[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 102 (Wednesday, May 28, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31686-31688]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-13272]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[Docket No. 030506116-3116-01, I.D. 050103E]
RIN 0648-ZB51


Financial Assistance for Fisheries Disasters

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of solicitation for applications.

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SUMMARY: This Fisheries Disasters program provides financial assistance 
for assistance to the shrimp industries in the Gulf and South Atlantic. 
The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number is 11.452, titled 
Unallied Industry Projects.

DATES: Your application must be received by close of business (5 p.m. 
eastern standard time on June 27, 2003. Applications received after 
that time will not be considered for funding. The earliest start date 
of awards is approximately 45 days after the date of publication of 
this notice. Applicants should consider this processing time in 
developing requested start dates for their applications.

ADDRESSES: You can obtain an application package from, National Marine 
Fisheries Service, State/Federal Liaison Office, 9721 Executive Center 
Drive N., St. Petersburg, FL 33702. Send completed applications to this 
same address. You may also obtain forms from: http://caldera.sero.nmfs.gov/grants/grants.htm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ellie Francisco Roche, Chief, State/
Federal Liaison Office at 727-570-5324 or at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Authority

    We are soliciting applications for Federal assistance pursuant to 
Division N, Title V, Section 501 (Fisheries Disasters),of the 
Consolidated Appropriations Resolution, 2003 P.L.108-7.

II. Program Description and Purpose

    Economic assistance, as described below, is being provided to the 
South Atlantic shrimp fishery and the Gulf shrimp fishery. $17,500,000 
shall be made available for assistance to the shrimp industries in the 
states of South Carolina, Georgia, North Carolina, and Florida, in 
proportion to the percentage of the shrimp catch landed by each state, 
for economic assistance to the South Atlantic shrimp fishery. The State 
of Florida shall receive only that proportion associated with landings 
of the Florida east coast fishery.
    In addition, $17,500,000 shall be made available for assistance to 
the shrimp industries in the states of Mississippi, Texas, Alabama, 
Louisiana, and Florida, in proportion to the percentage of the shrimp 
catch landed by each state, for economic assistance to the Gulf shrimp 
fishery. The State of Florida shall receive only that proportion 
associated with landings of the Florida gulf coast fishery.
    Two percent of funds received by each state shall be retained for 
distribution of additional payments to fishermen with a demonstrated 
record of compliance with turtle excluder and bycatch reduction device 
regulations. The remaining funds may be used only for: personal 
assistance, with priority given to food, energy needs, housing 
assistance, transportation fuel, and other urgent needs; assistance for 
small businesses including fishermen, fish processors, and related 
businesses serving the fishing industry; domestic product marketing and 
seafood promotion; state seafood testing programs; development of 
limited entry programs for the fishery; funding or other incentives to 
ensure wide-spread and proper use of turtle excluder devices and 
bycatch reduction devices in the fishery; and voluntary capacity

[[Page 31687]]

reduction programs for shrimp fisheries under limited access. The 
authority for the assistance described above does not impose residency 
requirements.

III. Funding Availability

    Approximately $35.0 million will be available in fiscal year (FY) 
2003 for projects. Consistent with the funding formula discussed in 
Section II above, of the $17,500,000 provided for economic assistance 
to the Gulf shrimp fishery, we anticipate that approximately $1,021,080 
shall be available for the shrimp industry in Alabama, $1,072,006 shall 
be available for the shrimp industry in Florida, $8,688,866 shall be 
available for the shrimp industry in Louisiana, $1,003,307 shall be 
available for the shrimp industry in Mississippi, and $5,534,740 shall 
be made available for the shrimp industry in Texas. Of the $17,500,000 
provided for economic assistance to the South Atlantic shrimp fishery, 
we anticipate that approximately $4,877,680 shall be available for the 
shrimp industry in North Carolina, $3,658,916 shall be available for 
the shrimp industry in South Carolina, $3,336,624 shall be available 
for the shrimp industry in Georgia, and $5,626,780 shall be available 
for the shrimp industry in Florida.

IV. Funding Period and Restrictions

    Grants will be awarded for a maximum period of 36 months. Not more 
than 5 percent of grant funds may be used for administrative expenses, 
and no funds may be used for lobbying activities or representational 
expenses. Construction is not an allowable activity under this program. 
Therefore, applications will not be accepted for construction projects.

V. Cost Sharing

    Cost-sharing is not required for this fisheries disasters program.

VI. Eligibility Information

    Institutions of higher education, and state, local and Indian 
tribal governments are eligible to apply.

VII. Application Information

Content, Form and Submission of Applications

    Project applications must include a narrative project description 
which provides a clear presentation of the proposed work, the methods 
for carrying out the project, and an explanation of how the proposed 
activities will fulfill the purposes of the disaster assistance, as 
described in Section II above. Project applications must identify the 
principal participants, and include copies of any agreements describing 
the specific tasks to be performed by participants. A budget, which 
includes a detailed breakdown by category of expenditures, with 
appropriate cost estimates and justifications as they relate to 
specific aspects of the project, must be provided.
    Applications must be one-sided and unbound. You must submit one 
signed original and two signed copies of the completed application 
(including supporting information). We will accept neither facsimile 
applications, nor electronically forwarded applications.
    Three copies (one original and two copies) of each application are 
required and should be submitted to the NMFS Southeast Regional Office, 
State/Federal Liaison Office (see ADDRESSES). We must receive your 
application by close of business (5 p.m. eastern daylight time on June 
27, 2003. Applications received after that time will not be considered 
for funding. All incomplete applications are returned to the applicant.

VIII. Application Review and Selection Process

    When we receive applications we will screen them to ensure that 
they were received by the deadline date (see DATES); include SF 424 
signed and dated by an authorized representative; were submitted by an 
eligible applicant; address the program purpose; and include a budget, 
statement of work, milestones, and identify the principal organizations 
carrying out work under the grant.
    Merit Review - Applications responsive to this solicitation will be 
evaluated by a review panel of three individuals with disaster 
assistance expertise, in order to determine their merit. Reviewers will 
assess the applications on the criteria listed below, which are 
weighted equally. Each reviewer will provide individual evaluations of 
the proposals Based on these individual evaluations, reviewers will 
rank the applications received on behalf of the fishing industries of 
the states listed in section II above.
    The following Evaluation Criteria will be applied by the reviewers: 
(1) Importance/relevance and applicability of application - how the 
application relates to the accomplishments of the program's purpose; 
(2) Technical/scientific merit - whether the application has sufficient 
technical and scientific merit that will adequately address project 
goals and objectives; (3) Overall qualifications of the applicant - 
experience with the fisheries industry; (4) Project costs - whether the 
proposed costs are reasonable and consistent with Section III, Funding 
Availability; and (5) Outreach and education - whether the scope of the 
application's proposed activities are sufficient to disseminate 
disaster relief information.
    Following the merit review, the applications will be provided to 
the Regional Administrator, Southeast Region, who is the selecting 
official. In determining the projects to be recommended for funding, 
the Regional Administrator will consider the evaluation and rankings of 
the review panel members, along with the following selection factors: 
Availability of funding; balance/distribution of funds by geography/
institutions/project types; duplication of other projects funded or 
considered for funding by NOAA/Other Federal Agencies; program 
priorities and policy factors; applicants' prior award performance; and 
partnerships with/participation of targeted groups.

IX. Award Administration Information

    1. Award Notices - Successful applications generally will be 
notified approximately within 45 days from the date of publication of 
this notice. Projects must not be initiated until a signed award is 
received from the NOAA grants Office. Unsuccessful applications will be 
returned to the applicant.
    2. Administrative Requirements - If you are selected to receive a 
grant award for a project, you must:
    - Manage the day-to-day operations of the project, be responsible 
for the performance of all activities for which funds are granted, and 
be responsible for the satisfaction of all administrative and 
managerial conditions imposed by the award.
    - Keep records sufficient to document any costs incurred under the 
award, and allow access to these records for audit and examination by 
the Secretary of Commerce, the Comptroller General of the United 
States, or their authorized representatives; and, submit financial 
status reports (SF 269) to NOAA Grants in accordance with the award 
conditions.
    3. Reporting - Successful applicants will be required to:
    - Submit semiannual project status reports on the use of funds and 
progress of the project to us within 30 days after the end of each 6-
month period. You will submit these reports to the individual 
identified as the NMFS Program Officer in the funding agreement.
    - Submit a final report within 90 days after completion of each 
project to the NMFS Program Officer. The final report must describe the 
project and include an evaluation of the work you

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performed and the results and benefits in sufficient detail to enable 
us to assess the success of the completed project. We will provide you 
with formats for the semiannual and final reports.
    We are committed to using available technology to achieve the 
timely and wide distribution of final reports to those who would 
benefit from this information. Therefore, you are encouraged to submit 
final reports in electronic format, in accordance with the award terms 
and conditions. You may charge the costs associated with preparing and 
transmitting your final reports in electronic format to the grant 
award.

X. Other Requirements

    The Department of Commerce Pre-Award Notification Requirements for 
Grants and Cooperative Agreements contained in the Federal Register 
notice of October 1, 2001 (66 FR 49917), as amended by the Federal 
Register notice published on October 30, 2002 (67FR 55109), are 
applicable to this solicitation.
    Intergovernmental Review - Applications under this program are 
subject to the provisions of Executive Order 12372, Intergovernmental 
Review of Federal Programs. Applicants must contact their State's 
Single Point of Contact (SPOC) to find out about and comply with the 
State's process under Executive Order 12372. The names and addresses of 
the SPOCs are listed in the Office of Management and Budget's home page 
at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html.

Classification

    This action has been determined to be not significant for the 
purposes of Executive Order 12866.
    Prior notice and an opportunity for public comment are not required 
by the Administrative Procedure Act or any other law for this notice 
concerning grants, cooperative agreements, benefits and contracts. 5 
U.S.C. 553(a)(2). Therefore, a regulatory flexibility analysis is not 
required for the purposes of the Regulatory Flexibility Act 5 U.S.C. 
601 et seq.
    Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person is required 
to respond to, nor shall any person be subject to a penalty for failure 
to comply with, a collection of information subject to the Paperwork 
Reduction Act, unless that collection displays a currently valid Office 
of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. This notice contains 
collection-of-information requirements subject to the Paperwork 
Reduction Act. The use of Standard Forms 424, and 269 has been approved 
by OMB under the respective control numbers 0348-0043, and 0348-0039.

    Dated: May 20, 2003.
John Oliver,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Operations, Natiuonal Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 03-13272 Filed 5-27-03; 8:45 am]
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