Opportunity to Apply for Groundwork USA Pilot Funding and Technical Assistance and Join the Groundwork USA Network
(printable version of this announcement)

Introduction to the Groundwork USA Initiative

The Groundwork USA Initiative builds the capacity of communities impacted by brownfields and derelict lands to improve their environment for conservation, recreation and economic development by supporting the establishment of locally organized and controlled Groundwork Trust organizations. Each Groundwork Trust represents a strong partnership between municipal government, business and civic leaders, foundations, churches, community organizations and residents. They are focused on delivering projects and programs to improve their communities' environment, economy and quality of life. There are now 20 Groundwork USA pilot communities across the United States. 15 Groundwork Trusts have been established. For more information about Groundwork USA, please visit www.groundworkusa.net.

The mission of the Groundwork USA network and the member Groundwork Trusts is to bring about the sustained regeneration, improvement and management of the physical environment by developing community-based partnerships which empower people, businesses and organizations to promote environmental, economic and social well being.

By working with people to build healthy and prosperous communities, the Groundwork Trusts achieve an integrated approach to community rejuvenation in six key program areas:

• Land - Helping people transform derelict land and wasted public space into valued community assets such as pocket parks, community gardens, recreation facilities and nature preserves.
• Brownfields - Partnering with government agencies and the private sector to engage residents in the remediation of brownfields to build consensus on reusing these sites for community benefit and facilitating their transformation.
• Education - Working with schools to improve their outdoor facilities for recreation and education and providing programs which engage students in improving their community.
• Business - Working with businesses to enhance their sites, improve their environmental performance and involve them in volunteer service days benefiting their community.
• Youth - Working with young people to develop job and leadership skills by engaging them in Groundwork projects and programs as staff and volunteers.
• Communities - Making a long-term commitment to specific neighborhoods and working closely with other organizations and initiatives in those areas to maximize impact and improve quality of life

All projects and activities of Groundwork are carried out through a creative mix of staff and volunteers to leverage resources and engage businesses and residents in the transformation of their own communities. To learn about the accomplishments of the Groundwork USA network in 2006, please visit the 'News' page at www.groundworkusa.net.

The Groundwork USA Initiative is a pilot program of the National Park Service (NPS) Rivers and Trails Program in cooperation with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Brownfields Program. NPS provides the technical assistance to the successful applicant(s) in partnership with Groundwork USA (GW USA). NPS also awards the financial assistance to successful applicant(s) and administers the assistance agreements. The EPA provides NPS with the funds for this program under an Interagency Agreement.

Funding Overview		Leveraging Local Resources
Application Process		Criteria
Due Dates		Contact Information

Eligibility
To be considered for Groundwork USA Pilot Funding and Technical Assistance, interested communities must:

• have received or be receiving funding from the Environmental Protection Agency Brownfields Program and
• convene a diverse Steering Committee with representation from local government, business, civic groups, community organizations, residents and other interested stakeholders to coordinate and lead the effort to develop a Groundwork Trust.

Interested communities are strongly encouraged to work with the NPS Rivers, Trails, and Conservation (RTCA) Program throughout the process to apply for and develop a Groundwork Trust. Please visit 'Contact Us' page on this website for the location and contact information of your local NPS RTCA Program office.

Overview of the Groundwork USA Pilot Funding Process
Prior to submitting a proposal to NPS for Groundwork USA Pilot Funding and Technical Assistance, NPS will work with the local Groundwork Steering Committee to evaluate whether or not the Groundwork USA Initiative makes sense for their community. If the evaluation is positive and the proposal submitted by Steering Committee in partnership with their local government is selected, Groundwork USA Pilot Funding and Technical Assistance are awarded in two phases.

• Phase 1 - In phase 1, NPS supports the selected Groundwork Steering Committee with funding ($20,000) and technical assistance to complete a feasibility study to determine if Groundwork is appropriate for their community and if so, outline how it would be established. Upon completion of the feasibility study, the steering committee makes a formal decision on whether or not to establish a Groundwork Trust in their community. If their decision is yes and supported by their local government, NPS, EPA and Groundwork USA, the steering committee begins work on Phase 2.
• Phase 2 - In phase 2, NPS supports the Groundwork Steering Committee with funding ($80,000) and technical assistance to help establish the new Groundwork Trust. These funds may be used to hire staff and cover other operational expenses. They may not be used for projects. Upon completion of phase 2 and the Trust's first full year of operation, the new Trust will become a full member of the Groundwork USA network and eligible to apply for additional Groundwork program funding, as it becomes available.
  

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Leveraging Local Resources
Groundwork USA Pilot Funding and Technical Assistance are awarded to the local Groundwork Steering Committee and their local government partner. During phase 1, NPS will support the steering committee with funding ($20,000) and technical assistance to complete a Groundwork Feasibility Study. The steering committee is expected to leverage other resources as needed, especially 'in-kind', to help complete the feasibility study/strategic plan.

If the decision is made to undertake phase 2 and establish a local Groundwork Trust, the funds ($80,000) will be awarded to their local government partner through an NPS cooperative agreement to support the establishment of the new Groundwork Trust. A local government funding commitment is required to help support operation of the new Groundwork Trust for 3 years, in addition to any funds made available for project development. A minimum of $25,000 per year for 3 years is required. A larger match is recommended for the effective launch of the new Groundwork Trust, along with other in-kind support to offset the cost of operations. The amount of the annual funding commitment should be identified in the feasibility study and agreed to by the local government partner as part of the formal decision to establish the new Groundwork Trust.

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Criteria
The following criteria will be used to evaluate communities applying for Groundwork USA Pilot Funding and Technical Assistance. These criteria will be used throughout the application process, from their initial letter of interest through to evaluating the proposal they submit for Groundwork USA Pilot Funding and Technical Assistance.

Primary criteria include:

• the community/local government is a current or past recipient of funding from the EPA Brownfields Program and demonstrated success in those efforts
• the breadth of community participation on the Steering Committee and support for establishing a Groundwork Trust, including business, government, philanthropic, nonprofit, civic groups, church groups, community organizations and residents
• the Steering Committee reflects the diversity of the larger community
• the commitment of local government to support the effort, participate in the process and provide the local government funding match
• the extent to which Groundwork would facilitate the creation, improvement and stewardship of parks, greenways, open space, and nature reserves and increase opportunities for recreation, conservation and other environmental improvements in communities impacted by brownfields
• the extent to which other resources will be leveraged to support development of the local Groundwork Trust
• the extent to which Groundwork will leverage/stimulate funds from other sources to support the assessment and remediation of brownfields and their reuse for parks, recreation facilities, nature areas, and other community benefits
• the potential of Groundwork to stimulate economic and environmental rejuvenation of communities impacted by brownfield issues
• the extent to which Groundwork would increase the capacity of communities with limited means to improve their environment, economy and quality of life
• the extent to which Groundwork would engage the local community in the planning and development of projects and programs to improve their local environment, including the assessment, cleanup and reuse of brownfield sites for parks, recreation facilities, nature areas, and other community benefits

Secondary criteria include:

• the community/local government participated in current or past partnerships with the National Park Service and demonstrated success in those efforts
• the extent to which Groundwork would help reduce the threats to human health and the local environment associated with the presence of hazardous substances, pollutants or contaminants
• the extent to which Groundwork would address or facilitate the identification and reduction of threats to the health and welfare of populations at risk
• the extent to which Groundwork would contribute to the use or reuse of existing infrastructure

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Overview of the Application Process
There are six key steps to completing the application process for Groundwork USA Pilot Funding and Technical Assistance. Interested communities are strongly encouraged to work with their local NPS RTCA Program throughout the process.

1. Community Outreach: Convene a core Steering Committee to learn about and consider the development of a Groundwork Trust in your community. Contact the NPS RTCA Program office in your region to express interest in the Groundwork USA Initiative. Please refer to the 'Contact Us' page on this website (www.nps.gov/rtca) for the name and contact information of your local NPS RTCA Program office.

2. Letter of Interest (due December 14, 2007): Submit a 3 - 4 page letter of interest from the core Steering Committee to NPS explaining your interest and why a Groundwork Trust may be appropriate for addressing the environmental needs of your community. Please refer to the 'Guidelines for the Groundwork USA Initiative Letter of Interest', which are available upon request. NPS will evaluate all letters received based upon the criteria outlined above and select up to 10 communities for further evaluation through initial meetings and site visits.

3. Initial Meetings and Site Visits with Communities Selected for Further Evaluation: : If selected for further evaluation by NPS, organize an initial meeting and site visit for representatives of NPS to meet the local Groundwork Steering Committee, see potential projects, and learn about the community and the committee's interest in Groundwork. NPS staff will present the Groundwork program to the committee and their partners, answer questions and react to any initial ideas the committee may have for Groundwork in their community. This meeting should include site visits as part of the introduction and involve representatives of EPA's Brownfields Program

4. Letter of Endorsement from the Mayor: After the initial meeting, the local Groundwork Steering Committee needs to decide whether or not to proceed. As part of that decision, they should discuss the Groundwork program with other community members, key stakeholders and their chief elected officials. If there is broad support to proceed, the Mayor/chief elected official should send a letter to NPS endorsing the work of the committee and inviting representatives of NPS and Groundwork USA to meet with an enlarged Groundwork Steering Committee to answer their questions and further evaluate Groundwork for their community.

5. Follow-up Meetings and Site Visits: Upon submission of the letter of endorsement from the Mayor/chief elected official to NPS, organize with NPS a follow-up meeting and site visit for representatives of NPS and Groundwork USA with the local Groundwork Steering Committee. This meeting would include further evaluation, site visits with NPS and GW USA and an opportunity to discuss the proposal the committee will need to submit for GW USA Pilot Funding and Technical Assistance.

6. Proposal for Groundwork USA Pilot Funding and Technical Assistance (due June 16, 2008): After the follow-up meeting, the steering committee decides whether or not to submit a proposal for GW USA Pilot Funding and Technical Assistance in partnership with their local government. 'Proposal Guidelines for Groundwork USA Pilot Funding and Technical Assistance' are available upon request. The proposal should include letters of support and a letter from the Mayor/chief elected official endorsing the proposal and their willingness to provide the local match.

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Review of Proposals for Groundwork USA Pilot Funding and Technical Assistance

Proposals will be reviewed and ranked by NPS with the assistance of EPA, Groundwork USA and members of a Groundwork USA advisory committee. NPS anticipates it will notify communities in July, 2008 on whether or not their proposal was selected for Groundwork USA Pilot Funding in Technical Assistance. NPS expects to begin work with the selected community(s) on their Groundwork Feasibility Study(s) in September, 2008.

Due Dates Letters of Interest: Received by NPS on December 14, 2007 Please email letters of interest to: douglas_evans@nps.gov Or mail to: Douglas Evans, Manager, Groundwork USA Initiative, Rivers & Trails Program, National Park Service, 15 State Street, Boston, MA 02109 Proposals for Groundwork USA Pilot Funding and Technical Assistance: Received by NPS on June 16, 2008 back to top

For Further Information
For more information about the Groundwork USA Initiative and applying for Groundwork USA Pilot Funding and Technical Assistance, or to request 'Guidelines for the Groundwork USA Letter of Interest', please contact Douglas Evans, Manager of the Groundwork USA Initiative, National Park Service Rivers & Trails Program at douglas_evans@nps.gov or 617-223-5124.

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