while keeping NPS directly involved through joint planning, shared strategy development, training standards, and ongoing technical oversight.

• The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the community development, education, environment, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS-Trail Development and Management- NOCO- THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.935.
• This funding opportunity was created on Nov 09, 2016.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Nov 19, 2016. (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 $2,500,000.00 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.

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