Opportunity: SPECIAL EXPERT - HYDRO, WSR, RTCA, RECR

The National Park Service (NPS) accomplishes its mission for natural resource conservation and outdoor recreation in communities across America through the Conservation and Outdoor Recreation Division (COR). COR embraces the principles of civic engagement, collaboration, and cooperative conservation. Partnerships form the foundation upon which the COR Division acts to connect the American public to their natural, cultural, and recreational heritage. COR programs extend and expand the contributions of the National Park Service in Parks and throughout the nation. Through close and ongoing partnerships with sister federal and state agencies, regional and local offices, agencies, organizations, and individuals, we develop and protect an enhanced network of parks, trails, rivers, and other special places across the country for the enjoyment of all Americans. COR programs include: Hydropower Recreation Assistance which provides technical assistance on recreation access and facilities, instream flows for recreation, and riparian corridor protection to all participants in licensing proceedings of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC); Wild and Scenic Rivers which supports the 64 rivers in the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System for which NPS has responsibilities to protect free-flowing condition and outstanding natural, cultural, and recreation values for the enjoyment of present and future generations; and Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance (RTCA) which assists community-led natural resource conservation and outdoor recreation initiatives by providing guidance to conserve waterways, preserve open space, and develop trails, parks greenways, and to improve waterway access. The COR Division also manages a newly formed Office of Outdoor Recreation to serve as the gateway for stakeholders and interests to engage with the NPS on recreation, tourism and visitor service-related topics and issues, as well as providing technical support and expertise to staff and others on outdoor recreation topics and efforts to enhance public access and improve the visitor experience. Additional specialized expertise is urgently required to enable NPS to remain effectively engaged in these program areas, specifically, Hydropower Assistance, Wild and Scenic River issues, rivers, trails, and conservation assistance projects, and outdoor recreation. Budget and staff limitations make it difficult to ensure that NPS can effectively engage on key projects in a timely manner. This instrument provides an opportunity to direct technical expertise and funding to priority projects. This solicitation is for ongoing efforts and future efforts to support COR programs: - Hydropower work throughout the country, with emphasis on the NPS Pacific West and Alaska regions; the refinement of an internal hydropower assistance guidance manual; - Wild and Scenic River work throughout the country, with emphasis on assessments of state-administered rivers in California; Wild and Scenic Rivers studies, planning, and management, with emphasis on Partnership Wild and Scenic Rivers; and river stewardship action planning complemented by the refinement of the NPS Reference Manual #46 - Wild and Scenic Rivers; and - Technical assistance for RTCA projects (trail, park, greenway and waterway access planning and design and conservation) and outdoor recreation efforts nationally.