Complete FLAG Integrated Pest Managment Plan | P18AS00305

Opportunity Information: Apply for P18AS00305

The National Park Service (Department of the Interior) offered a discretionary cooperative agreement titled "Complete FLAG Integrated Pest Managment Plan" (Funding Opportunity Number P18AS00305) to address serious pest intrusion problems affecting museum collections and public-facing facilities tied to the Flagstaff Area National Monuments (FLAG). About 80 percent of FLAG collections from Sunset Crater Volcano, Walnut Canyon, and Wupatki National Monuments are stored and, in some cases, exhibited at the privately operated Museum of Northern Arizona (MNA) in Flagstaff under a unique private-federal Memorandum of Understanding. Because MNA serves as the official storage repository for these federal collections and the FLAG Curator is based on the MNA grounds, the condition of MNA buildings directly impacts both collection preservation and the safety of staff and visitors.

The opportunity focuses on implementing a comprehensive Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach after long-term monitoring revealed pervasive pest entry across all collection storage and exhibit buildings. The problems described are both a human health concern and a collections conservation risk. Mice are entering buildings, creating potential exposure to hantavirus for employees and the public. Insect activity is severe enough that sticky traps in some storage areas contain such heavy insect biomass that they resemble outdoor trap captures. The presence of dermestid beetle larvae is highlighted as especially hazardous because their barbed larval hairs can become airborne and lodge in human lungs when disturbed by heaters, adding a serious indoor air and occupational health dimension. In addition, ongoing evidence of other pests known to damage museum materials, including beetles, clothes moths, book lice, and dermestids, indicates sustained risk to organic and paper-based collections, textiles, and other vulnerable holdings.

The project deliverables are practical and action-oriented, centered on identifying how pests are getting in and then stopping that entry in a structured, NPS-approved format. Work would include inspecting eleven (11) different buildings to detect and document sources of pest entry, then producing a formal findings report and an IPM plan that recommends and prioritizes mitigation measures using an approved National Park Service IPM plan format. Beyond a one-time plan, the project also calls for a long-term IPM monitoring strategy so that pest pressure is tracked consistently and responses can be adjusted over time. The award also expects hands-on coordination: the recipient would oversee mitigation efforts carried out by MNA and NPS maintenance staff to ensure entry points are addressed and pest problems are reduced in a durable way.

Training and capacity-building are built into the scope. The project includes training a student in IPM principles and insect identification, helping develop local expertise for ongoing monitoring and response. It also requires hosting an IPM training session at MNA for regional museums, specifically including both tribal and non-tribal institutions, which would extend the benefits beyond FLAG and MNA by sharing prevention methods and identification skills with other collections stewards in the area.

A key driver for urgency is that the buildings covered by the plan span a wide range of ages and construction types, from 1904 to 2009, which can create very different pest pathways and maintenance challenges. One building of special note is the Walnut Canyon Ranger Cabin (built in 1904), which has recently been renovated by FLAG and is being prepared for a Historic Furnishings Plan. The grant description makes clear that public access and the addition of new collection items to this historic structure cannot move forward until pest issues are brought under control, tying the IPM work directly to both preservation planning and visitor use.

Administratively, the opportunity was limited to nonprofits with IRS 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education). It was categorized under Natural Resources and offered as a cooperative agreement, with an award ceiling of $58,000 and an expectation of a single award. The posting dates indicate it was created on June 11, 2018, with an original closing date of June 20, 2018. Overall, the grant is aimed at producing a credible, NPS-aligned IPM plan and establishing ongoing monitoring and training so that collection storage and exhibit environments at MNA, including facilities supporting FLAG, become safer for people and more protective of irreplaceable museum holdings.

• The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Complete FLAG Integrated Pest Managment Plan" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.942.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jun 11, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 20, 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 $58,000.00 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.

Apply for P18AS00305

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