ELIGIBILITY
This opportunity is open to non‐federal members of the CESU National Network. Information on the CESU National Network can be accessed at htps://www.cesu.org.
BACKGROUND
The Colony Mill Road represents the first access road to the Giant Forest. The road was originally constructed by the Kaweah Co‐operative Colony from 1886 to 1889 in an effort to create an equal, utopian society of men and women as a logging community within the Giant Forest. When Sequoia National Park was established in 1890, its boundary included the terminus of this road that accessed the Giant Forest. Then the Kaweah Colony’s claims to the land were canceled and the road became property of the U.S. Government. Substantial road improvements were made in 1903 by the Buffalo Soldiers, under the command of Col. Charles Young, allowing many more tourists to access the park. Work on a new park road and entrance from Three Rivers, CA was opened to the public in 1926, and Colony Mill Road no longer represented the primary access point to the park. This historic 15‐mile road represents a unique period of pre‐park and early park development that is lacking documentation and is not yet listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Cultural Landscapes Inventory (CLI) is an evaluated inventory of all landscapes in the National Park Service system that have historical significance and are listed or eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, or otherwise managed as cultural resources through a public planning process and in which the NPS has or plans to acquire any legal interest. The CLI identifies and documents each landscape’s location, size, physical development, landscape characteristics, character‐defining features, condition, impacts, as well as other valuable information useful to park management.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ANTICIPATED WORK AND DELIVERABLES
This Request for Letters of Interest is intended to seek assistance of CESU members to prepare a Cultural Landscape Inventory for the Colony Mill Road that will synthesize, analyze, and summarize multiple sources of information. Specifically, the request is to:
1. Prepare a schedule that conveys to NPS the timing of the overall work and dates of deliverables and reviews.
2. Conduct fieldwork to document the associated physical characteristics of the property, including buildings and structures, small scale features, and archeological sites. The Colony Mill Road is 15 miles in length and transverses 3,750 feet elevation.
3. The CLI shall document, analyze, and evaluate the significance, integrity, and National Register eligibility/status of landscape features and patterns in the Colony Mill Road. The CLI shall identify vulnerabilities and/or stabilization needs, but the CLI is not prescriptive for treatment. Instructions and guidelines on completing CLIs are described in detail in the NPS Cultural Landscape Inventory Professional Procedures Guide.
4. Develop site plans that incorporate CLI GIS data for National Register nominations and CLI and write narrative descriptions for CLI property for inclusion in National Register nominations.
5. Collect and edit GPS and GIS data that meets the NPS Cultural Resources Spatial Data Transfer standards and incorporate the data into the SEKI geodatabase.
6. Provide CLI data for National Register of Historic Places nominations for eligible historic properties following NPS Bulletins and Technical Specifications.
This project will contribute to a greater public understanding and appreciation of the history and significance of historic properties. Narrative descriptions of the site visited and evaluated will be produced to be included in the National Register nomination. Finally, the project results will provide information regarding the status of an historic property and also develop public information to share via the NPS official website.
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE
The period of performance of this Cooperative Agreement will be determined when the partner is selected and the Agreement awarded. It is expected to extend 24 months.
Tentative start date: October 2025
Tentative end date: November 2027
MATERIALS REQUESTED FOR LETTER OF INTEREST/QUALIFICATIONS
A detailed study proposal and cost estimate is not requested at this time. Your Letter of Interest should include:
1. Name, department, university or organization; CESU affiliation; and contact information.
2. Brief Statement of Qualifications including: a) Biographical Sketch; b) Relevant past projects and clients with brief descriptions of these projects ‐ demonstrated results including published works; c) Staff, faculty or students available to work on this project and their areas of expertise. (Maximum length 2 pages, single‐space 12 pt. font).
3. A summary of your vision for implementing this project that includes strategy, approach, and special capabilities, timelines, roles and responsibilities of personnel, specific tasks to be conducted, and deliverables. Please be as specific as possible. (Maximum length: 4 pages, single‐space 12 pt. Font)
FUNDING
The project will be funded up to $80,125. This project will be administered by the National Park Service through a Task Agreement at the CESU Network IDC rate (17.5%). Applicants must have a Master Cooperative Agreement with NPS in place at the time of award.
DEADLINE
The deadline for responding to this letter of interest is April 18, 2025, by 5:00pm Pacific.
REVIEW
Letters of Interest will be evaluated based on qualifications and experience of principal investigator, and project team and proposed approach. Based on review of the Letters of Interest, a principal investigator will be invited to prepare a full application.
CONTACTS
Letters of Interest should be directed to Juanita Bonnifield (juanita_bonnifield@nps.gov) by the closing date. Questions regarding the proposed scope of the project can be addressed to Juanita Bonnifield (Juanita_bonnifield@nps.gov, 559‐565‐3139).