Soundscape Analysis and Report Writing | P18AS00211

Opportunity Information: Apply for P18AS00211

The Soundscape Analysis and Report Writing grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number P18AS00211) is a National Park Service cooperative agreement focused on measuring, checking, and interpreting sound data from Grand Canyon National Park so the park can better manage human-made noise, especially aircraft overflights. The work is tied to the 2012 Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21), which set up a formal framework for the National Park Service and the Federal Aviation Administration to coordinate on Grand Canyon air tour management. A major purpose of that framework is to encourage the use of quieter aircraft technology by air tour operators while avoiding any overall increase in noise conditions in the park. The idea is that solid, defensible soundscape data can support practical incentives and management approaches that protect both visitor experience and wilderness character.

At the center of this project is soundscape monitoring and analysis across multiple locations in the park. The project emphasizes Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QA/QC) of analyses performed by Grand Canyon interns, using datasets gathered from sound recording deployments at several sites. The Colorado State University (CSU) Listening Lab is expected to supply staff support and involve six undergraduate students, giving those students hands-on experience with real environmental datasets and real operational standards. In the first year, the project anticipates monitoring at four sites, with two deployments at each site, which implies repeated measurements to help capture variability across time and conditions. CSU staff then review the park interns' processing and conclusions, verify the technical integrity of the work, and produce analytical reports based on that review of both the data collection and the analysis methods.

The practical outcome is a set of annual soundscape data products and reports that establish baseline conditions and document how much human-caused noise is influencing the park's natural acoustic environment. The description highlights common noise sources that are especially relevant at Grand Canyon, including helicopter and fixed-wing flights, as well as ground-based sources like motorcycles and general vehicular traffic. By maintaining a consistent annual monitoring, analysis, and reporting cycle, the park can track trends over time, compare locations, and evaluate whether management actions are reducing, shifting, or inadvertently increasing noise exposure in sensitive areas.

These findings are intended to directly support recreation and land management planning. The reports are described as usable for decisions in developed frontcountry areas, in the backcountry, and in areas being considered for wilderness designation, where protecting natural soundscapes can be a key part of maintaining wilderness character. Because Grand Canyon receives roughly six million visitors each year, the ripple effects of sound-related management decisions are broad and can influence the experience of many user groups, including river runners, hikers, campers, and visitors concentrated at the rim. Beyond internal planning, the information is also meant to be shared with the public and incorporated into interpretive materials, making soundscape conditions and the reasons for related management decisions more transparent and understandable.

Administratively, this is a discretionary funding opportunity under the Department of the Interior, National Park Service, using a cooperative agreement as the funding instrument. It is categorized under Natural Resources and is associated with CFDA number 15.945. Eligible applicants are limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, aligning with the project design that relies on a university lab and undergraduate student participation. The opportunity was created on May 9, 2018, with an original closing date of May 18, 2018. The award ceiling is $72,000, and the opportunity anticipated making a single award, indicating a targeted, partner-specific project rather than a broad multi-award competition.

• The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Soundscape Analysis and Report Writing" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.945.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 09, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 18, 2018. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $72,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.

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