Release Date: March 31, 2011 Media Contact: Richard Jenkins
Release Number: CA 12513-01 FRESNO Phone: (916) 735-1500
SBA Offers Disaster Assistance to Small Businesses Economically
Impacted by the 2010 California Salmon Fishery Closure
Sacramento, CA – Low-interest Federal disaster loans are now available to California small businesses that have suffered financial losses due to the closure of the April 10 through September 30, 2010 California Salmon fishery season, U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Karen G. Mills announced today.
By declaring a disaster, Administrator Mills’ action makes low interest Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) available immediately to help meet financial needs caused by the closure of the 2010 salmon fishery season. SBA acted under its own authority to declare a disaster following a March 25, 2011 request from Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr.’s designated representative, Mike Dayton, Acting Secretary of California Emergency Management Agency.
The declaration covers the coastal California counties (from North to South) of Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino, Sonoma, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Monterey, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara and the additional neighboring counties of Alameda, Glenn, Kern, Kings, Lake, Merced, Napa, San Benito, Siskiyou, Solano, Stanislaus, Tehama and Trinity and the neighboring Oregon counties of Curry and Josephine.
SBA is offering working capital loans of up to $2 million at an interest rate of 4 percent for businesses and 3 percent for private, non-profit organizations with terms up to 30 years. “SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that can’t be paid because of the disaster’s impact. These loans can provide vital economic assistance to fishing and fishing-dependent businesses to help overcome the temporary loss of revenue they are experiencing,” said Alfred E. Judd, Director of SBA’s Disaster Field Operations Center – West.
“SBA customer service representatives will be in the affected communities along the California coast to meet individually with business owners to answer questions about SBA’s EIDL assistance, issue loan applications, explain the application process, and help them complete their applications,” Judd said.
Some eligible business owners include: small businesses engaged in salmon fishing in the waters affected by the closure (employees or crew members are not small businesses and are not eligible), and small businesses dependent on the catching or sale of salmon, including suppliers of fishing gear and fuel, docks, boatyards, processors, wholesalers, shippers, and retailers, and other small businesses dependent on revenue from the above.
“We recognize that some affected businesses may be reluctant to seek a loan to meet their immediate financial needs, but we encourage each business to learn how an SBA disaster loan can help them recover from the closure of the 2010 fishery season,” Judd emphasized.
SBA representatives will be available at the following locations on the days and times indicated. No appointment is necessary.
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(Listed North to South)
DEL NORTE COUNTY
Disaster Loan Outreach Center
Crescent Harbor Art Gallery
140 A Marine Way
(located above the Crescent
Harbor Art Gallery)
Crescent City, CA 95531
Mondays through Thursdays,
9 am – 4:30 pm
Closes Thursday, April 21
HUMBOLDT COUNTY
Disaster Loan Outreach Center
Woodley Island Marina
(conference room)
601 Startare Drive
Eureka, CA 95501
Tuesdays, 9 am – 12 pm &
1 pm to 5:30 pm
Wednesdays, 9 am – 1 pm
Opens Tuesday, April 5
Closes Wednesday, April 20
MENDOCINO COUNTY
Disaster Loan Outreach Center
Salmon Trollers Marketing Association
19292 South Harbor Drive
Fort Bragg, CA 95437
Thursdays, 9 am – 12 pm &
1 pm – 5:30 pm
Fridays, 9am – 1 pm
Opens Thursday, April 7
Closes Friday, April 22
SONOMA COUNTY
Disaster Loan Outreach Center
Grange Hall (dining hall)
1370 Bodega Avenue
(corner of Bodega Ave. & Hwy 1)
Bodega Bay, CA 94923
Mondays, 1 pm – 5:30 pm
Tuesdays, 9 am – 12 pm &
1 pm – 5:30 pm
Opens Monday, April 4
Closes Tuesday, April 19
SAN FRANCISCO COUNTY
Disaster Loan Outreach Center
Port of San Francisco – Fisherman’s Wharf – Harbor Office, Pier 47
(across from Scoma’s Restaurant)
San Francisco, CA 94111
Wednesdays, 1 pm – 5 pm
Opens Wednesday, April 6
Closes Wednesday, April 20
SAN MATEO COUNTY
Disaster Loan Outreach Center
Pillar Point Harbor
One Johnson Pier
Half Moon Bay, CA 94019
Thursdays, 1 pm – 5:30 pm
Fridays, 9 am – 1 pm
Opens Thursday, April 7
Closes Friday, April 22
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
Disaster Loan Outreach Center
The Harbor Public Meeting Room
365 A Lake Avenue
Santa Cruz, CA 95062
Mondays, 1 pm – 5 pm
Opens Monday, April 4
Closes Monday, April 18
MONTEREY COUNTY
Disaster Loan Outreach Center
Moss Landing Harbor District (boardroom)
7881 Sandholdt Road
Moss Landing, CA 95039
Tuesdays, 1 pm – 5 pm
Wednesdays, 9 am – 12:30 pm &
1 pm – 5 pm
Opens Tuesday, April 12
Closes Wednesday, April 20
MONTEREY COUNTY
Disaster Loan Outreach Center
Monterey Youth Center
777 East Pearl Street
Monterey, CA 93940
Thursdays, 1 pm – 5:30 pm
Fridays, 9 am – 1 pm
Opens Thursday, April 7
Closes Friday, April 22
SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY
Disaster Loan Outreach Center
Central Coast Women for Fisheries, Inc.
1287 Embarcadero
Morro Bay, CA 93442
Tuesday through Thursday,
9 am – 12 pm &
1 pm – 5:30 pm
Opens Tuesday, April 5
Closes Thursday, April 7
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Disaster loan information and application forms are also available from SBA’s Customer Service Center by calling SBA toll-free at (800) 659-2955, emailing <mailto:disastercustomerservice@sba.gov>disastercustomerservice@sba.gov, or visiting SBA’s Web site at <http://www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance>www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance. Hearing impaired individuals may call (800) 877-8339.
Applicants may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA’s secure Web site at <https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela>https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.
The filing deadline to return economic injury applications is January 3, 2012.
For more information, visit SBA’s Web site at <http://www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance>www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance.
SBA Field Operations Center - West, P.O. Box 419004, Sacramento, CA 95841
Melende Ward
U.S. Small Business Administration
Public Affairs Specialist
Administrative Officer
SBDC Project Officer
Tel: (559) 487-5791, ext. 2709
Fax: (559) 487-5636
eFax: (202) 481-4525
The Fresno District office has moved to 801 R Street, Suite 201, Fresno, CA 93721. Please note that extension numbers have also changed.