Posts by Bob Rheault

Comments submitted by ECSGA on the Draft Strategic Plan to Enhance Regulatory Efficiency in Aquaculture, a Report issued by the Regulatory Efficiency Task Force of the Subcommittee on Aquaculture, National Science & Technology Council commending the efforts of the federal agencies on the Task Force to reduce U.S. reliance on imported seafood and to streamline…

On November 16, 2020 the ECSGA joined with the Pacific Coast Shellfish Growers Association (PCSGA) in submitting a comment letter to the Army Corps of Engineers on our general support for the use of Nationwide Permits (NWPs) for activities, such as shellfish farming, which result in no more than minimal individual and cumulative adverse environmental…

Register for the Dec. 11 Webinar Aquaculture is Agriculture: USDA’s Role in supporting Farmers of Fish, Shellfish and Aquatic Plants here. Advance registration is required. 9:00 am           Welcoming and Opening Remarks 9:30 am           Aquaculture Aligns with the Ag Innovation Agenda and the Science BlueprintPeggy Biga, OCS                     9:50 am           USDA’s Role in Updating the National…

USDA will be hosting a series of listening sessions providing the U.S. aquaculture industry an opportunity to communicate how USDA can best serve this farming community.  These Deep Dive sessions hosted by various USDA Agencies (see below) across the Department’s eight Mission Areas will be offered November 9 – 30 and will be followed by…

Thanks to Paul Zajicek at the National Aquaculture Association for sharing this important news: The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), in consultation with the Treasury Department, created a simpler loan forgiveness application for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans of $50,000 or less. This action streamlines the PPP forgiveness process to provide financial and administrative relief to America’s…

Please join USDA’s Farm Production and Conservation Under Secretary Bill Northey and Farm Service Agency Associate Administrator Steve Peterson on Monday, September 21, 4:00 p.m. (Eastern) for a stakeholder call on the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP 2). USDA is implementing a second sign up of the CFAP for agricultural providers who continue to face…

Applications for phase 2 of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP 2) are now being accepted through Dec. 11, 2020. Today (Monday, Sept. 21, 2020) USDA is hosting a conference call explaining the program at 4:00 pm Eastern. Details are in this blog post. You have several ways of applying: Online: If you are applying…

USDA announced today that it will provide an additional $14 billion for agricultural producers facing market disruptions and associated costs due to COVID-19. Unlike the first go-round of Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) funding, this time shellfish farmers are eligible for relief. Signup for CFAP 2 will begin September 21 and run through December 11,…

The SBA has made several changes to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to give applicants greater flexibility and make the program more workable, including extending the time and clarifying some of the terms for loan forgiveness. We still have not been able to determine if seed purchases would qualify as non-payroll expenses that might be…

The USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) was formally rolled out in the Federal Register last week. We have finally received guidance that shellfish aquaculture will NOT be eligible to be considered for these funds, despite language in the Federal Register suggesting that “saltwater aquaculture” would be eligible. Despite not being eligible for CFAP relief…