Governor declares emergency in 10 counties
Ukiah Daily Journal Staff
On Tuesday, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger proclaimed a state of emergency in 10 California counties -- including Mendocino County -- impacted by the federal government's severe restrictions on salmon fishing along the coast.
The proclamation came just six days after Congresswoman Patty Berg, D-Eureka, along with a number of bipartisan lawmakers, sent Schwarzenegger a letter seeking his help.
"Salmon fishing is the economic lifeblood of many Northern California communities," Schwarzenegger said in a press release. "By proclaiming a state of emergency, we are helping the fishermen and communities recover from the hardship and economic loss caused by the severely restricted salmon season."
The approval of restrictions followed a recommendation from the Pacific Fishery Management Council to limit catches due to a low numbers of naturally spawning Klamath River fall Chinook salmon. The low population culminated from major fish kills in the river in 2002,.
The proclamation includes a provision that will gaurantee $778,000 in emergency loans to fishermen and women made available through the Small Business Expansion Fund.
"This is a good step and a welcome step, especially if it leads to federal assistance and new water policies on the Klamath," Berg said in a press release responding to the Governor's proclamation.
The Governor also directed his administration to report on the progress of California's request for federal assistance to the impacted fisherman. On April 5, he sent a letter to U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez requesting federal assistance should the salmon season be closed or restricted.
"Key to this is your determination of a commercial fishery failure so that fishing dependent communities can receive economic disaster assistance under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act," Schwarzenegger said in the letter.
In his letter, Schwarzenegger also said that there are many significant issues that must be resolved in order to improve the health of the Klamath Basin and provide for the long-term sustainability of the industries that depend on the region.
Berg echoed this need in her response, saying, "Loan guarantees obviously aren't a long-term solution. Restoration of flows and water quality on the Klamath is what we need. I look forward to the day when we don't have to search for relief money, because we've restored the system, and salmon are once again spawning as they should in our rivers."
Loans, however, will help ease the financial burdens of those in the damaged industry. They are available to enterprises located within the 10 counties declared to be in a State of Emergency that are directly engaged in the production of Chinook Salmon, including raising, harvesting, and processing Chinook Salmon. Applicants must not be able to obtain credit on their own, and must have suffered physical damage or economic injury as a result of the disaster.
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