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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b>DEM Announces Meeting with RI Groundfish Community<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b>to Discuss Use of Federal Fisheries Disaster Assistance Funds<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>Hazard Room, Coastal Institute Building<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>URI Bay Campus, Narragansett, RI<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><u>May 13, 2015<o:p></o:p></u></b></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><u>5:00 – 6:00 pm<o:p></o:p></u></b></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The purpose of the meeting is to update the RI commercial groundfish community on the process for administering RI’s recently approved “Bin 2” grant application, and to seek input on how best to proceed with regard to RI’s “Bin 3” funding.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The two “bins” pertain to the federal disaster assistance funding program for the New England groundfish fishery. The first phase of the program – Bin 1 – has been completed. Phase two, aka Bin 2, has been awarded and will now be administered via a multi-step process.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>This week, DEM received notice regarding the final phase, Bin 3, for which RI will receive $705,658. The funds are being made available to RI, on a discretionary basis, to support the needs and interests of the RI groundfish industry, with particular focus on active groundfish permit holders. To access these funds, a state-specific spend plan (grant application) needs to be developed and submitted to NOAA Fisheries.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Key objectives for the May 13 meeting are be to identify Bin 3 funding options, and determine whether the industry wants to fast track a Bin 3 grant application -- with a prospective May 27 submittal date -- or engage in a longer process of review and consensus building.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>For additional information, contact Amy MacKown, DEM Fisheries Specialist, at <a href="mailto:Amy.MacKown@dem.ri.gov">Amy.MacKown@dem.ri.gov</a> (401.782.4492); or Bob Ballou, DEM Director’s Office, at <a href="mailto:Robert.Ballou@dem.ri.gov">Robert.Ballou@dem.ri.gov</a>, or 401-222-4700, ext. 4420.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black'>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>You are receiving this notice from the RIDEM, DFW, Marine Fisheries, rimarinefisheries listserve. <b><u>This is an automated message system; please do not reply to this email</u>.</b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>To <b>unsubscribe</b> from this mailing list, send an email to <</span><a href="mailto:rimarinefisheries-unsubscribe@listserve.ri.gov"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:blue'>rimarinefisheries-unsubscribe@listserve.ri.gov</span></a><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>If you need to get in contact with the owner of the list, (if you have trouble unsubscribing) send email to <</span><a href="mailto:owner-rimarinefisheries@listserve.ri.gov"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:blue'>owner-rimarinefisheries@listserve.ri.gov</span></a><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>