Bandelier Archeological Inventory, 2016-2020 MOD | P17AS00528

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the official name of this grant opportunity?

The opportunity is titled "The Bandelier Archeological Inventory, 2016-2020 MOD."

What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?

The Funding Opportunity Number is P17AS00528.

Which federal agency is offering this opportunity?

This is a National Park Service (NPS) opportunity under the U.S. Department of the Interior.

What type of funding mechanism is it?

It is a discretionary National Park Service cooperative agreement.

When was the opportunity created?

The opportunity was created on July 24, 2017.

What was the original closing date for applications?

The original closing date was August 2, 2017.

What funding activity category does this fall under?

The funding activity category is Natural Resources.

What is the CFDA number listed for this opportunity?

The CFDA number is 15.945.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education.

Is eligibility open to private universities or non-profit organizations?

The notice states eligibility is limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education. No other eligible applicant types are listed in the provided information.

How many awards did the National Park Service anticipate making?

The National Park Service anticipated making a single award.

What is the maximum funding amount (award ceiling)?

The award ceiling is $98,909.

What is the main purpose of the project?

The purpose is to complete remaining cultural resource inventory work at Bandelier National Monument, focusing on backcountry areas likely to contain archeological or other cultural resources.

How much of the monument has already been inventoried?

The monument reports that nearly all park lands have already been inventoried, with approximately 98 percent completed.

How much area remains to be surveyed under this award?

The remaining area identified for systematic survey coverage is 615 acres.

Where will the inventory work take place?

The work will take place at Bandelier National Monument, specifically in backcountry areas within defined project units that have not yet received systematic survey coverage.

What kinds of resources is the survey expected to find?

The focus is on archeological or other cultural resources. Within the unsurveyed units, the park estimates roughly 75 to 90 archeological sites may be present.

What are the core tasks expected under the project?

The core tasks are to locate cultural resources within the defined project areas through systematic pedestrian survey and to document any identified resources following established park guidelines.

What does "systematic pedestrian survey" mean in this context?

It means field teams walk planned transects or other structured coverage routes to produce consistent and defensible survey results, rather than relying on informal or opportunistic searching.

What documentation standards must be used for recording sites and finds?

Identified sites, features, and artifacts are to be recorded in the formats and standards required by the monument, following established park guidelines, so the results integrate cleanly with existing park data.

Why is integration with existing park data emphasized?

The opportunity emphasizes producing information that fits smoothly into existing datasets and supports long-term resource management decisions at the monument.

What methodology is the inventory intended to follow?

The inventory is intended to closely match the approach used in the Bandelier Archaeological Survey (BAS) described by Powers and Orcutt (1999), primarily to keep the new results comparable with the monument's existing inventory dataset.

Are there any exceptions or modifications to the BAS methodology?

Yes. The notice indicates there are important exceptions to the BAS methods. The park may require modifications or updated procedures due to conditions, management needs, technology changes, or documentation requirements, while keeping the overall framework aligned with prior survey work.

What kinds of deliverables are implied by the opportunity?

The opportunity indicates the work should yield new site recordings and documentation products generated from systematic survey and recorded according to the monument's required formats and standards.

What safety requirements apply to field work?

The inventory work must be carried out under the established safety plan, including the use of job hazard analyses.

Why is safety planning specifically mentioned?

The surveys will occur in backcountry settings where terrain, weather, remoteness, and other field risks are relevant, so formal safety protocols are expected during inventory and documentation tasks.

Does the opportunity specify that work will occur in backcountry areas?

Yes. The work is specifically described as occurring in backcountry areas considered likely to contain archeological or other cultural resources.

What outcome does the park expect from surveying the remaining acres?

Because the remaining unsurveyed units are estimated to contain roughly 75 to 90 archeological sites, the park expects a meaningful number of new site recordings and related documentation to result from the work.