SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is offering low-interest federal disaster loans to California small businesses that have suffered financial losses due to the ocean conditions resulting in the delayed Commercial Dungeness Crab Season that was set to open on November 15, 2015, and the November 6 closure of the Commercial Rock Crab Fishery that is normally open year-round, SBA Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet announced today.
By declaring a disaster, Administrator Contreras-Sweet’s action makes low-interest Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) available immediately to help meet financial needs caused by the Commercial Dungeness Crab Season delay and the closure of the Commercial Rock Crab Fishery. SBA acted under its own authority to declare a disaster following a request SBA received on January 27, 2016, from Gov. Edmund G. Brown, Jr.’s designated representative, Mark S. Ghilarducci, director of the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.
The declaration covers the primary California counties of Alameda, Butte, Contra Costa, Del Norte, El Dorado, Humboldt, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Nevada, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Cruz and Sonoma, and the neighboring counties of Alpine, Amador, Colusa, Glenn, Kern, Kings, Monterey, Napa, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, San Benito, San Joaquin, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Sierra, Siskiyou, Solano, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Yolo and Yuba in California; Douglas and Washoe counties in Nevada; and Curry and Josephine counties in Oregon.
“The U.S. Small Business Administration is strongly committed to providing the most effective and customer‑focused response possible to assist small businesses with federal disaster loans. We will be swift in our efforts to help these small businesses recover from the financial impacts of this disaster,” said Administrator Contreras-Sweet.
SBA is offering working capital loans of up to $2 million at an interest rate of 4 percent for small businesses and 2.625 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 Tanya N. Garfield, 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, explain the application process, and help them complete their application,” Garfield said.
Some eligible business owners include: small businesses engaged in crab fishing in the waters affected by the delay of the Commercial Dungeness Crab Season or the closure of the Rock Crab Fishery, small businesses dependent on the catching or sale of crab, including suppliers of fishing gear and fuel, docks, boatyards, processors, wholesalers, shippers, and retailers, and other small businesses dependent on revenue from the above.
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 (DLOC) Crescent City Harbor District Harbor Office Meeting Room 101 Citizens Dock Road Crescent City, CA 95531 Opens: Monday, February 8 at 8 a.m. Monday and Tuesday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Center closes Tuesday, February 9 at 5 p.m. |
HUMBOLDT COUNTY
Disaster Loan Outreach Center Woodley Island Marina Conference Room (formerly Pilot’s Office) 601 Startare Drive Eureka, CA 95501 Opens: Wednesday, February 10 at 12 p.m. Wednesday, 12 – 5 p.m., Thursday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Friday, 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. Center closes Friday, February 12 at 1 p.m. |
| MENDOCINO COUNTY
Disaster Loan Outreach Center (DLOC) Salmon Trollers Marketing Association 19292 South Harbor Drive (bottom of hill, on left) Fort Bragg, CA 95437 Opens: Tuesday, February 16 at 8 a.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Thursday, 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. Center closes Thursday, February 18 at 12 p.m. |
MONTEREY COUNTY
Disaster Loan Outreach Center Monterey Harbor Office 250 Figueroa Street Monterey, CA 93940 Opens: Friday, February 12 at 8 a.m. Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Tuesday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Center closes Tuesday, February 16 at 5 p.m. |
| MONTEREY COUNTY
Disaster Loan Outreach Center (DLOC) Moss Landing Harbor District 7881 Sandholdt Road Moss Landing, CA 95039 Opens: Wednesday, February 10 at 8 a.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Center closes Thursday, February 11 at 5 p.m. |
SAN FRANCISCO COUNTY
Disaster Loan Outreach Center San Francisco Crab Boat Owners Association Crab Hall 2907 Al Scoma Way San Francisco, CA 94133 Opens: Tuesday, February 23 at 12 p.m. Tuesday, 12 – 5 p.m., Wednesday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Center closes Wednesday, February 24 at 5 p.m. |
| SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY
Disaster Loan Outreach Center (DLOC) Central Coast Wome n in Fisheries 1287 Embarcadero Morro Bay, CA 93442 Opens: Wednesday, February 17 at 12 p.m. Wednesday, 12 – 5 p.m., Thursday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Friday, 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. Center closes Friday, February 19 at 12 p.m. |
SAN MATEO COUNTY
Disaster Loan Outreach Center Pillar Point Harbor 1 Johnson Pier Half Moon Bay, CA 94019 Opens: Thursday, February 25 at 8 a.m. Thursday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Center closes Friday, February 26 at 1 p.m. |
| SANTA BARBARA COUNTY
Disaster Loan Outreach Center Santa Barbara Harbor Community Room 113 Harbor Way (access adjacent to the valet parking area) Santa Barbara, CA 93109 Opens: Monday, February 22 at 8 a.m. Monday and Tuesday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Center closes Tuesday, February 23 at 5 p.m. |
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
Disaster Loan Outreach Center (DLOC) Harbor Public Meeting Room 365-A Lake Avenue (across from R&S Docks) Santa Cruz, CA 95062 Opens: Monday, February 8 at 8 a.m. Monday and Tuesday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Center closes Tuesday, February 9 at 5 p.m. |
| SONOMA COUNTY
Disaster Loan Outreach Center Bodega Bay Fire Protection District Burke Room 510 Highway 1 Bodega Bay, CA 94923 Opens: Friday, February 19 at 8 a.m. Friday and Monday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Center closes Monday, February 22 at 5 p.m. |
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Applicants may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA’s secure website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.
Disaster loan information and application forms are also available from SBA’s Customer Service Center by calling (800) 659-2955 or emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Individuals who are deaf or hard‑of‑hearing may call (800) 877-8339. For more disaster assistance information or to download applications, visit http://www.sba.gov/disaster. Completed applications should be mailed to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.
The filing deadline to apply for an economic injury loan is November 2, 2016.
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