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| 15.424 MARINE MINERALS ACTIVITIES |
| (Marine Minerals Activities) |
| FEDERAL AGENCY |
| MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR |
| AUTHORIZATION |
| Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lands Act, 43 U.S.C. 1331. |
| OBJECTIVES |
| To evaluate OCS sand deposits for coastal restoration and beach nourishment needs, and to foster good working relationships regarding OCS mineral issues with coastal States. |
| TYPES OF ASSISTANCE |
| Project Grants (Cooperative Agreements). |
| USES AND USE RESTRICTIONS |
| The funds must be spent for OCS sand activities and not inside State waters. These cooperative agreements are awarded to assist States in order to find sand supplies for beach nourishment projects. |
| Applicant Eligibility |
| Proposals are received from coastal States in need of coastal restoration. |
| Beneficiary Eligibility |
| State agencies and organizations participating in the project, as well as the general public. |
| Credentials/Documentation |
| States submit proposals to the MMS which furnish evidence of the applicant's qualifications for performance of the proposed research. |
| Preapplication Coordination |
| Applicants attend a workshop held by MMS, and define their requirements for the upcoming year. At this time the applicants and the MMS decide which projects will be funded for the upcoming year. This program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." Applicants should consult the office of official designated as the single point of contact in their State to find out if the State has selected this program for review and for information on the process the State requires when applying for Federal assistance. |
| Application Procedure |
| This program is subject to the Department of the Interior regulations at 43 CFR Part 12, Subparts C and D, or any subsequent revisions. The standard SF-424 application forms must be used for this program. Applicants will be asked to submit their proposals electronically through Grants.gov. |
| Award Procedure |
| An internal MMS review of the State's proposal is conducted including convening a panel to discuss the proposals and making the final decision on the funding for the project. A notification of a cooperative agreement award is issued so the project can begin. |
| Deadlines |
| November of each year or as soon as the MMS is given funding. |
| Range of Approval/Disapproval Time |
| 90 days. |
| Appeals |
| Not applicable. |
| Renewals |
| Projects that were approved and funded during the previous fiscal year may be submitted as renewals for subsequent years. |
| Formula and Matching Requirements |
| The Leasing Division Marine Minerals Activities encourages a 1-to-1 match of each Federal dollar with a nonfederal dollar. |
| Length and Time Phasing of Assistance |
| Cooperative agreements will normally be awarded in 12-month budget periods. |
| Reports |
| Annual and final technical and financial reports using the OMB SF-269 form are required. |
| 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 receive 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 or more in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133. |
| Records |
| All records must be maintained for 3 years after submission of the final financial report. |
| Account Identification |
| 14-5003-0-2-999. |
| Obligations |
| FY 07 $750,000; FY 08 est. $1,280,000; and FY 09 $ est. not available. |
| Range and Average of Financial Assistance |
| $30,000 to $760,000. |
| PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS |
| Sand resources identified and evaluated by this program have been used in 3 beach nourishment projects in the State of Maryland, 5 projects in Virginia, 1 in North Carolina, 4 in South Carolina, 8 in Florida, and 3 in Louisiana. |
| REGULATIONS, GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE |
| Regulations include the OCS Lands Act, Endangered Species Act, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, and the Coastal Zone Management Act. |
| Regional or Local Office |
| New Orleans Office: MMS, GOM OCS Region, 1201 Elmwood Park Blvd., New Orleans, LA 70123-2394; Pacific Office: MMS, 770 Paseo Camarillo, 2nd Floor, Camarillo, CA 93010. |
| Headquarters Office |
| MMS, 381 Elden Street, MS-4021, Herndon, VA 20170. |
| Web Site Address |
| http://www.mms.gov/sandandgravel |
| RELATED PROGRAMS |
| Army Corps of Engineers, Coastal Restoration and Beach Construction Program. |
| EXAMPLES OF FUNDED PROJECTS |
| Offshore Cooperative Sand Programs with the following States: Delaware, New Jersey, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, and California. Studies were funded in support of the Hurricane Katrina and Rita Relief efforts in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. |
| CRITERIA FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS |
| Cost of the project is the most important criteria followed by relevance to State and Federal needs, and technical ability of the State agency. |
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General Services Administration Office of Chief Acquisition Officer Regulatory and Federal Assistance Division (VIR) |
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