RULES AND REGULATIONS GOVERNING THE ADMINISTRATION OF FEDERAL GROUNDFISH DISASTER FUNDS – PHASE THREE PROGRAM FOR RHODE ISLAND

Regulation Authority:

Title 20 and Chapter 42-17.1, and promulgated in accordance with Chapter 42-35 of the Rhode Island General Laws of 1956, as amended.

Purpose and Reason:

The purpose of these rules and regulations is to implement the Rhode Island component of Phase Three of the Consensus Plan for the Distribution of Federal Northeast Multispecies [Groundfish] Fishery Disaster Funds (hereinafter, the “Phase Three Program”). The three-phase Consensus Plan provides economic relief to mitigate losses resulting from the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Disaster declared by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce in September 2012. For this Phase Three Program, the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (hereinafter, the “Department”) will disburse $635,092 in federal aid to assist those engaged in the Rhode Island groundfish community who were significantly adversely affected by the groundfish disaster. Additionally, $70,566 will be made available for the development and implementation of a crew recruitment and training program. The framework for disbursement, which these rules and regulations codify, is set forth in the grant titled Rhode Island State Disaster Assistance Plan – Bin 3, which was approved by NOAA Fisheries on February 22, 2016 (Grant #NA16NMF4540006).