Governor seeks disaster declaration

Governor Ted Kulongoski on Monday, September 22, requested a U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Economic Injury Disaster Declaration for Deschutes County and all contiguous counties, based on the severe economic impact the B&B Complex Fire has had on small businesses in the area.

If the governor's request is approved, small businesses in the area will be eligible for Economic Injury Disaster Loans from the SBA. These loans help businesses meet financial obligations they would have been able to meet if the disaster had not occurred. The loans provide economic injury assistance up to a cap of $1.5 million per business.

Businesses are only eligible for the loan program after the SBA makes a disaster declaration for the area. For the area to qualify for the disaster declaration, the governor must first certify that more than five businesses have suffered substantial economic injury and are in need of financial assistance that is not otherwise available on reasonable terms in the area of the disaster.

Only the governor or an authorized representative may ask the SBA for the disaster declaration.

The governor made the certification that more than five businesses in Deschutes County have suffered substantial economic injury in response to correspondence received from the Deschutes County Board of Commissioners. The governor in turn issued the request for the disaster declaration to the Small Business Administration.

"Because of the threat imposed by the Booth and Bear Butte fires, Camp Sherman and numerous campgrounds in the area had to be evacuated not just once, but on two different occasions," said the governor. "Highway 20/126 was closed to all traffic for many days. These major highways are important west-east routes in Oregon and are critical to the tourism-based economy of the Sisters area in Deschutes County and the surrounding area."

The governor also requested assistance for contiguous counties because several neighboring areas were also severely affected by these fires.

In particular, such eligibility would help small businesses in Jefferson and Linn Counties that were also hard hit by these fires and their consequences.

The B&B Complex Fire cut off Highway 20 from August 19 to September 2, closing off Sisters' main economic artery.