Nysdec shipper, dealer, processor pandemic response grants purpose will be to award monetary resources available from the USDA grant to nysdec-DMR licensed food fish and crustacea dealer and…

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) received a $200,000 block grant award from the US Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service under the Pandemic Relief Activities: Farm and Food Worker Relief Grant Program (CFDA 10.181).

The funding will support NYSDEC's distribution of monetary resources to licensed New York food fish and crustacea dealers and shippers, as well as shellfish processors, shippers, reshippers, and diggers/shippers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Eligible costs include workplace safety measures, market pivots to online sales, facility retrofits for worker safety, transportation costs, and unreimbursed medical expenses. A third party contractor will provide outreach, develop an application process, evaluate requests, and reimburse approved applicants. The grant period is January 24, 2022 to January 24, 2024.

Nysdec shipper, dealer, processor pandemic response grants purpose will be to award monetary resources available from the USDA grant to nysdec-DMR licensed food fish and crustacea dealer and shipper; shellfish processor, shellfish shipper, shellfish reshipper and shellfish digger/shipper affected by the pandemic in the categories of: workplace safety measures such as but not limited to personal protective equipment, market pivots such as transition to online sales costs marketing; retrofitting of facilities for worker safety such as plexiglass, fans, tents, transportation costs and worker housing costs incurred to maintain social distancing or quarantining; unreimbursed medical costs related to vaccinations, testing or treatment including paid leave.a designated third party (e.g., atlantic states marine fisheries commission (asmfc), sea grant, cornell cooperative extension (CCE) will provide outreach to eligible parties described above; develop an application process allowing eligibleparties to apply for funds and to attest to losses incurred; evaluate applications for appropriate losses eligible under the grant, notify and reimburse successful applicants. IT is anticipated nysdec is going to contract with a third-party contractor. Nysdec is unable to efficiently directly dispense funds to individuals due to current state procurement rules. At the current time the third-party contractor has not been identified. IT is also anticipated that any third party will have administrative expenses associated with the contract. IT is estimated those costs will be approximately 20%.