Overview (Alaska)

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• Benefit: TAA technical assistance for salmon harvesters is one of the benefits of the TAA for Farmers and Fishermen program. The technical assistance will include information on the status of world salmon markets and supply, options for value adding and alternative marketing of your catch, evaluating your fishing business viability, analyzing production costs, links to training opportunities available to fishermen, etc.
  
• Requirement:
  
  First year TAA applicants are required to meet with an Extension Service employee or agent to receive technical assistance training before receiving a TAA payment from the USDA Farm Service Agency.

  Second year TAA applicants are not required to attend technical training a second time, but must provide FSA with documentation that they had received technical training during the previous program year. Second year applicants should receive that documentation from the Extension Service via the US Postal Service by December 31, 2004. Please call (1-800-477-4012) for more information.

  Applicants do not need to have received technical assistance in order to file their TAA application at the USDA Farm Service Agency by the January 13, 2005 application deadline for Alaska salmon and January 31, 2005 for Washington salmon.

How will applicants receive technical assistance?

• Workshops: TAA technical assistance will be offered in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and California through a series of 1 to 2 hour workshops. Workshops will be scheduled so that every eligible fisherman will have access to technical assistance. A salmon harvester TAA applicant may receive their TAA technical assistance at any location where the Extension salmon TAA technical assistance is being offered. Applicants residing outside the four states listed above may be able to receive technical training via this web site.

How do applicants find out where they can receive TAA technical Assistance?

• Alaska: The TAA technical assistance workshops will be conducted by the University of Alaska Marine Advisory Program in partnership with the Alaska Cooperative Extension Service at locations across Alaska. The schedule is available on this website under Training Sessions, at www.taaworkshops.org, or by calling 1-888-788-6333 for information.
   
• Washington: A series of technical assistance sessions will be scheduled across Washington State beginning at Fish Expo WorkBoat Northwest in Seattle, November 11-13, 2004. A complete listing of the technical assistance sessions in Washington State is available on this website under Training Sessions.
  
• All Other States: Washington and Alaska salmon harvesters residing in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and California can receive their technical training in workshops scheduled after January 13, 2005 and before April 13, 2005 at a location within a reasonable commuting distance of their place of residence. Individuals who have made application at the USDA Farm Service Agency will be notified by the Extension Service via the U.S. Postal Service mail regarding how they can access a technical assistance session. Please check back to this Website after January 13, 2005 for technical assistance locations or call (1-800-477-4012) for information.

  Salmon harvesters residing in states other than Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and California may be able to receive their technical training via this Website. Please check back at this Web site after January 13, 2005 for details, or call (1-800-477-4012)

• Certificate of attendance: At the conclusion of a workshop, first year applicants will receive two copies of a certificate of attendance. Present or mail one copy of the certificate of attendance to the Farm Service Agency to certify that you have received the required technical assistance, and keep the other for your records.