(OGM-SC) — This past weekend, the Office of Grants Management & State Clearinghouse, Office of the Governor, received email from the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission in Portland, Oregon, informing the grants office of errors in 175 applications submitted. About 9.65% contained errors that include the lack of photo identification, missing signatures, affidavit not filled out completely, and/or invalid Social Security numbers.
A total of 1,812 applications were submitted last year, and the fisheries commission has diligently reviewed all the CNMI applications after completing reviews for Washington state, California, Oregon, Alaska, Guam, and American Samoa.
Errors were identified in 31 Tinian applications, 22 Rota applications, and 122 Saipan applications.
To rectify the situation, the staff at the grants office have started calling applicants to correct deficiencies in their applications.
According to Office of Grants Management Administrator Epiphanio E. Cabrera Jr., the expected payout for eligible subsistence fishermen is about $204.17.
“I believe the commission will wait for the errors to be fixed before they bulk print checks and release them to the postal system. We expect to resend all corrected applications by Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023 to [the commission],” Cabrera said.
The OGM would like to remind CNMI fisheries applicants that OGM will not issue or distribute any checks. Checks will be mailed by the fisheries commission in Portland, Oregon.
A total of $411,002 was awarded to the CNMI from the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. The funding will support activities previously authorized under Sec. 12005 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act or CARES Act. This funding was allocated to states and territories with coastal and marine fishery participants who have been negatively affected by Covid-19.
The OGM thanks the CNMI fishing community for their patience. For inquiries, call the Office of Grants Management & State Clearinghouse at (670) 664-9994/5/6/7.
