Pacific Fisheries Data Program (11.437)
Program
11.437 Pacific Fisheries Data Program
Federal Agency
NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Authorization
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, as amended, Public Law 94-265, 16 U.S.C. 1854(e).
Program Number
11.437
Last Known Status
Active
Objectives
This cooperative program provides support to State fishery agencies to enhance their data collection and analysis systems to respond to coast wide and insular area fisheries management needs. The program supports fisheries data collection and analysis projects that provide catch, effort, economic and biological data on federally managed species to the Fishery Management Councils as needed for continuing management of Pacific fisheries.
Types of Assistance
Project Grants (Cooperative Agreements).
Uses and Use Restrictions
Funds can be used to enhance State fishery data collection and analysis systems to respond to Federal fisheries management needs.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicant Eligibility
State governments (including territories of Guam and American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands) and quasi-public nonprofit institution/organizations.
Beneficiary Eligibility
The agency of a State government authorized under its laws to regulate commercial and recreational fisheries.
Credentials/Documentation
Proposal from a State or an Interstate Fishery Agency should be submitted in accordance with 15 CFR part 24.
Application and Award Process
Preapplication Coordination
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 application on Standard Form 424 to the appropriate Regional Office of the National Marine Fisheries Service. The applicants are subject to the requirements of the uniform rule implementing OMB Circular No. A-102 at 15 CFR Part 24. Pursuant to Section 404 of Public Law 102-567, financial assistance awards to a State or Interstate Fishery Commission may be provided on a sole-source basis.
Award Procedure
Applications are evaluated by the receiving National Marine Fisheries Service Regional Office and processed by the NOAA Grants Office. Pursuant to Section 404 of Public Law 102-567, financial assistance awards to a State or Interstate Fishery Commission may be provided on a sole-source basis.
Deadlines
According to the NOAA Grants Office, project applications should be submitted 75 days in advance of desired effective date.
Range of Approval/Disapproval Time
Appeals
No formal appeal procedure. If applications are unacceptable, the reasons are fully stated to the applicants. If the applicants desire to resubmit applications, projects must be revised in accordance with recommended changes.
Renewals
Continuation grants on an annual basis for approved multi-year projects. Future or continued funding will be at the discretion of NMFS based on the availability of each fiscal year funding and satisfactory performance. Procedures for renewals are the same as application procedures.
Assistance Considerations
Formula and Matching Requirements
This program has no statutory formula. Projects are funded at up to 100 percent Federal share.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance
Grants are normally made for one year. Funds are released in advance or by reimbursement, as agreed to in the Standard Terms and Conditions document required for each grant.
Post Assistance Requirements
Reports
Reporting requirements are outlined in the Terms and Conditions of the Financial Assistance Award. The Department of Commerce Financial Assistance Standard Terms and Conditions generally requires that performance and financial reports be submitted semi-annually unless a waiver is provided by the NOAA Grants Officer.
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.
Program Accomplishments
Santa Cruz: The California Habitat Restoration Project Database continues to be expanded with data from the California Department of Fish and Game, NOAA Restoration Center, California Coastal Conservancy, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and other entities. Western Pacific Region: successful collection of data on tuna transhipment activities in Guam; development and implementation of improved commercial fish catch report forms in Hawaii; completion of survey and profiling of all domestic longline fishing vessels based in American Samoa.
Financial Information
Account Identification
13-1450-0-1-306.
Obligations
(Cooperative Agreements) FY 02 $18,640,237; FY 03 est $15,000,000; and FY 04 est $15,000,000.
Range and Average of Financial Assistance
$36,000 to $7,694,000. Average: $3,774,500.
Regulations, Guidelines and Literature
15 CFR part 24, Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Allowable cost will be determined in accordance with OMB Circular A-87 for State and local governments and Indian Tribes; OMB Circular A-122 for nonprofit and for- profit organizations; OMB Circular A-21 for institutions of higher education; and 48 CFR Part 31 for commercial organizations. Financial assistance management will be in accordance with 15 CFR Part 14 for institutions of higher education, hospitals, and other non-profit and commercial organizations, and with 15 CRF Part 24 for state and local governments.
Related Programs
None.
Information Contacts
Regional or Local Office
Alaska: Barbara Fosburg, Federal Program Officer, National Marine Fisheries Service, Alaska Region, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802-1668. Telephone: (907)586-7255. Fax: (907)586-7255. Email: barbara.fosburg@noaa.gov. Northwest: Steve Freese, NOAA/National Marine Fisheries Service, Northwest Regional Office, 7600 Sand Point Way, NE., Seattle, WA 98115. Telephone: (206) 526-6113; Fax: (206)526-4461. Email: Steve.Freese@noaa.gov. Western Pacific: Alvin Katekaru, Resource Management Specialist, NOAA/National Marine Fisheries Service, Pacific Islands Area Office, 1601 Kapiolani Boulevard, Suite 1110, Honolulu, HI 96814-4700. Telephone: (808) 973- 2935 ext. 207. Fax: (808) 973-2941. Email: Alvin.Katekaru@noaa.gov.
Headquarters Office
Patty Zielinski, Fisheries Statistics and Economics Division, Office of Science and Technology, National Marine Fisheries Service, Office of Science and Technology, 1315 East West Highway, SSMC3, Room 12441, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Telephone: (301)713-2328. Fax: (301)713-4137. Email: Patty.Zielinski@noaa.gov.
Web Site Address
Examples of Funded Projects
All: Program funds State projects that enhance State systems to respond to coast wide and Pacific islands fisheries management needs under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Examples include sampling of landings to determine species composition, special processing of State-collected fisheries data to conform to specifications of regional fishery data management systems, and monitoring domestic shore side ground fish landings in Alaska, as well as foreign tuna transshipment activities in Guam, providing catch and effort data necessary to monitor in-season harvest quotas by species, group, gear type and regulatory area, to evaluate the effectiveness of fisheries management programs in the western Pacific region, and to update the historic ground fish catch database, as well as Year-round data collection for groundfish fisheries off Washington, Oregon and California. Santa Cruz: California Habitat Restoration Data Projects.
Criteria for Selecting Proposals
Priority consideration is given to State projects that provide the Fishery Management Councils with the timely information needed to make the management decisions required under fishery management plans.
