The below email chain seeks to find out (1) what the Aquaculture Research Fund is for and (2) why are Limited Purpose Aquaculture licensees the one ones paying into it while the aquaculture leaseholders do not?
Email conversation is started by Ron Huber, Penobscot Bay Watch on Dec 26, 2021, 12:46 pm; and ended by Meredith Meldelson, Deputy Commissioner DMR, January 6 2022, 4:11pm.
Thus:
From: coastwatch@gmail.com <coastwatch@gmail.com>
Sent: Sunday, December 26, 2021 12:46 PM
To: OSC Accounting Staff <OSCAccountingStaff@maine.gov>
Subject: WEBSITE QUESTIONS/COMMENTS
EXTERNAL: This email originated from outside of the State of Maine Mail System. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
Contact from website:
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Name: Ronald Huber
Email: coastwatch@gmail.com
Topic: Accounting
URL:
Question/Comment: I am looking for informaton about the Aquaculture Research Fund. Its account number is 014-13A-0258-12
Can you please direct me to ways to find details of the monetary inputs to this fund and its funding outputs?
Thank you
Ron Huber
Penobscot Bay Watch------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Vincent, Jeremy W <Jeremy.W.Vincent@maine.gov>
Sent: Tuesday, December 28, 2021 9:07 AM
To: Ron Huber <coastwatch@gmail.com>; Conneely, Kelli <Kelli.Conneely@maine.gov>; George, Christopher A <Christopher.A.George@maine.gov>
Subject: RE: WEBSITE QUESTIONS/COMMENTS
Hello Ronald,
You will need to speak to someone at the agency for that information. I have included a few people that work with 13A to better assist you.
Thank you
Jeremy Vincent
Senior Staff Accountant
Office of the State Controller
O14 State House Station
111 Sewall Street
Augusta, Maine 04333-0014
Jeremy.w.vincent@maine.gov
J Tel. (207) 626-8434
T Fax.(207) 626-8447
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On Tue, Dec 28, 2021 at 11:52 AM
Nichols, Jeff <Jeff.Nichols@maine.gov> wrote:
Ron,
I was asked to follow up on your request. The only thing I can provide to you is a link to the authorizing statute - https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/statutes/12/title12sec6081.html
Let me know if you have other questions and I can forward them to the folks in finance.
Jeff
Jeff Nichols
Communications Director
Maine Department of Marine Resources
jeff.nichols@maine.gov
207-624-6569 | 207-592-7301 (cell)
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Dear Mr Nichols
I have that statute. I need to review the amounts of money entering and exiting the Aquaculture Research Fund's account # 014-13A-0258-12 and its sources and recipients. Yes, please forward my request along to the finance folks!
Thank you and best wishes
Ron Huber
Penobscot Bay Watch
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Macaluso, Melissa <Melissa.Macaluso@maine.gov>
Tue, Dec 28, 2021 at 4:08 PM
To: Ron Huber <coastwatch@gmail.com>
Cc: "Macaluso, Melissa" <Melissa.Macaluso@maine.gov>
On behalf of the Department of Marine Resources (“Department”), I am acknowledging the request for documents on December 28, 2021, under Maine’s Freedom of Access Act (F.O.A.A.), 1 M.R.S.A. §401 et seq.
The Department is reviewing the request for documents, and as soon as I can, I will provide you with an estimated time and cost
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From: Ron Huber <coastwatch@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, Dec 29, 2021 at 8:15 AM
Subject: Re: FOAA-WEBSITE QUESTIONS/COMMENTS Penobscot Bay Watch
To: Macaluso, Melissa <melissa.macaluso@maine.gov>
Thank you for writing me, Ms. Macaluso. I would like to ensure the scope of this FOAA request is as narrow as possible.
All I know at present about the Aquaculture Research Fund (ARF) is the statute noting that it is funded by a combination of (1) fees paid by limited-purpose aquaculture licensees and (2) "other sources" . Further, that the Fund awards monies for "research and management related to the aquaculture industry." I found Aquaculture Research Fund's account # 014-13A-0258-12 mentioned in a report. I don't know whether that is the sole account for that Fund, or one of many.
That is all I know about the Aquaculture Research Fund,
Please limit the search to (a) records identifying the "other sources" of funds entering the Aquaculture Research Fund in 2021 and the amount from each source, and (b) records identifying the recipients of ARF funding during 2021 and the amounts granted. If 2021 data are not available, then those from the most recent period available. If the data is published quarterly, then the most recent two quarters available. Note: If those are within a larger public record or records, then you may send the larger doc(s) as pdfs or other record type, instead of spending time digging the FOAA responsive bits out of them
With that in mind, please do not go over the 2hr fee waiver time unless you will waive fees for a longer search period to meet our request. For Penobscot Bay Watch meets full waiver standards. We are all-volunteer. All FOAA results acquired over the past 25 years has been shared with the public, the media and even other agencies, without charge, and without limitation Your response to our request will contribute significantly to public understanding and appreciation of the operations and initiatives of Maine DMR's Aquaculture Program, and is not of commercial value to our organization or its members.
However, I expect that the public records requested are easily locatable within the first-two-hours waiver period, if not, very little more.
Best wishes
Ron Huber
Ron Huber
Penobscot Bay Watch
POB 1871, Rockland Maine 04841
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On Thu, Jan 6, 2022 at 2:40 PM Mendelson
Mr. Huber,
In response to your FOAA request related to the Aquaculture Research Fund (ARF), please find the information requested below.
As you can see, the majority of revenues are from licensing fees. Private sources income is from the University of Maine for a research project conducted by Aquaculture program staff. The miscellaneous income you see are overpayments that were refunded.
Revenues Data: See revenue chart attachment Too wide for the email
On the expenditures side, most of the expenditures support staff salaries and benefits, as you can see, and the rest are fairly self-explanatory. The pieces that may be less clear are Professional Services Not by State, which was for gear repair, and Rents, which are for a pool vehicle for the Aquaculture staff to use for field purposes.
Expenditures data see expenditure chart attachment
We will consider this FOAA closed with this email.
END
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No quite "done" yet, Deputy Commissioner...
From: Ron Huber <coastwatch@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Jan 6, 2022 at 4:00 PM
Subject: Re: Information responsive to Huber FOAA, 2 questions
To: Mendelson, Meredith <Meredith.Mendelson@maine.gov>, Macaluso, Melissa <melissa.macaluso@maine.gov>
Cc: Brenda Kielty <Brenda.Kielty@maine.gov>
Hi Ms Mendelson and Ms Macaluso
Thank you for your response.
So the aquaculture research fund portrayed in your attachments is based on LPA licensing fees over the fiscal year, with those few exceptions
Two questions for clarification
1 Are this fund's expenditures limited to oversight and management of LPA aquaculture sites? oversight needs?
2, Are there separate but similar Aquaculture Research Funds for the standard and experimental aquaculture sectors?
Again thanks,
Sincerely
Ron Huber
Ron Huber
Penobscot Bay Watch
POB 1871, Rockland Maine
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From: Mendelson, Meredith <Meredith.Mendelson@maine.gov>
to: Ron Huber <coastwatch@gmail.com>,
"Macaluso, Melissa" <Melissa.Macaluso@maine.gov>
cc: "Kielty, Brenda" <Brenda.Kielty@maine.gov>
date: Jan 6, 2022, 4:11 PM
subject: RE: Information responsive to Huber FOAA, 2 questions
Mr. Huber,
The answer to both of your follow up questions is no. There is only one Aquaculture Research Fund, and the expenditures are not limited exclusively to oversight and management of LPAs, but rather a broader range of aquaculture science and monitoring work across the program.
Meredith-------------------------------------
end
