Louisiana Economic Development (LED) and Louisiana Recovery Authority (LRA) have announced the launch of the second phase of the Louisiana Business Recovery Grant and Loan Program designed to support businesses recovering from the after-effects of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. State officials have made $80 million dollars available in combination grants and zero-interest loans for recovering businesses in this phase. The program will accept applications June 9 - July 18 through community-based financing intermediaries across the region.
Children in need will receive new sandals provided by Soles4Souls, the international charity dedicated to providing free footwear to those in need. Soles4Souls has donated over 1 Million pairs of shoes to those affected by Hurricane Katrina. Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans and Second Harvest have been selected to distribute 65,000 shoes as part of the Soles4Souls National Barefoot Week distribution drive.
Fisherman Assistance
Louisiana fishermen may be eligible for grants, loans and direct aid to assist in recovering from hurricanes Katrina and Rita, according to programs outlined today by the state. The Louisiana Recovery Authority, Louisiana Economic Development and Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries have committed and are coordinating the distribution of millions of dollars in direct aid to fisherman and to repair or rebuild fisheries infrastructure.
"Getting Louisiana fishermen back on the water is a top priority to the state, not only is the fishing industry a huge economic sector in Louisiana but it is also a way of life for many of our residents," said Executive Director of the LRA Paul Rainwater. "Working with our state partners we have been able to commit millions of dollars to the fishing industry; however we realize that this is just the tip of the iceberg. We will continue to keep this recovery a top priority and find creative ways to commit more funds to this critical industry."
Studies conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimate that Hurricane Katrina alone generated more than $1.3 billion of economic loss on Louisiana's fishing industry.
Business Recovery Grant and Loan
Last week LED and the LRA announced the launch of Phase II of the Louisiana Business Recovery Grant and Loan program designed to support businesses recovering from the after-effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. State officials have made $80 million dollars available in a combination of grants and zero-interest loans for recovering businesses in this phase. The program will accept applications June 9 to July 18 through community-based financing intermediaries across the region.
In Phase I of the Business Recovery Grant and Loan program approximately 1,000 fishermen received grants totaling more than $15 million.
LED and LRA officials developed Phase II of the program with extensive input from local fishermen and have made adjustments that will have a significant impact on the fisheries sector. Local businesses now have the option to substitute a $20,000 tangible loss in place of the revenue decline requirement from Phase I of the program. Many of the fishermen who worked diligently to get back in business immediately after the hurricane did not meet the revenue decline requirement in Phase I, because they instead took on enormous amounts of personal and business debt to get back on the water. Still they had significant physical losses.
Informational sessions will be held around south Louisiana beginning Wednesday, May 28. Small business owners, including self-employed fishermen, are urged to attend these informational sessions to ensure their applications are accurate and complete before scheduling an intermediary interview to submit the application. All application received during the eligible period will be given the same consideration.
Fishermen may also be eligible for direct aid through $27.6 million in assistance available to the state's commercial fishing industries through a $41.3 million federal fisheries economic assistance grant from the NOAA through the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission being administered by LDWF.
Louisiana residents, commercial fishermen, certain commercial fishing vessel license holders and wholesale/retail seafood dealers with trip ticket recorded sales or purchases of seafood during the 12 month period (September 1, 2004 through August 31, 2005) prior to Hurricane Katrina may qualify for some level of personal assistance. LDWF requires trip tickets to collect commercial landings and associated information by trip.
To qualify for assistance you must have reported LDWF trip ticket sales or purchases of any type of the following seafood during the qualifying period AND have held one or more LDWF licenses as follows:
Sales of shrimp, oyster, crab, or saltwater finfish and held a Resident Commercial Fisherman's License; and/or
Sales of shrimp, oyster, saltwater fish or menhaden and held a Resident Commercial Fishing Vessel License; and/or
Sales of freshwater finfish or wild caught crawfish and held a Resident Commercial Fisherman's License and resided in any of the 26 LDWF-defined hurricane impacted parishes; and/or
Purchases of shrimp, oyster, crab, or saltwater finfish and held a Resident Wholesale/Retail Seafood Dealer License; and/or
Purchases of freshwater finfish or wild caught crawfish and held a Resident Wholesale/Retail Seafood Dealer License and resided in any of the 26 LDWF-defined hurricane impacted parishes
Louisiana resident charter boat operators who held a LDWF charter boat fishing guide license in the qualifying period also qualify for personal assistance payments.
LDWF will administer the distribution of personal assistance payments to qualified commercial resident shrimp, oyster, crab and saltwater finfish fishermen and certain commercial fishing vessel license holders in the shrimp, oyster, saltwater fish and menhaden fisheries and wholesale/retail seafood dealers and freshwater finfish and wild crawfish fishermen who resided in the 26 LDWF-defined hurricane impacted parishes using trip ticket report records. Trip tickets dated during the eligible period but submitted after September 1, 2007, will not be considered.
More than 8,000 information packets were mailed during the week of May 12 to individuals and entities that LDWF has been able to identify from pre-storm trip ticket records. Those who receive packets to open it immediately, follow the enclosed instructions, and return the required forms using the business-reply envelope provided by the October 31, 2008 deadline.
The South Central Planning and Development Commission (SCPDC) and affiliated planning districts will receive and process all information about this assistance program on behalf of LDWF. Any questions concerning eligibility, requests for information, etc. should be directed to the SCPDC by calling 1-800-630-3791 (toll-free) or 985 655-1051 (local) or mailing SCPDC at P.O. Box 1240, Gray, LA 70359-9902 or visiting the SCPDC Web site at www.scpdc.org/fisheriesassistance.
LRA Fisheries Infrastructure program
It is estimated that Hurricanes Katrina and Rita destroyed more than $528 million in fisheries infrastructure in Louisiana's fishing communities with millions more in losses to supporting industries. In March the LRA announced the funding of 15 infrastructure improvement projects to repair the heavily damaged fisheries industry across South Louisiana that totaled nearly $19 million.
The program uses Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds to provide grants for building projects that improve the viability and long-term sustainability of the commercial and recreational fisheries of coastal Louisiana.
Steven L. Johnson, Administrator for the U.S. Protection Agency, recently recognized the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality for its exceptional efforts within the Office of Environmental Services.
Johnson recognized the state at an awards ceremony for National Environmental Performance Track members for exceptional achievements in environmental stewardship. According to EPA, Performance Track membership has grown to more than 500 facilities in 49 states and Puerto Rico, and members have made more than 3,500 commitments to the environment.
DEQ received special recognition for issuing air permits for Marathon Oil in an expeditious manner based upon the company's exemplary environmental performance and Performance Track membership. The permit writers work within the Office of Environmental Services.
“It’s an honor to be recognized on a national level,” said DEQ Secretary Harold Leggett. “Writing permits isn’t the most glamorous job, but it’s one of the most important tasks within the department. Louisiana is open for business, but not at the expense of human health and the environment. It makes good business sense to work closely with facilities that have environmental and business goals that are beneficial to the state.”
Discovery Trade Show
The National Disaster Reconstruction Expo (NDRExpo) will launch June 17-18, 2009 at the MorialConvention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. The NDRExpo was developed to unite the numerous vertical markets associated with disaster reconstruction preparation, response, recovery and rebuilding.
