Natural Resources Training and Education at Mill Creek and Tr- Rivers | W912EF 17 2 RFP 0001

Opportunity Information: Apply for W912EF 17 2 RFP 0001

The grant opportunity titled "Natural Resources Training and Education at Mill Creek and Tr-Rivers" is a discretionary funding announcement from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Walla Walla District, within the Department of Defense. It was released on March 27, 2017, under Funding Opportunity Number W912EF 17 2 RFP 0001, and it uses a cooperative agreement as the funding instrument. In practical terms, that means the selected organization would not just receive money to run an independent project; it would work in close partnership with USACE to deliver outdoor education and workforce training while completing needed on-the-ground work on USACE-managed public lands.

The core purpose is twofold: provide structured outdoor education and job training for young adults, and simultaneously accomplish maintenance and natural resource stewardship tasks at the Mill Creek and Tri-Rivers areas. The work described includes typical land management and park operations activities such as park maintenance, vegetation management, prescribed burning, landscaping, and related services that support safe, functional, and ecologically healthy public recreation lands. The training component is central, with USACE specifically looking for organizations that can offer a challenging, hands-on experience that builds practical skills and supports participants in developing into capable, self-sufficient adults prepared to lead productive lives.

A key emphasis of the announcement is youth and young adult development through work-based learning. USACE is seeking programs that combine real-world conservation or parks work with education and job-readiness preparation. The description also notes an interest in organizations that can provide participants with opportunities for aid related to formal post-high-school education, suggesting a preference for models that connect service and training to longer-term educational pathways, such as scholarships, education awards, tuition assistance, or structured support for continuing education after program completion.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is categorized under the Natural Resources funding activity area and is associated with CFDA Number 12.010. The announcement anticipated a single award, with an award ceiling of $40,000, indicating a relatively small, targeted project budget intended to support a specific set of training and maintenance deliverables rather than a large multi-year program expansion. The original closing date for applications was April 28, 2017, meaning it was a time-limited solicitation with a roughly one-month application window.

Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," with the note that applicants should consult the additional eligibility language in the full announcement. That phrasing typically signals that the agency may be open to a range of non-federal partners such as nonprofits, educational institutions, conservation corps or youth corps organizations, and similar entities that can credibly manage supervised field crews, deliver training curricula, and meet federal cooperative agreement requirements. Because it is a cooperative agreement, applicants would generally be expected to demonstrate operational capacity, safety and risk management procedures (especially relevant for prescribed burns and fieldwork), qualified staff supervision, and the ability to coordinate schedules and performance expectations with USACE.

The legal authority cited for the program is the Water Resources Development Act of 2000, Title 33, Part 2339, Section 213(a), Public Law 106-106-541, codified at 33 U.S.C. 2339. This statutory basis supports USACE partnering arrangements that link natural resource management and public lands stewardship with training and educational outcomes, which aligns with the announcement's combined focus on maintaining public lands while developing the next generation of workers with conservation and land management skills.

• The Department of Defense, Walla Walla District in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Natural Resources Training and Education at Mill Creek and Tr- Rivers" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.010.
• This funding opportunity was created on Mar 27, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 28, 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 $40,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for W912EF 17 2 RFP 0001

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