[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 113 (Thursday, June 12, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35199-35201]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-14864]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[Docket No. 030523132-3132-01; I.D. 051603B]


Financial Assistance for Fisheries Disasters; Blue Crab Fishery

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 Disaster program provides assistance for the 
blue crab fishing industry which has been adversely affected by reduced 
harvests and sales of blue crab.

DATES: Your application must be received by close of business 5 p.m. 
eastern daylight time on June 27, 2003.

ADDRESSES: You can obtain an application package from, NMFS, Southeast 
Region, State/Federal Liaison Office, 9721 Executive Center Drive N., 
St. Petersburg, FL 33702; (727-570-5324) or the NMFS, Northeast Region, 
State, Federal and Constituent Programs Office, One Blackburn Drive, 
Gloucester, MA 01930; (978-281-9243). 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, NMFS Southeast Region at 727-570-5324; 
[email protected] or Harry Mears, Director, State, Federal and 
Constituent Programs Office, NMFS Northeast Region at 978-281-9243; 
[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 Public Law 108-7. Catalog 
of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 11.452 Unallied Industry 
Projects

II. Program Description and Purpose

    Assistance, as described below, is being provided to blue crab 
fisheries affected by reduced harvests and sales of blue crab in 
proportion to the amount of the catch landed by each State. 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; and state seafood 
testing programs.

III. Funding Availability

    Approximately $5.0 million will be available in fiscal year (FY) 
2003 for new projects for blue crab fisheries affected by reduced 
harvests and sales of blue crab in proportion to the amount of the 
catch landed by each state.

IV. Funding Period and Restrictions

    Grants will be awarded for a maximum period of 36 months. Not

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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, so applications will not be accepted for 
construction projects.

V. Cost Sharing

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

VI. Eligibility Information

    State, local and Indian tribal governments and institutions of 
higher education are eligible to apply.

VII. Application Information

Content, Form and Submission of Applications

    Project applications must include a narrative project description 
to include (1) documentation that the blue crab fisheries have been 
affected by reduced harvests and sales of blue crab; (2) documentation 
of the amount of blue crab landed in the state each year from 1999 to 
2001; (3) project goals and objectives which provide a clear 
presentation of the proposed work; (4) a statement of work (project 
design and management, including who is responsible, expected products, 
and participants other than the applicant; (5) methods for carrying out 
the project; and (6) a summary of the existing state of knowledge 
related to the project, and contribution and relevance 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 those 
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.
    The three copies (one original and two copies) should be submitted 
to either the NMFS Southeast Regional Office, State/Federal Liaison 
Office or the NMFS Northeast Regional Office, State, Federal and 
constituent Programs 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 will be returned to the 
applicant.
    Applications received after the deadline (see DATES) will not be 
considered for funding. Postmark prior to the end of the receipt period 
will not be sufficient. Facsimile applications will not be accepted. 
Generally, applicants will be notified within 45 days from the date of 
publication of this notice whether their applications have been 
recommended for funding. It may take up to an additional 30 days for 
the Grants Office to process the awards. Applicants should consider 
this processing time in developing requested start dates for their 
applications.

VIII. Application Review and Selection Process

    When we receive applications we will screen them to ensure the 
following: that they were received by the deadline date (see DATES); 
that the included SF 424 was signed and dated by an authorized and 
eligible representative; that the proposal addresses the program 
purpose; and that a budget, statement of work, milestones, and clearly 
identified principal investigators and organizations carrying out work 
under the proposed project are included.
    Merit Review - Applications responsive to this solicitation will be 
evaluated by three individuals having expertise in fisheries disaster 
funding assistance 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, NMFS, as 
applicable, will rank the applications received on behalf of the blue 
crab fisheries fishing industries of each the state.
    The following Evaluation Criteria will be applied by the reviewers: 
(1) Importance/relevance and applicability of the application - how the 
application relates to the accomplishments of the program's purpose; 
(2) Technical and/or 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 fishing industry; (4) Project costs - 
whether the proposed costs are reasonable and consistent with Section 
II, Program Description and Purpose, and Section III, Funding 
Availability; and (5) Outreach and education - whether the scope of the 
applicant'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 or the Regional 
Administrator, Northeast Region who are the selecting officials for 
their respective regions. In determining the projects to be recommended 
for funding, the Regional Administrators 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 effort 
through other projects funded or considered for funding by NOAA or 
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 applicants of proposed projects 
generally will be notified approximately within 30 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 the NOAA Grants Office 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 
describing the progress of the project and other acceptable deliverable 
to NMFS 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 performed and the 
results and benefits

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in sufficient detail to enable us to assess the success of the 
completed project. Upon request, 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. The costs associated with preparing and transmitting 
your final reports in electronic format to the grant award are 
allowable expenses.

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 (67 FR 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 for rules concerning public 
property, loans, grants, benefits, and contracts (5 USC 553(a)(2)). 
Because notice and opportunity for comment are not required pursuant to 
5 USC 553 or any other law, the analytical requirements of the 
Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 USC 601 et seq.) are inapplicable. 
Therefore, a regulatory flexibility analysis is not required and has 
not been prepared. 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: June 6, 2003.
John Oliver,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Operations, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 03-14864 Filed 6-11-03; 8:45 am]
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