[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 89 (Monday, June 15, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1418-E1419]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          EARMARK DECLARATION

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. ANH ``JOSEPH'' CAO

                              of louisiana

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, June 15, 2009

  Mr. CAO. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership 
standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information 
regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 2487--the Commerce, 
Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010:
  As requested by me, Rep. Anh ``Joseph'' Cao, H.R. 2487--the Commerce, 
Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010, 
provides for the National Marine Fisheries Service, Silver Spring, MD 
in support of the Shrimp Industry Fishing Effort Research Continuation 
project. This is in the NOAA-ORF account in the amount of $750,000. 
This will benefit the Southern Shrimp Alliance. P.O. Box 1577, Tarpon 
Springs, FL 34688 for funding for data collection to determine shrimp 
fishery compliance with federal regulations to reduce bycatch and 
rebuild red snapper. Specifically, the National Marine Fisheries 
Service (NMFS) has promulgated regulations to end overfishing and 
rebuild the Gulf red snapper fishery that require a 74% reduction in 
shrimp fishing effort to reduce bycatch in red snapper habitat areas. 
Failure to achieve this effort reduction triggers the closure of the 
shrimp fishery in these areas. Consequently, the regulations 
necessitate implementation of a program to closely monitor shrimp 
fishing effort which is the program funded by this ongoing 
appropriation. The principal tools used to measure shrimp fishing 
effort are Electronic Logbooks (ELBs). This funding would support the 
development, manufacture, and deployment of ELB technology in the US 
shrimp fleet and the collection and analysis of data generated, 
performed by a NMFS contractor (LGL Associates). Continued annual 
funding to further equip the entire active shrimp fleet (about 1200 
vessels) is necessary to meet these regulatory requirements requiring 
5-6 more years at $1,500,000 per year. The program is able to operate 
through 2009 with prior year funding that will run out in FY2010, 
causing termination of the program well before it is fully implemented. 
This is a good use of taxpayer funding because this research is not 
only critical to achieving Federal statutory and regulatory fishery 
conservation requirements, it is crucial to the future survival of the 
shrimp fishery in all Louisiana coastal parishes and throughout the 
Gulf. Additionally, this will benefit Wild American Shrimp, Inc. 10 
Wharfside Street, Charleston, SC 29401 for a marketing program for 
domestic warm water shrimp.

[[Page E1419]]

 Specifically, this marketing program by Wild American Shrimp, Inc. 
(WASI), is dedicated to securing a sustainable future for the U.S. Gulf 
and South Atlantic shrimp harvesting and processing industries by 
developing new products and implementing a quality assurance 
certification program that assures consumers that they are purchasing a 
premium product harvested from the wild in American waters. The funding 
will be used towards a national research and development program for 
new products, improved quality assurance and certification, and 
marketing of domestic wild shrimp from the states of North Carolina, 
South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and 
Texas. This is a good use of taxpayer funding because the domestic warm 
water shrimp industry remains an important part of coastal communities 
in these states (especially in Southeastern Louisiana) and the resource 
is healthy and the fishery is sustainable.
  As requested by me, Rep. Anh ``Joseph'' Cao, H.R. 2487--the Commerce, 
Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010, 
provides for Boys Town, Louisiana, New Orleans, LA in support of 
Expansion of Boys Town Louisiana Projects project. This is in the OJP-
JJ account in the amount of $147,000. This project will benefit Boys 
Town of Louisiana 700 Frenchmen Street, New Orleans, LA 70116 for 
programs for at-risk youth. Specifically, these funds will be used to 
continue and expand an integration of the Boys Town Treatment Family 
Home program and its In-Home Family Services program to serve more at-
risk girls and boys (in the juvenile justice system) and their 
families. It is expected that through these services, youth recidivism 
of criminal behavior will be greatly reduced as will the need for 
further out-of-home-placement, including that of a correctional or 
prison facility. This is a good use of taxpayer funds because these 
youth will be find alternative outlets to crime and will be more 
focused on education and other productive activities.
  As requested by me, Rep. Anh ``Joseph'' Cao, H.R. 2487--the Commerce, 
Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010, 
provides for the New Orleans Crime Coalition/New Orleans Business in 
New Orleans, LA in support of the New Orleans Crime Coalition. This is 
in the OJP-JJ account in the amount of $1,500,000. This project will 
benefit the New Orleans Crime Coalition New Orleans Business Council 
1615 Poydras Street, Suite 986 for their comprehensive crime efforts. 
Specifically, the New Orleans area was devastated by Hurricane Katrina 
in 2005 and severely damaged again in 2008 by Hurricane Gustav. Crime--
especially the murder rate--in the city continues to rise, and 
travelers to and residents of New Orleans are beginning to lose faith 
in the public safety of the city. For a city that depends on tourism 
and business travel, this would be devastating to the economy. The 
requested funding will provide much-needed crime fighting tools, 
resources, and infrastructure to help the community take back the 
streets in the struggle for post-Katrina recovery in New Orleans. 
Specifically, this funding will comprise elements of any or all of the 
following: additional staff for the New Orleans Police Department; 
D.A./Prosecutorial support; Juvenile Justice services, including 
training and day center facilities; additional Drug Court programs; 
and, additional staff for the Orleans Parish Public Defenders office. 
This is a valuable use of taxpayer funding because New Orleans is 
historically, economically, and culturally valuable to the United 
States, and assuring public safety is critical to maintaining the 
health of the city.

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