Gov. Hickenlooper declares disaster emergency related to flooding in El Paso County

Gov. John Hickenlooper declared a disaster emergency related to flooding in recent days in El Paso County. The declaration will make resources available to remove flooding debris and provide flood emergency protective measures.

El Paso County and the City of Manitou Springs on Aug. 10 requested the state assistance. The governor gave verbal approval on the same day.

The governor authorized $400,000 be transferred into the Disaster Emergency Fund from the General Fund appropriation in Fiscal Year 2013-14 to the Controlled Maintenance Trust Fund. The director of the Colorado Office of Emergency Management will direct and allocate the funding to the appropriate government agencies to address the disaster.

The governor also activated the State Emergency Operations Plan to address the flooding. The activation requires all state departments and agencies to take whatever actions may be required and requested by the director of the Colorado Office of Emergency Management, including provision of appropriate staff and equipment as necessary.

The governor further authorized the Colorado National Guard to assist with search and rescue missions in the area, if necessary, as more rain continues to fall.

Executive Order D 2013-023

DHSEM Update - August 9

Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Update ~ August 9

Information included in this update:

• Disaster Unemployment Assistance
• LEPC 2013 Conference
• H-SAC Meeting
• Career and Volunteer Opportunities
•  Educational Resources
• Training Opportunites

Deadline to Apply for Disaster Unemployment Assistance Approaching

Work search may be waived for claimants affected by the fire

Individuals who have become unemployed because of the Black Forest Wildfire and the Royal Gorge Wildfire in June may be eligible for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA), a federal program that provides temporary financial assistance to workers and self-employed individuals who have lost their jobs because of a disaster and who do not qualify for regular unemployment benefits.

Major Disaster Declarations were issued for the  Royal Gorge Wildfire and the Black Forest Wildfire by the President on July 26. With these declarations, individuals may now be eligible for unemployment assistance if their unemployment resulted from the physical damage or destruction of their place of employment or because of the physical inaccessibility of the worksite due to its closure by the federal, state or local government in immediate response to a wildfire.

Claims can be filed at www.coloradoui.gov .

In addition, the Department of Labor and Employment is announcing that individuals who are currently receiving unemployment benefits while living in the burn area will receive a waiver from their requirement to seek work beginning the week the fire began in their area. The start date for the Royal Gorge Wildfire and the Black Forest Wildfire was June 11, 2013.

These individuals must continue requesting payment of unemployment benefits as they always have. As long as the fire is the only circumstance that is preventing them from looking for work, they should report that they are able to work, available and looking for work.

Some claimants impacted by the fire may currently be receiving Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC), federal benefits that go beyond the regular 26 weeks. Individuals receiving EUC benefits must complete a series of reemployment services within six weeks. However, for the immediate future, the Department of Labor and Employment is extending the amount of time in which those claimants must complete the services.

If individuals lost their jobs because of either wildfire and are eligible for regular UI, they should apply for those regular unemployment benefits. DUA is available only to those individuals who wouldn’t otherwise be eligible for regular unemployment benefits. These individuals will typically be self-employed individuals who don’t meet the “employment” qualifications (e.g., ranchers, farmers, in-home day care providers, etc.) or individuals who don’t have enough wage history but can prove that they were working or were scheduled to begin work on or after the date of the fire and now cannot perform that work any longer.

If eligible, unemployment benefits are normally available for up to 26 weeks beginning the week following the Presidential disaster declaration. Additional weeks may be payable during the period between the incident starting date (June 11) and the formal Presidential declaration. When able to return to employment or self-employment, benefits will stop.

The deadline is fast approaching to file a DUA claim.

Deadlines for Applying

Royla Gorge Wildfire DUA claims will be accepted through August 24, 2013.  
Black Forest Wildfire DUA claims will only be accepted through August 27, 2013.

Additional Information from the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE)

Visit the CDLE  website for additional information or to apply for Disaster Unemployment Assistance.

SBA Offers Disaster Assistance to Colorado Small Businesses Economically Impacted by the Royal Gorge Fire

The U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is offering low-interest working capital federal disaster loans to small businesses economically impacted by the Royal Gorge Fire that that occurred June 11 - June 16, 2013, SBA Administrator Karen G. Mills said today.  SBA acted under its own authority to declare a disaster following a request received on July 31 from Lt. Gov. Joseph A. Garcia. 

 The disaster declaration makes SBA assistance available in Fremont County and the neighboring counties of Chaffee, Custer, El Paso, Park, Pueblo, Saguache and Teller. 

“The U. S. Small Business Administration is strongly committed to providing the most effective and customer-focused response possible to assist Colorado’s 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 Mills.

“Beginning Thursday, August 8, SBA customer service representatives (CSRs) and counselors from the Pueblo Small Business Development Center (SBDC) will be on hand at the following SBA Disaster Loan Outreach Center to help small businesses impacted by the Royal Gorge Fire,” said SBA’s Colorado District Director Greg Lopez.  “The center is designed to provide key financial and counseling services to small businesses impacted by the fire,” he continued. The center will be open on the days and times indicated. No appointment is necessary.

FREMONT COUNTY SBA Disaster Loan Outreach Center Upper Arkansas Area Council of Governments (UAACG) Conference Room 3224-A Independence Road Canon City, CO 81212   Opens: Thursday, August 8 at 8 am   Open Thurs., Aug. 8, Fri., Aug. 9,  Mon. Aug., 12 andTues., Aug. 13 8 am – 4:30 pm   Closes: Tuesday, August 13 at 4:30 pm

According to Lopez, SBA CSRs will answer questions about SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, explain the application process, and help each business owner complete their application.  Colorado SBDC State Director Kelly Manning said, “Our SBDC counselors will provide free counseling on a wide variety of matters designed to help these businesses overcome the effects of the disasterand plan for their future. Services include assessing business economic injury, evaluating the business’s strength, cash flow projections and most importantly, reviewing all options to ensure each business makes decisions that are appropriate for its situation.  They will also help small businesses apply for this much needed financial help.”

“Small, nonfarm businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private, nonprofit organizations of any size may qualify for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) of up to $2 million to help meet financial obligations and operating expenses which could have been met had the disaster not occurred,” said Lopez.  

“These 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.  Disaster loans can provide vital economic assistance to small businesses to help overcome the temporary loss of revenue they are experiencing,” Lopez added.

Eligibility is based on the financial impact of the disaster only and not on any actual property damage.  These loans have an interest rate of 4 percent for small businesses and 2.875 percent for private, nonprofit organizations with terms up to 30 years, and are restricted to small businesses without the financial ability to offset the adverse impact without hardship.

Applicants may apply online using SBA’s secure Web site athttps://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.

For owners of these impacted small businesses, disaster loan information and application forms are also available from SBA’s Customer Service Center by calling (800) 659-2955 or e-mailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Individuals who are deaf or hard‑of‑hearing may call (800) 877-8339.  For more information about SBA’s disaster assistance programs, visit http://www.sba.gov/disaster.

 The deadline to return SBA economic injury applications is May 6, 2014.

Kodiak Fire 54 acres northwest of Maybell in Moffat County

The lightning caused Kodiak Fire was reported Sat., Aug. 3 around 12:30 p.m. It is burning in thick pinion and juniper trees on Bureau of Land Management land one mile east of Little Bears Ears peak 25 miles northwest of Maybell, Colo.

BLM Little Snake Field Office and fire managers are managing this incident for multiple objectives including wildlife and range enhancement and hazardous fuel reduction.  The fire is burning into an area that has a prescribed fire plan in place and is part of the buffer area for the Bears Ears prescribed fire project.

Three engine crews are working to black line or box in the identified project area.  The 20-person San Isabel Regulars fire crew is on scene and assisting with building fireline. A Moffat County water tender is also assigned to this incident.

A Veterans Green Corps and Rocky Mountain Youth Corps fire crew will arrive later today for their first wildfire assignment. VGC/RMYC fire crew received basic firefighting and chain saw training from BLM fire personnel earlier this spring to prepare them for hazardous fuel reduction work and possible wildland fire assignments.

No structures are threatened and no reported injuries.

In Rio Blanco County two smaller incidents were reported and contained Sun., Aug. 4. Both on BLM White River Field Office land and lightning caused. The Pinto Mesa Fire was one tenth acre and the Drop Kick Fire was one half acre.

Fire danger is high in Moffat County and moderate in Rio Blanco, Routt, Jackson and Grand Counties.