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Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Program Descriptions

11.477:  Fisheries Disaster Relief

Objectives:  To deal with commercial fishery failures due to fishery resource disasters. Disaster causes may be (a) natural; (b) man-made (if they are "beyond the control of fisheries managers to mitigate through conservation and management measures"); or (c) undetermined.

PROGRAM AND AWARD	FINANCIAL AND INFORMATION CONTACTS
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS	FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFO.
APPLICATION AND AWARD PROCESS	INFORMATION CONTACTS
RELATED PROGRAMS	ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS
PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS	POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS

11.477 ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

Credentials/Documentation:  Applicants are required to satisfy all Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (DOC/NOAA) standards and regulations, including routine and special terms and conditions, for financial assistance programs application and conduct. Costs will be determined in accordance with OMB Circular No. A-87 for State and Local Governments.

11.477 APPLICATION AND AWARD PROCESS:

Preapplication Coordination:  The standard application forms as furnished by the agency. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.

Application Procedure:  Submission of an application on Standard Form 424, including all required certifications, to the appropriate National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) regional administrator, science and research director, or office director. This program is subject to the provisions of 15 CFR Part 24 (Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments). Other programs may be developed to provide assistance to universities, nonprofit, or individuals and are subject to the provisions of 15 CFR Part 14, Institutions of Higher Education and Other Nonprofit Organizations. NOAA reserves the right to withhold the awarding of a grant or cooperative agreement to any individual or organization delinquent on a debt to the Federal government until payment is made or satisfactory arrangements are made with the agency to whom the debt is owed.

Award Procedure:  Proposals are initially evaluated by the pertinent National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) office, region science center, or their component laboratories, and are subject to review for technical merit, soundness of design, competency of the applicant to perform the proposed work, potential contribution of the project to national or regional goals, and appropriateness and reasonableness of proposed costs. Projects recommended for funding will be submitted to the NOAA Grants Management Division for review and approval.

Deadlines:  Project applications must be received by the receiving NMFS office at least 120 days before the requested start date of the project.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time:  Approval time is expected to range from 90 to 120 days, which includes processing of the award through the NMFS and DOC financial assistance procedures.

Appeals:  None.

Renewals:  Grants and cooperative agreements are approved for a fixed period, but may be continued beyond that period, subject to approved time frame and scope of work, satisfactory progress, and availability of funds. Renewal of an award to increase funding, extend the period of an award to increase funding, or extend the period of performance is at the total discretion of the Department.

Criteria for Selecting Proposals:  Proposals may be selected from several sources, e.g., unsolicited and solicited proposals, Congressionally-mandated projects, and applications received as a result of notices published in the Federal Register. All proposals must undergo rigorous technical and merit review. Recipients, subrecipients and their proposals are subject to all applicable Federal laws and Federal and departmental policies, regulations, and procedures applicable to Federal financial assistance awards.

Examples of Funded Projects:  None.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance:  None.

11.477 RELATED PROGRAMS:

• 11.407 Interjurisdictional Fisheries Act;
• 11.452 Unallied Industry Projects.

11.477 PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

11.477 FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFO:

Federal Agency:  NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION, NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Type of Assistance:  Project Grants (Cooperative Agreements).

Obligations:  (Grants) FY 99 $4,000,000; FY 00 est $40,000,000; and FY 01 est $58,000,000.

Budget Account Number:  13-1450-0-1-306.

Authorization:  Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1996, Section 312(a), 16 U.S.C. 1861a; Departments of Justice and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, Title II.

Regulations, Guidelines, and Literature:  Grants administration will be in accordance with provisions of 15 CFR Part 24 for State and Local Governments. For other projects developed to provide assistance to universities, nonprofits, and individuals, grants administration will be in accordance with 15 CFR Part 14 and costs will be determined in accordance with OMB Circular No. A-21 for Institutions of Higher Education, Circular No. A-122 for Nonprofit Organizations, and for Commercial Organizations 48 CFR Part 31.

11.477 INFO CONTACTS:

Regional or Local Office:  See Appendix IV of the Catalog for locations.

Headquarters Office:  Ms. Alicia Jarboe, Financial Services Division (F/SF2), National Marine Fisheries Service, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Phone: (301) 713-2358. Fax: (301) 713-1939.

(See Appendix IV for more contact info.)

11.477 ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS:

Formula and Matching Requirements:  The Federal share of any activity under this program must not exceed 75 percent of the total costs of the activity. The minimum 25 percent contribution from the recipient may be as cash or in-kind contributions.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance:  Varies. Award funds must be spent in the indicated budget period and are expended in accordance with OMB Cost Principles and DOC financial and reporting procedures. Award funds are normally released to the recipient upon request through the Financial Assistance Disbursement System (FADS).

Uses and Use Restrictions:  Funds can be used for assessing the effects of commercial fishery failures, or restoring fisheries or preventing future failures, and assisting fishing communities affected by the failures. However, the Secretary of Commerce must first determine that the activity will not expand the commercial fishery failure in that fishery or into other fisheries or other geographical regions.

11.477 POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Reports:  Reports are due in accordance with the terms and conditions of the award. The Department's financial assistance standard terms and conditions generally require that financial and performance reports be submitted on a semi-annual basis.

Audits:  Audits are required at lease biennially by DOC Office of the Inspector General auditors, or an independent public accountant, and are subject to the Audit Act of 1984, 312 U.S.C. 7501-7507. Recipients that are subject to the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133, "Audit of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," and that expend $300,000 or more in Federal awards shall have an audit performed in accordance with the requirements contained in OMB Circular No. A-133. In accordance with 15 CFR Part 14.26, for-profit recipients shall have a project audit performed no less than once every two years in accordance with the Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards. See OMB Circular No. A-133, Federal Register, Vol. 62, No. 125, dated June 30, 1997 (Audits of States, Local Governments, and Nonprofit Organizations and Information Collection Under OMB Review).

Records:  All financial and programmatic records, supporting documents, statistical reports, and other records of grantees or subgrantees are required to be maintained by the terms of the agreement. The grantee must retain records for 3 years from the date when the final financial status report is submitted unless otherwise directed by DOC/NOAA pursuant to the exception or 15 CFR Part 24, as applicable.