§ 113-200. Fishery Resource Grant Program.
§ 113‑200. FisheryResource Grant Program.
(a) Creation. There is created within the Sea Grant CollegeProgram at The University of North Carolina, the Fishery Resource GrantProgram. The purpose of the program is to work within priorities established bythe Grants Committee to protect and enhance the State's coastal fisheryresources through individual grants in the following areas:
(1) New fisheries equipment or gear.
(2) Environmental pilot studies, including water quality andfisheries habitat.
(3) Aquaculture or mariculture of marine dependent species.
(4) Seafood technology.
(b) Definition; Annual Establishment of Priorities. Forpurposes of this section, the term "fishing related industry" meansany of the following: (i) commercial fishing; (ii) recreational fishing; (iii)aquaculture; (iv) mariculture; and (v) handling of seafood products, includingseafood dealing and seafood processing. The Grants Committee shall, incooperation with persons involved in fishing related industries, the Division ofMarine Fisheries, and the Sea Grant College Program, establish fundingpriorities effective July 1 of each year for the grant program. In adoptingpriorities, the Grants Committee is exempt from Article 2A of Chapter 150B ofthe General Statutes. The Grants Committee shall provide public notice of itsproposed priorities at least 30 days before the Grants Committee meeting priorto a final determination of its priorities for the fiscal year.
(c) Procedure to Solicit Proposals. Following the establishmentof priorities by the Grants Committee, the Sea Grant College Program shall holdworkshops within the northern, southern, central, and Pamlico coastal regionsto solicit applications and to assist persons involved in fishing relatedindustries in writing proposals. The Sea Grant College Program shall encouragepreproposal conferences among persons involved in fishing related industriesand those with technical or research backgrounds to work as partners indeveloping and writing the proposals and in writing reports of final results.If the grants approved by the Grants Committee do not utilize all availablefunds, the Sea Grant College Program may advertise and solicit additionalapplications during the applicable fiscal year.
(d) Application for Grant Program. An applicant may apply forgrant funds to the Sea Grant College Program. For purposes of this subsection,every proposal shall include substantial involvement of residents of NorthCarolina who are actively involved in a fishing related industry. A proposalgenerated by a person not involved in a fishing related industry may beeligible for funding only if the proposal includes written endorsementssupporting the project from persons or organizations representing fishingrelated industries. An application shall include:
(1) Name and address of the primary applicant.
(2) List of marine fishing licenses issued under Chapter 113 ofthe General Statutes to the applicant by the State of North Carolina.
(3) A description of the project.
(4) A detailed statement of the projected costs of the projectincluding the cost to plan and design the project.
(5) An explanation of how the project will enhance the fisheryresource.
(6) List of names and addresses of any other persons who willparticipate in the project.
(7) Any other information necessary to make a recommendation onthe application.
(e) Review Process. The Sea Grant College Program shallconduct an anonymous peer review of all applications for fisheries grants. Atleast one of the peer reviewers shall be a person involved in a fishing relatedindustry. An application is confidential and is not a public record under G.S.132‑1 until after the closing date for submission of applications.Following the review of all proposals, the Sea Grant College Program shall rankproposals in order of priority and shall present the recommendations to theGrants Committee. The Sea Grant College Program may adopt criteria to rankproposals. In adopting criteria, the Sea Grant College Program is exempt fromArticle 2A of Chapter 150B of the General Statutes. Criteria adopted pursuantto this subsection are public records within the meaning of G.S. 132‑1.
(e1) Grants Committee. The Grants Committee shall consist ofeleven members as follows:
(1) Three employees of the Sea Grant College Program, appointedby the Director of the Sea Grant College Program.
(2) Two employees of the Division of Marine Fisheries, appointedby the Fisheries Director.
(3) Two members of the Marine Fisheries Commission, appointed bythe Chair of the Marine Fisheries Commission.
(4) One member of the Northeast Regional Advisory Committeeestablished pursuant to G.S. 143B‑289.57(e), appointed by the NortheastRegional Advisory Committee.
(5) One member of the Central Regional Advisory Committee establishedpursuant to G.S. 143B‑289.57(e), appointed by the Central RegionalAdvisory Committee.
(6) One member of the Southeast Regional Advisory Committeeestablished pursuant to G.S. 143B‑289.57(e), appointed by the SoutheastRegional Advisory Committee.
(7) One member of the Inland Regional Advisory Committeeestablished pursuant to G.S. 143B‑289.57(e), appointed by the InlandRegional Advisory Committee.
(f) Award Process. The Grants Committee shall evaluate allgrant proposals and the results of the peer review and ranking conductedpursuant to subsection (e) of this section. On the basis of this evaluation,the Grants Committee shall determine the amount of funding, if any, to beawarded to each grant applicant. To the extent practicable, the Grants Committeeshall distribute grant funding among the northern, southern, central, andPamlico coastal regions. Proposals for projects that include involvement ofpersons involved in a fishing related industry shall be accorded a priority infunding by the Grants Committee. Following approval by the Grants Committee,the Sea Grant College Program shall award the grants.
(g) Restrictions on Grants. No member of the Grants Committeemay benefit financially from a grant. If a grant recipient from a prior yearhas failed to perform a grant project to the satisfaction of the Sea GrantCollege Program or the Grants Committee, the Grants Committee may decline tofund any new application involving the principal applicant.
(h) Grant Reports and Funding. Grant recipients shall providequarterly progress reports to the Sea Grant College Program and shall submitinvoices for expenditures for each quarter. Twenty‑five percent (25%) ofthe total grant award shall be held until the grant recipient has completed theproject and submitted a final written report. The remainder of the grant awardshall be distributed upon approval of each quarterly report and uponverification of the expenditures.
(i) Report on Grant Program. The Sea Grant College Programshall report on the Fishery Resource Grant Program to the Marine FisheriesCommission and the Joint Legislative Commission on Seafood and Aquaculture nolater than January 1 of each year. (1995 (Reg. Sess., 1996), c. 633, s. 2; 1997‑400, s. 6.7; 1999‑162,s. 1.)