Southeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program (11.435)

 

Program

11.435 Southeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program

 

Federal Agency

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

 

Authorization

Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956, 16 U.S.C. 753 a.

 

Program Number

11.435

 

Last Known Status

Active

 

Objectives

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 (Cooperative Agreements).

 

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.

 

Application and Award Process

Preapplication 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

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 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. 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.

 

Program Accomplishments

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.

 

Financial Information

Account Identification

13-1450-0-1-306.

Obligations

(Cooperative Agreements) FY 02 $1,121,315; FY 03 est $1,120,000; and FY 04 est $1,120,000.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance

$25,000 to $427,144. Average: $126,656.

 

Regulations, Guidelines and Literature

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

11.407, Interjurisdictional Fisheries Act of 1986; 11.434, Cooperative Fishery Statistics.

 

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.