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North
Carolina aquaculture aid available to those
hit by Hurricane Ophelia
Commercial aquaculture
operations in 10 North Carolina counties
are eligible for grants to help them recover
from damages and losses caused by Hurricane
Ophelia in 2005.
The
grants are available to producers who are
raising aquaculture species in
a controlled
environment as part of a farming operation.
Marine aquaculture, which includes shellfish
leases, is also eligible.
The North Carolina Department of Agriculture
and Consumer Services is administering the
2006 Aquaculture Block Grant program from
funds made available through the U.S. Department
of Agriculture.
A total of $312,500 has been approved for
the program. Eligible counties include Brunswick,
Carteret, Craven, Dare, Hyde, Jones, New
Hanover, Onslow, Pamlico and Pender. USDA
limits the amount paid to any applicant to
$80,000. The grants will not cover damage
or losses that are covered by another disaster
program.
“We have been actively working with
our representatives at the federal level
to obtain funding to help aquaculture producers
with Ophelia damage, and I am pleased those
efforts have paid off with this block grant,” said
Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “We
will work as quickly as possible to process
and verify these claims, so we can get these
funds to producers to help with recovery
efforts.”
Eligible producers can request an application
form by contacting Yvonne Stott at (919)
733-7887 Monday through Friday between 8
a.m. and 5 p.m. Forms also can be downloaded
or picked up at Division of Marine Fisheries
regional offices.
The deadline for applications is July 15.
Completed forms should be mailed to North
Carolina Aquaculture Block Grant Program
c/o Yvonne Stott, North Carolina Department
of Agriculture and Consumer Services, 1020
Mail Service Center, Raleigh, N.C. 27699-1020.
Once
applications are received, producers will
be contacted by NCDA&CS staff to
schedule a meeting to discuss the claim in
more detail. Inventory records, receipts
for equipment purchased and copies of aquaculture
licenses will be helpful for producers to
help verify claims.
Source:
http://southeastfarmpress.com
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