Justification

••
USDA

United States
Department
Agriculture

of

March 19, 2009

Farm and Foreign
Agricultural
Services

Farm Service
Agency

TO:

Drew Perraut
Office of Management and Budget Desk Officer

1400 Independence
Avenue, SW
Stop 0540
Washington, DC
20250-0540

THROUGH:

Ruth Brown
Department Clearance Officer

FROM:

SUBJECT:

C-4

Candy Thompson
1t,__
Acting,
Deputy Administrator for Fa~"p~~;-

A~

Request for Emergency Approval of a New Information Collection
Package - Recovery Act - 2008 Aquaculture Grant Program

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) in the Production, Emergencies and Compliance
Division (PECD) has been tasked with implementing the 2008 Aquaculture Grant
Program authorized by Section 102(d) of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
of 2009 (Recovery Act).
On February 17, 2009, the Recovery Act was enacted into Public Law 111-5. Section
102( d) of the Recovery Act authorizes $50 million for a 2008 Aquaculture Grant Program
(AGP). The Recovery Act requires that:
• AGP funding be allocated to the States, on a pro rata basis, based on the amount of
aquaculture feed used in each State during the 2007 calendar year
• Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of the Recovery Act, the State
Departments of Agriculture in each State shall be notified of availability of funds to
assist eligible aquaculture producers, including such terms necessary for the equitable
treatment of eligible aquaculture producers.
• Not later than 30 days after the date on which the State provides assistance to eligible
aquaculture producers, the State must submit to CCC, a report that describes:
• The manner in which the State provided assistance;
• The amounts of assistance provided per species of aquaculture; and
• The process by which the State determined the levels of assistance to eligible
aquaculture producers.
USDA is an Equal Opportunity Employer

The FSA needs to collect:
• 2007 aquaculture feed delivery data to allocate grant funding based on 2007 feed
deliveries
• 2008 AGP Work Plans from each State to ensure the equitable treatment of
aquaculture producers
• 2008 AGP Recovery Act Report to comply with Recovery Act reporting requirements.
In addition to the information collection provided above, PEeD will be collecting
information on several standard grant forms; however, it is our understanding that a
separate information collection package will cover the burden for all Federal agencies
with respect to grant programs authorized in the Recovery Act.
We are requesting emergency approval of a new information collection package by March
27, 2009 due to the program provisions and time frames mandated by the Recovery Act.
If any questions or concerns, please call Deirdre Holder at 202-205-5851 or Mary Ann
Ball at 202-720-4283.