Grant Programs Directorate U.S. Department of Homeland Security Washington, DC 20472 Grant Programs Directorate Information Bulletin No. 310, March 24, 2009 TO: All State Administrative Agency Heads All State Administrative Agency Points of Contact All Core City/Core County Points of Contact All State Homeland Security Directors All State Emergency Management Agency Directors All Tribal Nation Points of Contact FROM: W. Ross Ashley, III Assistant Administrator Grant Programs Directorate Federal Emergency Management Agency SUBJECT: Operation Stonegarden Since the inception of the Operation Stonegarden Grant Program (OPSG), the Department of Homeland Security has provided risk based funding opportunities totaling $135 million dollars to support State, local and Tribal law enforcement agencies along the Southwest and Northern borders of the United States to increase overall border operational readiness. OPSG remains focused and committed to supporting State, local and Tribal law enforcement agencies in their goals to build capability to prevent, protect against, and respond to all threats dealing with border security issues by encouraging local operational objectives which serve as a “force multiplier” to enhance National and State Border Security Strategies. As reported over the past year, there has been a steady increase of violence along our Southwest Border region as well as actionable and/or intelligence based threats against Southwest Border States. We understand that there is an increased sense of urgency in dealing with these threats and encourage our state and local partners to work aggressively with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Office of Border Patrol (OBP) to utilize any remaining funding from the FY 2006 and current FY 2008 OPSG grants towards enhancing border efforts already in place and to redefine current operations by: . Increasing physical and operational presence along our Nations border, and . Increasing overall operational and technological readiness and capability Effective immediately, this may be accomplished by State, local and Tribal law enforcement agencies, utilizing remaining FY06 and FY08 OPSG funds. The following modifications to www.fema.gov grant guidance apply only to FY06 and FY08 funds (FY09 modifications will be announced at the time of award. Note: The Secretary may not waive the 50% personnel cap on FY09 funds and beyond per P110-412): . Allow OPSG funds to be used to activate reserve State, local and Tribal law enforcement personnel (cannot hire new peace officers) . Allow OPSG funds to pay current part time law enforcement personnel salary bringing them to full time status . Allow OPSG funds to be used for travel, per-diem and lodging to support up to a six (6) month deployment of law enforcement personnel to critical Southwest Border locations to support operational activities . Remove funding cap waiver requirement on personnel and operational overtime expenses exceeding 50% of OPSG awards . Remove fuel and/or fuel mileage reimbursement cap for operational activities . Allow backfill costs for personnel supporting operational activities . Encourage County level grantees to utilize OPSG funding to support a request to the Governor to activate, deploy or redeploy specialized National Guard Units/Packages and/or elements of State law enforcement to increase or augment specialized/technical law enforcement elements operational activities . Continue to increase operational, material and technological readiness of State, local and Tribal law enforcement agencies Finally, Secretary Napolitano has directed FEMA’s Grant Programs Directorate to award FY 2009 funding at the earliest possible date to provide additional law enforcement resources in response to the threat.