28.2-245 - Fishery Resource Grant Fund established; purpose; Consortium to award grants.
§ 28.2-245. Fishery Resource Grant Fund established; purpose; Consortium toaward grants.
A. There is hereby established within the state treasury a special permanent,nonreverting fund, to be known as the Fishery Resource Grant Fund, whichshall hereafter be known as the "Fund." The Fund shall be established onthe books of the Comptroller. The Fund shall consist of sums appropriated toit by the General Assembly as provided for under § 23-9.9:1 and such othermoneys as may be made available from any other source, public or private,including any federal grants solicited or received for the specific purposesof the Fund, and all interest and income from investment of the Fund. Anysums remaining in the Fund, including interest thereon, at the end of eachfiscal year shall not revert to the general fund but shall remain in theFund. Moneys in the Fund shall be used solely for Fishery Resource Grants.Expenditures and disbursements from the Fund shall be made by the StateTreasurer on warrants issued by the Comptroller upon written request of theChairman of the Graduate Marine Science Consortium at the University ofVirginia.
B. The purpose of the Fishery Resource Grant Fund is to protect and enhancethe Commonwealth's coastal fishery resources through the awarding of grantsin the following areas:
1. New fisheries equipment or gear;
2. Environmental pilot studies on issues including water quality andfisheries habitat;
3. Aquaculture or mariculture of marine-dependent species; and
4. Seafood technology.
C. The Consortium shall advertise the availability of grant funds and shallsolicit, receive, and review grant applications. Grants shall be awarded bythe Consortium after consideration of the recommendations of the FisheryResource Grant Advisory Board. The decisions regarding who receives the grantawards shall be the responsibility of the Consortium. In awarding grants forthe aquaculture or mariculture of marine dependent species the Consortiumshall consider the amount of private investment that has been made for theaquaculture or mariculture of a species, and shall not award grants for theaquaculture or mariculture of a species in which significant privateinvestment has been made, unless such grant is for new technology.
D. The Consortium may establish a peer review panel to assist in determiningthe relative merits of each proposal.
E. Any general funds for the Fishery Resource Grant Program shall beappropriated to the Consortium, which shall be reimbursed for the reasonablecosts incurred in administering and monitoring the grant program. If fundsremain at the end of a grant cycle, the Consortium may carry forward suchfunds to the next funding cycle.
(1999, c. 719.)