To
provide assistance to eligible States and the Atlantic States Marine
Fisheries Commission in order to support and encourage the development,
implementation, and enforcement of effective interstate conservation
and management of Atlantic Coastal resources. Activities conducted
under projects will be used to collect information necessary for
the preparation, implementation and enforcement of coastal fisheries
management plans and State activities required within such plans.
Primary users of the information would be the Atlantic States Marine
Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), the Atlantic Coast States, the National
Marine Fisheries Service, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
TYPES
OF ASSISTANCE:
Project Grants. Place Cursor Here for Definition
USES
AND USE RESTRICTIONS:
Funds
are restricted to "coastal fishery resources" which means any fishery,
any species of fish, or any stock of fish that moves among, or is
broadly distributed across, waters under the jurisdiction of two
or more Atlantic Coastal States or waters under the jurisdiction
of one or more Atlantic Coastal States and the exclusive economic
zone. Funds can be provided to the Commission and to the specified
States for the preparation, implementation and enforcement of coastal
fishery management plans and State activities required within such
plans. Funds can also be used for program activities to support
and enhance State cooperation in collection, management and analysis
of fishery data; law enforcement; habitat conservation; fishery
research including biological and socioeconomic research; and fishery
management planning.
ELIGIBILITY
REQUIREMENTS:
Applicant
Eligibility: Eligible applicants for assistance
are the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), the
Atlantic Coast State governments which are Maine, New Hampshire,
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South
Carolina, Georgia, Florida, the Potomac River Fisheries Commission,
and the District of Columbia.
Beneficiary
Eligibility: This program benefits State,
and interstate marine resource conservation agencies, the marine
fishing industries 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.
Pre-application
Coordination: The standard application forms
are furnished by NOAA. This program is eligible for coverage 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 more 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 as furnished by NOAA, including all required
certifications, to the appropriate National Marine Fisheries Service
(NMFS) Regional 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-110 (Grants and Agreements with Institutions of
Higher Education, Hospitals 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 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 recommended for
funding will be submitted to the NOAA Grants Management Division
for review and approval.
Deadlines:
Applications must be received by the Program Office by April 1
of each fiscal year.
Range
of Approval/Disapproval Time: The application
processing time is 75 days as required by 15 U.S.C. 1539 (sole
source selection).
Appeals:
None.
Renewals:
Grants and cooperative agreements are generally approved on an
annual basis, but may be continued beyond the initial project
period, subject to approved time frame and scope of work, satisfactory
progress, and availability of funds. The Department of Commerce
has the discretion to renew the award to increase funding, or
extend the period of performance.
ASSISTANCE
CONSIDERATIONS:
Formula
and Matching Requirements: This program has
no statutory formula. Projects are funded at up to 100 percent of
the total project cost. A formula may be used to determine allocation
of funds among eligible applicants. This formula may be based upon
factors such as (but not limited to) the value of raw fish landed
by domestic fishermen and the number of recreational fishing trips
taken by anglers in each State, and the number of coastal fishery
management plans in which the States participate. Recipient matching
contributions are not required, but are encouraged. Direct allocations
will be given to the District of Columbia, the Potomac River Fisheries
Commission, Atlantic Coastal States, and the Atlantic States Marine
Fisheries Commission, pursuant to NOAA'S discretion in accordance
with the Statute.
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 is 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
six-month period.
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:
(Grants and Cooperative Agreements) FY 01 $6,790,090; FY 02 est
$6,170,680; and FY 03 est $6,170,680.
Range
and Average of Financial Assistance:
$13,980 to $1,925,948. Average: $150,000.
Northeast Region: Activities include the development and monitoring
of interstate fishery management plans; fishery research and stock
assessment; habitat conservation; and law enforcement. In 2001,
the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) received
$1,925,948 to manage, enhance, restore and maintain the shared fisheries
of the Atlantic Coast, with the principal emphasis on the conservation
and restoration of migratory marine and diadromous fishery resources
and their habitat, as well as the maintenance, enhancement, and
improvement of public uses and benefits from these resources. In
2000, ASMFC received $1,624,193 to conduct similar activities. Further
activities of the same nature are expected to be carried out by
ASMFC in 2002. Southeast Region: State activities include the planning
and implementation of interstate fishery management plans; fishery
research and stock assessment; and evaluation of the efficacy of
regulations on Atlantic exploited species. In 2001, $290,569 was
provided to four states in support of the Atlantic Coastal Cooperative
Statistics Program.
REGULATIONS,
GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE:
For cost principles, see OMB Circular No. A-87 (State and local
governments) and OMB Circular No. A-122 for other recipients. For
grants management principles, see 15 CFR 24 (States and local governments)
and OMB Circular No. A-110 for other recipients.
INFORMATION
CONTACTS:
Regional
or Local Office: Northeast: Harold C. Mears,
Director, State, Federal and Constituent Programs Office, National
Marine Fisheries Service, Northeast Regional Office, One Blackburn
Dr., Gloucester MA 01930. Telephone: (978) 281-9243. Fax: (978)
281-9117. Email: Grants.Information@noaa.gov. Southeast: Cynthia
Binkley, Federal Program Officer, State/Federal Liaison Office,
9721 Executive Center Drive, North, St. Petersburg, FL 33702. Telephone:
(727) 570- 5324. Fax: (727) 570-5364. Email: cynthia.binkley@noaa.gov.
Headquarters
Office: Paul Perra, Fisheries Biologist/Manager,
Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service,
1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Telephone (301)
713-2334. Fax: (301) 713-0596. Email: paul.perra@noaa.gov.
Web
Site Address: http://caldera.sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/grants/programs/acfcma.htm
EXAMPLES
OF FUNDED PROJECTS:
Northeast Region: A Cooperative State-Federal Program for Conservation
of Atlantic Coastal Fisheries; Marine Recreational Fishery Statistics
Survey; Interstate Fisheries Management Support Program; Implementation
of the Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program; and Biomonitoring
and Assessment Project for American Shad and River Herring. Southeast
Region: Florida Atlantic Coast Stock Assessments; Interstate Fisheries
Management Planning and Implementation; Implementation of the Atlantic
Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program; Interstate Fisheries Management
Program Implementation for North Carolina; and Fisheries Conservation
Programs and Management Plans.
CRITERIA
FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS:
Proposals are solicited from eligible coastal States and other eligible
applicants by notification from the National Marine Fisheries Service,
Northeast and Southeast Regional Offices. Proposals must undergo
rigorous technical review and comply with all OMB, DOC, and NOAA
grants policies and procedures.
