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SACRAMENTO – 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 Sept. 30, 2010, California Salmon fishery season, U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Karen G. Mills announced Thursday.
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 request from Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr.’s designated representative, Mike Dayton, acting secretary of California Emergency Management Agency.
U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) lauded Mills’ decision to provide the low-interest disaster relief loans
Sen. Boxer’s office worked with the California Emergency Management Agency (CalEMA) and the Small Business Administration (SBA) to secure disaster relief after hearing from Californians devastated by recent closures.
“This vital assistance will provide much-needed relief to California fishermen and other small businesses recovering from recent fishery closures and three years of poor salmon seasons.”
After two years of widespread salmon fishery closures due to poor salmon returns, the Pacific Fishery Management Council was only able to open the commercial salmon season for eight days in 2010.
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.
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 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Closes Thursday, April 21
HUMBOLDT COUNTY
Disaster Loan Outreach Center
Woodley Island Marina
(conference room)
601 Startare Drive
Eureka, CA 95501
Tuesdays, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Wednesdays, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
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 a.m. – 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Fridays, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
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. and Hwy 1)
Bodega Bay, CA 94923
Mondays, 1 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Tuesdays, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
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 p.m. – 5 p.m.
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 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Fridays, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
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 p.m. – 5 p.m.
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 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Wednesdays, 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., and 1p.m. – 5 p.m.
Opens Tuesday, April 12
Closes Wednesday, April 20
MONTEREY COUNTY
Disaster Loan Outreach Center
Monterey Youth Center
777 East Pearl St.
Monterey, CA 93940
Thursdays, 1 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Fridays, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
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 a.m. – 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Opens Tuesday, April 5
Closes Thursday, April 7
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
Applicants may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA’s secure Web site at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.
The filing deadline to return economic injury applications is Jan. 3, 2012.
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LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Main Street Association invites members and nonmembers to attend its regular quarterly meeting on Thursday, April 14, at the Lakeport Yacht Club, 5 Fifth St., on the waterfront.
Richard Knoll, city of Lakeport Community Development and Redevelopment agency director, will speak on the state of California budget cuts and what they could mean to downtown Lakeport, especially if the city’s redevelopment agency is dissolved.
Social hour begins at 5:30 p.m. with a no-host wine/beer bar and complimentary appetizers.
The half-hour program starts at 6:30 p.m.
RSVP is appreciated. Call 707-263-8843 or
The Lakeport Main Street Association’s mission is to form a coalition of community members who have the interest and desire to promote a healthy and vibrant downtown.
The association’s slogan is “you don’t have to be on Main Street to be in Main Street,” a message that emphasizes the broad base of people – merchants, residents, employees, nonprofits, civic organizations, government – needed to grow a successful downtown.
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SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The Board of Equalization on Wednesday released California’s gasoline and diesel consumption figures for the fourth quarter of 2010 and the month of December.
California gasoline consumption increased 1 percent in the fourth quarter and decreased 0.4 percent in December.
Diesel consumption decreased 1.9 percent in the fourth quarter and decreased 5.8 percent in December compared to a year earlier.
“The fourth quarter of last year showed continued upward price activity in California,” said Board Member Betty T. Yee. “The minor upward trend in gasoline consumption in the face of rising prices is consistent with continued signs of economic growth.”
Gasoline consumption increased 1 percent in the fourth quarter of 2010 when Californians consumed 3.69 billion gallons of gasoline compared to the 3.65 billion gallons of gasoline used in the fourth quarter 2009.
The average price of gasoline at the pump in California during the fourth quarter of 2010 was $3.22, a 7 percent increase over the fourth quarter 2009’s average price of $3.01 per gallon.
The national average price of gasoline during the fourth quarter of 2010 was $2.94, a 10.5 percent increase over the fourth quarter 2009’s average price of $2.66 per gallon.
In December 2010, gasoline consumption decreased 0.4 percent when Californians used 1.23 billion gallons of gasoline compared to 1.24 billion gallons consumed in December 2009.
The average price of gasoline at the pump in California in December 2010 was $3.30 per gallon, an 11.5 percent increase compared to the gasoline price per gallon of $2.96 in December 2009.
The national average price of gasoline during December 2010 was $3.05 compared to $2.66 in December 2009, which is a 14.7 percent increase.
Diesel consumption decreased 1.9 percent in the fourth quarter of 2010 when Californians consumed 642 million gallons of diesel compared to 654 million gallons of diesel fuel consumed in the fourth quarter of 2009.
The average price of diesel fuel in California during the fourth quarter 2010 was $3.31, a 13.7 percent increase compared to the fourth quarter of 2009 when the price per gallon of diesel fuel in California was $2.91.
The national average price of diesel fuel during the fourth quarter of 2010 was $3.15, a 15.0 percent increase over the fourth quarter 2009’s average price of $2.74 per gallon for diesel fuel.
Diesel sold in California during December 2010 totaled 218 million gallons compared to the December 2009 total of 232 million gallons, which is a 5.8 percent decrease.
California diesel prices averaged $3.41 per gallon in December 2010, which is a 17.2 percent increase compared to December 2009’s average price of $2.91 per gallon of diesel fuel.
The national average price of diesel fuel during December 2010 was $3.24, a 17.8 percent increase over the December 2009’s average price of $2.75 per gallon for diesel fuel.
The BOE is able to monitor gallons through tax receipts paid by fuel distributors.
The figures reported monthly are net consumption that includes BOE audit assessments, refunds, amended and late tax returns, and State Controller’s Office refunds.
Figures for January 2011 are scheduled to be available at the end of April 2011.
All monthly, quarterly, and annual fuel figures can be viewed at www.boe.ca.gov/sptaxprog/spftrpts.htm.
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SACRAMENTO – CDFA Secretary Karen Ross is applauding an announcement by USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack that assistance will be expanded to state agencies working with schools operating USDA’s Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program in the 2011-12 school year.
The program operates in selected low-income elementary schools in the 50 States, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
States then select schools to participate based on criteria in the law, including the requirement that each student receives between $50 and $75 worth of fresh produce over the school year. California will receive more than $10 million for a program administered by the Department of Education.
“Finding ways to give every child access to healthy food is critical,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. “The USDA’s Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program is a huge step across the ‘food desert’ that impacts many low-income families. I’m grateful to Secretary Vilsack for his personal commitment to a cause that means so much to me, and I’d like to thank the Department of Education for the great work it does helping to provide our school children with healthy meals.”
Depending on enrollment and the allotment spent on each child, USDA estimates the expanded assistance could help schools serve an additional 600,000 to 950,000 students in school year 2011-12.
In January, USDA published a proposed rule to update the nutrition standards for meals served through the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs as part of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, signed into law by President Barack Obama.
The proposed rule, based on the latest science, will make the first major improvement to the nutritional quality of school meals in 15 years, and is an important component of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative to solve the challenge of childhood obesity within a generation.
The standards will significantly increase fruit and vegetables provided at lunch and for the first time, both fruits and vegetables will be served daily at program school across the country.
For more information about the USDA’s Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, please visit www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/ffvp/.