Braiding Together Reforestation, Indigenous Partnerships, and Indian Youth Service Corps (IYSC): A Path Towards Resilient Forests and Communities | USDA FS 2023 24 40 WFD

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1) What is this USDA Forest Service opportunity?

The opportunity is titled "Braiding Together Reforestation, Indigenous Partnerships, and Indian Youth Service Corps (IYSC): A Path Towards Resilient Forests and Communities." It is a USDA Forest Service Outreach of Interest (OOI) focused on relationship-building and identifying potential partnership concepts connected to reforestation and related forest improvement work on Forest Service-managed lands.

2) Is this a standard grant competition with a set award amount?

No. This is described as an Outreach of Interest (OOI), which is primarily a project-scouting and relationship-building process rather than a typical competitive grant program. The information provided does not include a defined award amount or a stated award ceiling.

3) What is the main goal of the OOI?

The central goal is to braid together Indigenous priorities, Forest Service reforestation needs, and the Indian Youth Service Corps (IYSC) program to support healthier, more resilient national forests while strengthening Indigenous community involvement and co-stewardship.

4) What does "braiding together" mean in this context?

Based on the description, "braiding together" refers to intentionally aligning three elements: (1) Indigenous community priorities and local knowledge, (2) Forest Service reforestation and forest improvement needs, and (3) youth engagement through the IYSC program. The intent is to create collaborations that reflect shared planning and shared responsibility.

5) What is co-stewardship and why is it emphasized?

Co-stewardship is highlighted to signal a desire for shared planning and shared responsibility between the Forest Service and Indigenous partners. The OOI frames these collaborations as important for understanding reforestation needs, aligning priorities, building capacity, and improving long-term forest health outcomes across national forests.

6) What kinds of projects or concepts is the Forest Service looking for?

The scope is intentionally broad. The Forest Service is looking for partners who want to collaborate on reforestation or related forest improvement work on lands managed by the agency. The OOI is designed to allow Indigenous communities to bring forward ideas that reflect their unique needs, interests, and local knowledge.

7) Where would the work take place?

The OOI focuses on reforestation and related forest improvement work on lands managed by the USDA Forest Service (national forests and other Forest Service-managed lands).

8) How does the Indian Youth Service Corps (IYSC) fit into this opportunity?

A major pillar of the OOI is expanding and strengthening the IYSC role in reforestation efforts. The Forest Service specifically indicates it wants IYSC participants actively involved in reforestation and forest restoration activities as part of these partnership concepts.

9) What support does the Forest Service mention for successful IYSC participation?

The OOI highlights practical support elements that help youth engagement succeed. It mentions providing support and guidance to IYSC participants, sharing models that have worked well elsewhere, and structuring agreements that include wrap-around services to reduce common participation barriers for Indigenous youth.

10) What are examples of wrap-around supports mentioned or implied?

The notice points to wrap-around services designed to remove barriers to participation, and it specifically suggests supports like transportation, equipment, training, mentoring, and other services that help youth consistently engage in conservation and restoration work.

11) Who is eligible to respond to this OOI?

Eligibility is limited to Indigenous-serving and Indigenous-governing entities, including Federally recognized Tribal governments, Tribal organizations (including those other than Tribal governments), Alaska Native Tribes, Alaska Native Corporations (ANCs), and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities.

12) Are non-Tribal entities eligible?

Only the entity types listed in the opportunity description are included as eligible. The information provided does not describe eligibility for other non-Tribal entities beyond the listed Indigenous-serving and Indigenous-governing entities.

13) What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?

The listing categorizes the opportunity under CFDA 10.699.

14) How is the opportunity categorized in the Grants.gov listing?

It is labeled as "Other" for category, instrument type, and activity category, which reinforces that it is an outreach and partnership development pathway rather than a standard grant with a single defined purpose and award structure.

15) How were responses submitted?

Interested entities were asked to submit an OOI response package through Grants.gov.

16) What forms were required for the submission?

The Forest Service requested use of the standard federal forms SF-424 and SF-424A, with attachments allowed for additional information.

17) What file formats were accepted for attachments?

Submissions were to be provided in PDF or DOC format.

18) Were hardcopy or paper submissions allowed?

No. Hardcopy submissions were not accepted.

19) What was the submission deadline?

The deadline for responses was November 17, 2023 at 10:00 PM Eastern Time.

20) Does Grants.gov send a confirmation when a submission is received?

Yes. The Forest Service stated it would send an automatic confirmation upon receipt.

21) When would respondents expect to hear back from the Forest Service?

The Forest Service indicated it would follow up with each respondent within about one month.

22) Was there an informational webinar for this opportunity?

Yes. The agency scheduled a live informational webinar on October 10, 2023, hosted on Microsoft Teams, and it included a Q&A session.

23) Will a recording of the webinar be available?

Yes. A recording was planned to be posted later under the Grants.gov listing for the opportunity.

24) What is the Grants.gov opportunity number to reference?

The opportunity number provided is USDA-FS-2023-24-40-WFD.

25) What accounts or registrations are needed to submit through Grants.gov?

A Grants.gov account is needed to submit. System for Award Management (SAM) registration is also required to apply through Grants.gov across the federal government.

26) Why does SAM registration matter for timing?

The notice warns that SAM registration can take significant time, which can be a practical reason to start early, especially for first-time federal applicants.

27) How can organizations stay updated on changes or announcements?

The notice encouraged organizations to subscribe to the Grants.gov opportunity listing (USDA-FS-2023-24-40-WFD) to receive updates.

28) Where can applicants get technical help with Grants.gov?

The opportunity listing provided Grants.gov customer support contacts (phone and email) and pointed to video tutorial resources for submission help.

29) Where should program-specific questions be sent?

Program-specific questions were directed to accessga@usda.gov.

30) What happens after an OOI is submitted (based on the description)?

The OOI is meant to collect ideas and partnership concepts that could later become formal projects through Forest Service partnership agreements. The description indicates the Forest Service uses this process to identify potential collaborations, align priorities, and develop projects over time rather than making an immediate standard grant award.