To
maintain a cooperative program which engages State and Federal agencies
in the coordinated collection, management, and dissemination of
fishery - independent information on marine fisheries in support
of State Territorial Sea and U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone fisheries
management programs.
TYPES
OF ASSISTANCE:
Project Grants. Place Cursor Here for Definition
USES
AND USE RESTRICTIONS:
Funding
through cooperative agreements involve regional member organizations
in fishery - independent sampling projects. Projects are restricted
to fisheries of the Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic and U.S. Caribbean.
Cooperators are State and territorial governments, Interstate Marine
Fishery Commissions.
ELIGIBILITY
REQUIREMENTS:
Applicant
Eligibility: Eligible applicants are the Marine
Fishery Conservation agencies of the States of Alabama, Florida,
Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina,
Texas, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Atlantic and Gulf
States Marine Fishery Commissions.
Beneficiary
Eligibility: This program benefits Federal,
State and interstate marine resource conservation and management
agencies; U.S. and foreign commercial and recreational fishing
industries; conservation organizations; academic institutions;
international and Indian Tribal treaties; private and public research
groups; consumers; and the general public.
Credentials/Documentation:
Applicants are required to satisfy all DOC/NOAA standards and
regulations, including routine and special terms and conditions
for financial assistance programs application and conduct. Applicants
may be required to show proof that they are mandated by their
own State to monitor fishery resources and to manage or participate
in the management of these resources.
Pre-application
Coordination: The standard application forms
as furnished by the agency. This program is covered under E.O. 12372,
"Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should
consult the office or official designated as the single point of
contact in his or her State for information on the process the State
requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State
has selected the program for review.
Application
Procedure: Submission of an application on
Standard Form 424, including all required certifications, to the
appropriate National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Regional
Director, Science and Research Director, or Office Director. This
program is subject to the provisions of 15 CFR 24 (Uniform Administrative
Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements to State and
Local Governments), and OMB Circular No. A-87 and A-110. 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 NMFS Office/Region/Science Center, 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 approved for funding
will be submitted to the NOAA Grants Management Division and the
Department of Commerce's Office of Federal Assistance for review
and approval.
Deadlines:
Completed application packages must be received at the following
address at least 90 days before the requested start date of the
project. Applications are submitted to: National Marine Fisheries
Service, SEAMAP Program Officer, 9721 Executive Center Drive N.,
St. Petersburg, FL 33702.
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, NOAA, and DOC financial assistance
procedures.
Appeals:
None.
Renewals:
Multiple year awards of up to three years may be approved. Once
awarded, recipients apply for continuation awards for each successive
yearly budget period. Funding for multi year projects beyond the
first year is contingent upon the availability of program funds
in subsequent fiscal years, and the extent to which the recipient
meets project objectives and reporting requirements.
ASSISTANCE
CONSIDERATIONS:
Formula
and Matching Requirements: This program has
no statutory formula. Projects are funded at up to 100 percent of
the Federal share. Grantee matching contributions are not required,
but are encouraged.
Length
and Time Phasing of Assistance: Awards are
normally for a 12 month period but in some instances, award periods
may extend beyond 12 months, or may be completed in less than
12 months. Award funds must be spent in the indicated budget period
and are to be expended in accordance with DOC/NOAA finance and
reporting procedures. Funds are released to the recipient upon
request from NOAA Vendor Express, Financial Assistance Disbursement
System, FADS.
POST
ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Reports:
Reporting requirements are outlined in the Terms and Conditions
of the Financial Assistance Award. Progress reports summarize work
accomplished and explain situations where expected work has not
been completed. Financial reports indicate use of funds during the
financial reporting period designated.
Audits:
In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A- 133 (Revised,
June 24, 1997), recipients that are States, Local Governments,
Nonprofit Organizations (to include hospitals), and Institutions
of Higher Learning shall be subject to the audit requirements
contained in the Single Audit Act Amendments of 1996 (31 U.S.C.
7501-7507). Commercial organizations shall be subject to the audit
requirements as stipulated in the award document.
Records:
Generally, a recipient is required to retain records relating
to a particular grant for three (3) years from the date of submission
of the final financial report. In cases where litigation, claim
or an audit is initiated prior to expiration of the three-year
period, records must be retained until the action and resolution
of any issues associated with it are complete or until the end
of the three-year retention period; whichever is latest.
FINANCIAL
INFORMATION:
Account
Identification: 13-1450-0-1-306.
Obligations:
(Cooperative Agreements) FY 01 $1,393,214; FY 02 est $1,121,344;
and FY 03 est $1,121,344.
Range
and Average of Financial Assistance:
$25,000 to $427,144. Average: $126,656.
This Program provides an integrated, cooperative State/NMFS program
that collects fishery-independent information on stocks of finfish
and shellfish that are interjurisdictional in management and conservation
need. This information is used by all Southeast fishery management
authorities to develop, implement and monitor the effectiveness
of fishery management plans and programs.
REGULATIONS,
GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE:
For cost principles see OMB Circular Nos. A-21, A-87 and A-122.
For Grants Administrations see OMB Circular Nos. A-102 (15 CFR 24),
and A-110. Application guidelines are provided by the NMFS Regional
Office, address listed below.
INFORMATION
CONTACTS:
Regional
or Local Office: Cynthia Binkley, Federal Program
Officer, State/Federal Liaison Office, National Marine Fisheries
Service, 9721 Executive Center Drive, North, St. Petersburg, FL
33702. Telephone: (727) 570-5324. Fax: (727) 570-5364. Email: Cynthia.Binkley@noaa.gov.
Headquarters
Office: Not applicable.
Web
Site Address: http://caldera.sero.nmfs.gov/grants/programs/seamap.htm
EXAMPLES
OF FUNDED PROJECTS:
Funds have been used for a variety of fishery-independent studies,
including: surveys of shrimp and ground fish, and reef fish resources
in the Gulf of Mexico; ichthyoplankton; physical oceanographic parameters;
trawl surveys of fish and invertebrate resources along the South
Atlantic Bight; and lobster and conch resources in the Caribbean.
CRITERIA
FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS:
Proposals are selected based on the results of SEAMAP committee
activities and on negotiations between NMFS and cooperators. The
nature and scope of cooperative activities are based on the needs
of the cooperating agencies. Funding is allocated by NMFS based
on SEAMAP committee recommendations and on the level of activities
that are planned for accomplishment. Regardless of source, proposals
must undergo rigorous technical review and comply with all OMB,
DOC, and NOAA grants policies and procedures.
