Marine Mammal Data Program
Published on AidPage by
IDILOGIC on Jun 24, 2005
Purpose of this program:
Nondiscretionary funding under this authorization provides support to State agencies for the collection and analysis of information on marine mammals that occur in the State's waters and interact with State managed fisheries and other marine resources. Information collected is used by the State and Federal governments to conserve marine mammals, address or resolve conflicts between marine mammals, fisheries and living marine resources, and to improve their understanding of the health of individual marine mammals as well as marine mammal populations. Discretionary funds may be announced in the Federal Register under competitive programs to undertake research in subjects which are relevant to the protection and conservation of marine mammals.
Possible uses and use restrictions...
Nondiscretionary funds may be nondiscretionary and appropriated for a particular recipient for a particular purpose such as the Marine Mammal cooperative agreements in Alaska (16 U.S.C. 1388) or allocated to State agencies for collection of information on marine mammals that occur in State waters and interact with fisheries and other marine resources. Discretionary funds announced in the Federal Register under competitive programs may restrict the use of funds or include additional program restrictions based on the appropriation language.
Who is eligible to apply...
State governments and quasi-public nonprofit institutions or organizations. U.S. Marine Mammal Stranding Network participants, including state and local governments, academia, aquaria, non profits, private individuals and organizations. Eligibility may vary under programs announced in the Federal Register.
Credentials/Documentation
Proposal from a State fishery agency or an Interstate Fisheries Commission, or an eligible stranding network member, should be submitted in accordance with 15 CFR Part 14; 15 CFR Part 24 and the applicable Federal Register notice.
Note:This is a brief description of the credentials or documentation required prior to, or along with, an application for assistance.
About this section:
This section indicates who can apply to the Federal government for assistance and the criteria the potential applicant must satisfy.
For example, individuals may be eligible for research grants, and the criteria to be satisfied may be that they have a professional or scientific degree,
3 years of research experience, and be a citizen of the United States. Universities, medical schools, hospitals, or State and local governments may also be eligible.
Where State governments are eligible, the type of State agency will be indicated (State welfare agency or State agency on aging) and the criteria that they
must satisfy.
Certain federal programs (e.g., the Pell Grant program which provides grants to students) involve intermediate levels of application processing, i.e., applications
are transmitted through colleges or universities that are neither the direct applicant nor the ultimate beneficiary. For these programs,
the criteria that the intermediaries must satisfy are also indicated, along with intermediaries who are not eligible.
How to apply...
Application Procedure:
Submission of application on Standard Form 424 to the appropriate Regional or Headquarters Office. The applicants are subject to the requirements 15 CFR Part 14; or 15 CFR part 24, as applicable.
Note: Each program will indicate whether applications are to be submitted to the Federal headquarters, regional or local office, or to a State or local government office.
Award Procedure:
Applications are evaluated by the National Marine Fisheries Service Regional or Headquarters Offices and processed by the NOAA Grants Management Division. Pursuant to Section 404 of Public Law 102- 567, financial assistance awards to a State or Interstate Fishery Commission may be provided to the State on a non- discretionary basis for projects involving the collection and analysis of information on marine mammals that occur in the State's waters and interact with State managed fisheries and other marine resources. For discretionary funds including Stranding Networks, a competitive award process is announced in the Federal Register for projects related to stranding network activities. A small percentage of discretionary funds will be available to be provided on a non-competed basis for catastrophic stranding events.
Note: Grant payments may be made by a letter of credit, advance by Treasury check, or reimbursement by Treasury check.
Awards may be made by the headquarters office directly to the applicant, an agency field office, a regional office,
or by an authorized county office. The assistance may pass through the initial applicant for further distribution by
intermediate level applicants to groups or individuals in the private sector.
Deadlines and process...
Deadlines
According to the NOAA Grants Management Division, project applications should be submitted at least 75 days in advance of desired effective date.
Note:
When available, this section indicates the deadlines for applications to the funding agency which will
be stated in terms of the date(s) or between what dates the application should be received.
When not available, applicants should contact the funding agency for deadline information.
Range of Approval/Disapproval Time
Within 75 calendar days after a complete and acceptable application is received.
Preapplication Coordination
This program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs". A State 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.
Note:
This section indicates whether any prior coordination or approval is required with governmental or nongovernmental units
prior to the submission of a formal application to the federal funding agency.
Appeals
No formal appeal procedure.
Note:
In some cases, there are no provisions for appeal. Where applicable, this section discusses appeal procedures or allowable rework time for resubmission
of applications to be processed by the funding agency. Appeal procedures vary with individual programs and are either listed in this section or
applicants are referred to appeal procedures documented in the relevant Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).
Renewals
For projects involving the collection and analysis of information on marine mammals that occur in the State's waters and interact with State managed fisheries and other marine resources, continuation grants can be made on an annual basis for approved multi- year projects. For projects related to stranding network activities, grants or cooperative agreements will be awarded for a maximum award period of 3 years; however the total Federal share of each award is fixed at a maximum of $100,000 regardless of the funding period requested. 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.
Note:
In some instances, renewal procedures may be the same as for the application procedure, e.g., for projects of a non-continuing nature renewals will be treated as new, competing applications; for projects of an ongoing nature, renewals may be given annually.
Who can benefit...
This program benefits the States that have marine mammals in waters under State jurisdiction and supports Federal requirements for conservation of marine mammals, and other public resources. The program also benefits the active volunteer U.S. marine mammal stranding network members throughout coastal states.
Beneficiaries
About this section:
This section lists the ultimate beneficiaries of a program, the criteria they must satisfy and who specifically is not eligible. The applicant and beneficiary will generally be the same for programs that provide assistance directly from a Federal agency. However, financial assistance that passes through State or local governments will have different applicants and beneficiaries since the assistance is transmitted to private sector beneficiaries who are not obligated to request or apply for the assistance.
What types of assistance...
Project Grants
The funding, for fixed or known periods, of specific projects. Project grants can include fellowships, scholarships, research grants, training grants, traineeships, experimental and demonstration grants, evaluation grants, planning grants, technical assistance grants, survey grants, and construction grants.
How much financial aid...
Range and Average of Financial Assistance
$50,000 to $2,807,000; $530,826.
Note:
This section lists the representative range (smallest to largest) of the amount of financial assistance available. These figures are based upon funds awarded in the past fiscal year and the current fiscal year to date. Also indicated is an approximate average amount of awards which were made in the past and current fiscal years.
Obligations
(Cooperative Agreements) Total FY 03 actual: $21,400,000 Discretionary: FY 03 actual: $4,500,000; FY 04 est $2,700,000; and FY 05 est: $3.1M. Nondiscretionary FY 03 actual: $16,900,000; FY 04 est: $16,900,000; FY 05 est: $16,900,000.
Note:
The dollar amounts listed in this section represent obligations for the past fiscal year (PY), estimates for the current fiscal year (CY), and estimates for the budget fiscal year (BY) as reported by the Federal agencies. Obligations for non-financial assistance programs indicate the administrative expenses involved in the operation of a program.
Account Identification
13-1450-0-1-306.
Note:
Note: This 11-digit budget account identification code represents the account which funds a particular program.
This code should be consistent with the code given for the program area as specified in Appendix III of the Budget of the United States Government.
Examples of funded projects...
Discretionary: Such programs include the John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program (16 U.S.C. 1421f-1)which make funding available to marine mammal stranding network participants for the recovery or treatment of stranded marine mammals; the collection of data from living or dead stranded marine mammals for scientific research regarding marine mammal health; and operation costs that are directly related to these activities; nondiscretionary: Programs designed to carry-out research and operational support consistent with cooperative management agreements and subsistence harvest efforts. Projects provide information on abundance and distribution of marine mammals that occur in Federal and State waters and their interactions with fisheries and other resources. Examples include aerial surveys, sampling and tagging of pinnipeds; determining and monitoring the number and trend in number of pinnipeds at selected sites; assessing the health of ESA listed Steller sea lions, identifying foraging habits and habitats, and assessments of pinnipeds predation on salmonids.
About this section
This section indicates the different types of projects which have been funded in the past. Only projects funded under Project Grants or Direct Payments for Specified Use should be listed here. The examples give potential applicants an idea of the types of projects that may be accepted for funding. The agency should list at least five examples of the most recently funded projects.
Program accomplishments...
Discretionary: In fiscal year 2002 and 2003, 115 awards were made and it is anticipated that 33 awards will be made in fiscal year 2004. These programs support marine mammal research and management efforts relative to marine mammal health and strandings and fulfill commitments under Title IV of the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Several programs contribute to the United States participation in the International Whaling Commission and the fulfillment of native subsistence co-management commitments under section 119 of the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
Criteria for selecting proposals...
Nondiscretionary: For projects involving the collection and analysis of information on marine mammals that occur in the State's waters and interact with State managed fisheries and other marine resources, priority consideration is given to proposals for the collection of information on marine mammals involved in interactions with fisheries and other marine resources, and on activities impacting marine mammals such as native subsistence; Discretionary: For projects involving stranding network activities, priorities are published in the Federal Register Notice soliciting applications for financial assistance. Unsolicited proposals may also be submitted outside of the competitive process for response to catastrophic stranding events.
Assistance considerations...
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.
Formula and Matching Requirements
For projects involving the collection and analysis of information on marine mammals that occur in the State's waters and interact with State managed fisheries and other marine resources, the program has no statutory formula. Projects are funded at up to 100 percent Federal share. For projects related to stranding network activities the maximum Federal award for each project will be $100,000, and a minimum cost share of 25 percent of total project costs is required.
Note:
A formula may be based on population, per capita income, and other statistical factors. Applicants are informed whether there are any matching requirements to be met when participating in the cost of a project. In general, the matching share represents that portion of the project costs not borne by the Federal government. Attachment F of OMB Circular No. A-102 (Office of Management and Budget) sets forth the criteria and procedures for the evaluation of matching share requirements which may be cash or in-kind contributions made by State and local governments or other agencies, institutions, private organizations, or individuals to satisfy matching requirements of Federal grants or loans.
Cash contributions represent the grantees' cash outlay, including the outlay of money contributed to the grantee by other public agencies, institutions, private organizations, or individuals. When authorized by Federal regulation, Federal funds received from other grants may be considered as the grantees' cash contribution.
In-kind contributions represent the value of noncash contributions provided by the grantee, other public agencies and institutions, private organizations or individuals. In-kind contributions may consist of charges for real property and equipment, and value of goods and services directly benefiting and specifically identifiable to the grant program. When authorized by Federal legislation, property purchased with Federal funds may be considered as grantees' in-kind contribution.
Maintenance of effort (MOE) is a requirement contained in certain legislation, regulations, or administrative policies stating that a grantee must maintain a specified level of financial effort in a specific area in order to receive Federal grant funds, and that the Federal grant funds may be used only to supplement, not supplant, the level of grantee funds.
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 require that performance and financial reports be submitted semi-annually unless a waiver is provided by the NOAA Grants Officer.
Note:
This section indicates whether program reports, expenditure reports, cash reports or performance monitoring are required by the Federal funding agency, and specifies at what time intervals (monthly, annually, etc.) this must be accomplished.
Audits
In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A- 133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Nonprofit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $500,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133.
Note:
This section discusses audits required by the Federal agency.
The procedures and requirements for State and local governments and nonprofit entities are set forth in OMB Circular No. A-133.
These requirements pertain to awards made within the respective State's fiscal year - not the Federal fiscal year,
as some State and local governments may use the calendar year or other variation of time span designated as the fiscal year period,
rather than that commonly known as the Federal fiscal year (from October 1st through September 30th).
Records
All financial and programmatic records, supporting documents, statistical reports, and other records of grantees or sub grantees are required to be maintained in accordance the terms and conditions of the Financial Assistance Award. The grantee must maintain records for 3 years from the date when the final expenditure report is submitted.
Note:
This section indicates the record retention requirements and the type of records the Federal agency may require.
Not included are the normally imposed requirements of the General Accounting Office.
For programs falling under the purview of OMB Circular No. A-102, record retention is set forth in Attachment C.
For other programs, record retention is governed by the funding agency's requirements.
Regulations...
Authorization
Marine Mammal Act of 1972, 16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.; and the Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Act of 2000, 16 U.S.C. 1421f-1.
Note:
This section lists the legal authority upon which a program is based (acts, amendments to acts, Public Law numbers, titles, sections, Statute Codes, citations to the U.S. Code, Executive Orders, Presidential Reorganization Plans, and Memoranda from an agency head).
Regulations, Guidelines, And Literature
Marine Mammal Protection Act, as amended. 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.
Contact information...
Web Sites
Regional Or Local Office
Discretionary: Stranding Network Contacts-Alaska Region: Kaja Brix, Alaska Region, NMFS, Federal Building, 709 West 9th Street, 14th Floor, Juneau, AK 99802-1668. Telehone: (907) 586-7824 or kaja.brix@noaa.gov. Northeast Region: Dana Hartley, NMFS, 1 Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930-2298. Telephone: (978) 281-9328 or dana.hartley@noaa.gov. Northwest Region: Brent Norberg, NMFS, Brent Norberg, 7600 Sand Point Way, N.E., Building 1, Seattle, WA 98115. Telephone: (206) 526-6733 or brent.norberg@noaa.gov; Southeast Region: Kyle Baker, NMFS, 9721 Executive Center Drive, North, St. Petersburg, FL 33702-2432. Telephone: (727) 570-5312 or Kyle.Baker@noaa.gov; Southwest Region: Joe Cordaro, Southwest Region, NMFS, 501 West Ocean Boulevard, Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA: 90802-4213. Telephone: (562) 980-4017 or joe.cordaro@noaa.gov. Nondiscretionary: Alaska Regional Office: Barbara Fosburg, NOAA/NMFS, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802-1668. Telephone: (907) 586-7273. Northwest Regional Office: Joe Scordino, NOAA, National Marine Fisheries Service, Northwest Region, 7600 Sand Point Way NE., Seattle, WA 98115. Telephone: (206) 526-6150, Fax: (206) 526-6426, Email: Joe.Scordino@noaa.gov. Pacific Islands Area Office: Margaret Akamine, NMFS, 1601 Kapiolani Blvd., Suite 1110, Honolulu, HI, 96814-4700. Telephone: (808) 973-2935 or margaret.akamine@noaa.gov. Headquarters Office: Budget Officer, Administrative and Budget Processes Division, National Marine Fisheries Service, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Telephone: (301) 713-2245. Fax: (301) 713-2299.
Note:
This section lists the agency contact person, address and telephone number of the Federal Regional or Local Office(s)
to be contacted for detailed information regarding a program such as:
(1) current availability of funds and the likelihood of receiving assistance within a given period;
(2) pre-application and application forms required;
(3) whether a pre-application conference is recommended;
(4) assistance available in preparation of applications;
(5) whether funding decisions are made at the headquarters, regional or local level;
(6) application renewal procedures (including continuations and supplementals) or appeal procedures for rejected applications; and
(7) recently published program guidelines and material.
However, for most federal programs, this section will instruct the reader to consult the so-called
Appendix IV of the Catalog due to the large volume of Regional and Local Office Contacts for most agencies.
This information is provided in Additional Contact Information (see below).
Headquarters Office
Teri Rowles, Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, Teri Rowles, 1315 East West Highway, Silver Spring, MD, 20910. Telephone: 301-713-2322, ext. 178.
Note:
This section lists names and addresses of the office at the headquarters level with direct operational responsibility for managing a program. A telephone number is provided in cases where a Regional or Local Office is not normally able to answer detailed inquiries concerning a program. Also listed are the name(s) and telephone number(s) of the information contact person(s) who can provide additional program information to applicants.
Additional Contact Information (Appendix IV)
Due to the large volume of regional and local office contacts for most agencies, full contact information is also provided separately here in a PDF format: