Request For Proposal – US Forest Service/AIANTA NATIVE Act Grant

Request for Proposal

Project Name and Description
NATIVE Act
Tribal Projects and Initiatives on or Adjacent to U.S. Forest Service Managed Lands

​Company Name
American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association, Inc. (AIANTA)

Address
1600 Uptown Blvd. NE
Albuquerque, NM 87110

Contact Person
Ariel Richardson, Office Manager
505.724.3592
arichardson@aianta.org

Project Goals and Scope of Services
The U.S. Forest Service and AIANTA intend to work jointly to implement the NATIVE act through technical assistance, grant opportunities and tribal tourism collaboration at the destination/community level. To support this work, the U.S. Forest Service and AIANTA are issuing the following Request for Proposals.

Examples of Projects Selected for NATIVE Act Support from FY 2021: Note:  In FY 2021, funds were distributed to U.S. Forest Service Units, the following examples are from the U.S. Forest Service Units Perspectives.  FY 2022 are to be submitted directly from Tribes for projects on or adjacent to U.S. Forest Service managed lands.

Example 1
Project Summary:  Collaborate with FS and the () Tribe, Cultural and Language staff, Circle of Elders, and interested partners to identify key tourist routes and at 10-15 appropriate sites along those routes.  Information will be used to provide cultural presentations and interpretive materials to Forest visitors along popular travel routes and at remote digital kiosks, in communities on the Reservation (also home to many FS offices and visitors centers), will be used to add signs with the traditional tribal place names so that current and future generations of tribal members can reconnect with these special places; and will be used to develop curriculum for Conservation Education programs and local public schools, many of which are on the Reservation.
Total Project Budget:  $50,000
NATIVE Act Funding Support:  $50,000

Example 2
Project Summary:  The Southern Region of the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) partnered directly with any interested affiliated tribes that have rights and interests in the management of Forest Service lands or programs within the Southern Region to assist them in establishing a 10 year program of Heritage Immersion Tours or camp experiences back to their ancestral homelands on national forest lands to spend time in and share stories about these sacred places and how these places have helped form their cultural identity.
Total Project Budget:  $85,000
NATIVE Act Funding Support:  $85,000

Example 3
Project Summary:  The Forest is working with a tribal artist from XXX tribe to develop artwork for new interpretive panels.  The Forest has received funding for a large portion of this interpretive project but is currently short $60,000.  This funding will be critical to complete this important collaborative tribal interpretive project
Total Project Budget: $60,000
NATIVE Act Funding Support:  $60,000

Example 4
Project Summary: The tribe established an annual event to bring Tribal members from Oklahoma back to eastern Tennessee to walk an 8-mile portion of the Trail of Tears NHT known as the Old Furnace Road. The expenses would be for transportation, lodging and meals for the Tribal members, some overhead and logistical expenses for the tribe and portable interpretive displays to station along the route.
Total Project Budget:  $25,000
NATIVE Act Funding Support:  $25,000

Grant Range
$25,000 – $250,000

Timeline
Project Timeline: Up to two years

Completed by: All projects must be completed by December 31, 2024

Reporting Requirements/Progress Reports: Semi-Annual Reporting/Final Report

Eligibility
US Forest Service/AIANTA NATIVE Act grants eligibility:

• Tribal Nations, Tribal Enterprises and native nonprofits that border and/or have historic ties to US Forest Service managed lands
• Grants must be used for cultural tourism, interpretation and/or recreation initiatives

Selection Criteria
The US Forest Service/AIANTA NATIVE Act grant program is a new initiative designed to advance the intent and purpose of the NATIVE Act through supporting and investing in efforts to enhance and integrate cultural tourism/cultural recreation to empower Native American communities and to advance the National Travel and Tourism Strategy.

NATIVE Act grant proposals will be reviewed based on the following criteria:

1. Does the project/program spur important infrastructure development and/or increase technical capacity? We are looking for tribally led initiatives with the potential to grow and expand impact over time, or initiatives that are more mature and are ready to advance to the next stages of implementation. (Up to 10 points)
2. Is the project/program proposal developing a clear case for implementation? We are looking for a clear understanding of the project/program timeline, what the project/program intends to achieve, how it will be achieved and the specific tribe(s) and a reasonable estimate of the number of people that will be positively impacted. (Up to 10 points)
3. Is the project/program broadly supported? We are looking for projects/programs that are tribally driven with broad support for implementation. Successful proposals will include the following:
   • Evidence of tribal support (mandatory, up to 3 points)
   • A letter of cooperation from the local U.S. Forest Service unit(s) (mandatory, up to 2 points)
   • Letters of support or cooperation from other organizations that will collaborate on or be impacted by the project (Up to 2 points)
4. Does the organization(s) have the capacity to implement the proposal? We are looking for proposals that demonstrate the ability and capacity to implement through staff expertise and overall capacity. (5 points)
5. Project location will also be considered to ensure there is a distribution of potential projects across U.S. Forest Service Regions.

Proposal Content
Organization Information
Name of Applicant:
Application Submitted by:
Tribe/Tribal Enterprise/Tribally led 501(c)(3) or PL 658 Nonprofit Status:
Website (if applicable):
Email Address:
Physical Address:
Mailing Address:
Phone Number:

Proposal Information
Project/Program Title:
Please provide a summary of your request (2-3 sentence):
Number of Tribes impacted:
Number of people benefitting from the project:
Project/Program Location:
Project/Program Narrative (Up to two pages, 12-point font, single space):
Project/Program Goal(s) and Objectives (include Activities, Timeline, Milestones and Outcomes – max three pages)
Key Staff Bios (1-2 paragraphs per bio):
Letter(s) of Cooperation from Local Forest Service Unit(s)
Letters of support/collaboration from other partners:
Project/Program Budget:
Audit/Financial Statements or 990:

 Anticipated Selection Schedule

Time and Place of Submission of Proposals
The RFP will be posted on our website, AIANTA.org on August 1, 2022. Respondents to this RFP are asked to submit their proposal via email to arichardson@aianta.org. Responses must be received no later than September 6, 2022, 5 pm (MDT). Responses should be clearly marked with the submitting party’s name in the re: line and emailed to the contact person as listed above.