Contact:  Tamela Graham              FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
          (202) 482-6090                3/13/95
          Gordon Helm
          (301) 713-2370

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE TO DISTRIBUTE $12 MILLION NORTHWEST EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE PACKAGE

The Commerce Department today announced that $12 million is available to aid Pacific Northwest fishermen in need of financial assistance following the collapse of salmon fish stocks off the coasts of Washington, Oregon and northern California.

The financial aid program was developed after consultation with affected fishermen, tribal representatives, and local, state and federal officials. The package will provide economic assistance to fishermen whose income dropped substantially as a result of the collapse of salmon stocks in the region, and also to benefit the salmon resource and the industry in the long- term.

The assistance program includes a $4 million allocation for buying fishing permits, administered through the state of Washington's Department of Fish and Wildlife; a $2 million data collection jobs program, administered through the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission; and a $6 million habitat restoration employment program, administered by the Agriculture Department's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

The $4 million fishing permit buy out program will help individuals seeking to leave the fishing industry, and will also help reduce overfishing. The $2 million data collection jobs program will fund projects that will employ fishermen in the collection of needed fisheries data.

Of the $6 million habitat restoration jobs program, NOAA has instructed NRCS to allocate $1.6 million to Washington, and $2.2 million each to Oregon and California. The habitat restoration projects will take place in areas geographically accessible to displaced fishermen, including the coastal counties from Sonoma County, Calif., to Whatcom County, Wash.; Clallam County, Wash.; and counties bordering on Puget Sound or the Columbia River.

For applications and instructions, please contact the following:

Habitat Restoration Jobs Program

Oregon         Natural Resources Division
               Oregon Department of Agriculture
               Marc Peters
               Project Coordinator
               503-986-4714

Washington     Washington State Conservation Commission
               Steve Meyer
               Executive Director
               360-407-6201

California     Humboldt County Resource Conservation District
               Paula Yoon
               Salmon Restoration Coordinator
               707-822-3577 

Data Collection Jobs Program

Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission
Russell Porter
503-650-5400
Start date on RFP proposals 
March 15 - April 14, 4:00 p.m.

Permit Buyout Program

State of Washington
Washington Dept. of Fisheries and Wildlife
Debbie Fagerness
Buyback Coordinator
360-902-2450
Applications will be received from
March 29 - May 12, 4:30 p.m.