Franklin County is still waiting for federal approval for an
oyster relay program designed to help local oystermen who are facing financial
hardship because of the poor state of the local oyster crop.
The program, which allows oystermen to move oysters from
unapproved areas of the bay to approved oyster harvesting areas where they can
be harvested in the future, would be funded by a National Emergency grant
through the US Department of Labor.
Because this would be a federally funded program it would
have requirements not seen in previous relaying programs including mandatory
drug tests for participants.
Participants would also be paid an hourly wage, and would be
employees of the leasing firm overseeing the project so they would get a W-2
form.
Gulf Coast Work Force Board Kim Bodean said it was
surprising that the feds even considered the proposal.
Her group was concerned that they would not be allowed to
use the federal money for temporary job creation and it took special approval
to even submit a proposal.
And the program has not been approved yet.
It has received regional approval from the Atlanta office,
but Miss Bodean said the proposal is still being considered by the Department
of Labor in Washington DC.
She believes Hurricane Sandy may be playing a role in the
delayed approval.
The workforce board is pushing for approval, and Miss Bodean
said time is of the essence because oysters that they hope to relay are
starting to die off.
County Commissioners said they will do what they can
beginning with a letter to Congressman Southerland, Senator Nelson and the
state legislative delegation asking them to put pressure on the Department of
Labor to speed the process along.
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