At the April 19^th meeting of the Clallam EDC Board of Directors meeting, a board position was filled with a unanimous vote of approval by the 2012 Board of Directors. Don Butler, President of High Energy Metals, located in Carlsborg, will fill an available at large position.  High Energy Metals have been members of the EDC since 2011.  

It is with great pleasure that we welcome Don to the Board.

Water users, Sequim-area residents and interested parties can submit comments beginning today on a proposed water management rule for the Dungeness watershed.

A new water management rule for the Dungeness has been recommended by the Local Leaders Water Management Group which has been working with Ecology since February 2011, to identify water supply issues in the watershed and recommend solutions. Members of the LLWG (their acronym) include Clallam County, the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, city of Sequim, the Sequim-Dungeness Water Users Association and Ecology.

For more information on how to comment on the rule, please visit the Dungeness Water Management web site at: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wr/instream-flows/dungeness.html

CLALLAM EDC WELCOMES 3 NEW MEMBERS DURING 1^ST QUARTER 2012!

The EDC is pleased to welcome three new members to their organization during the first quarter of 2012.  They are:

Richard Payne, Individual Member

Sterling Savings Bank, Business Basic Member

Peninsula Behavioral Health Center, Supporter Member

Our members are a very important asset to our organization.  Members receive constant updates and information about activities in which we are involved.  They are also invited to attend the EDC Board of Directors meetings that occur every other month at the Lincoln Center.  The agendas are sent out to the membership each month they occur.

The EDC is a private, non-profit 501c(6) organization that has been in business in Clallam County since 1985.   The EDCs mission is to provide assistance to all businesses in Clallam County from start-ups to existing.  We have a large network of experts to call on for all the needs of our business community.   In addition, the EDC serves as the back-office for three SCORE counselors that will provide free, business counseling by appointment.  Contact Teri at 457-7793 if you wish to talk with one of the SCORE counselors.

 Community and region wide broadband planning efforts get an assist from new grant funds available through the Washington State Broadband Office.

The Washington State Department of Commerce today announced that applications are available for the Local Technology Planning Team grant program. The grants awards will range from $50,000 to $100,000 and are part of the work of Commerce’s Washington State Broadband Office.

The Broadband Office was created in 2009 legislation and is charged coordination, programming, and outreach on opportunities for funding, education and awareness of broadband issues. The Office’s work is funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by the National Telecommunications and Information Agency. The Washington State Broadband Map was launched in May of 2010 and shows a steadily improving picture of broadband access in the state.  But there are still areas of the state that are unserved or underserved and many of these areas are rural and remote. The grants, which require a local match, will help these communities move toward broadband deployment and adoption.

“Rural economic development efforts are more successful when key infrastructure is in place,” said Rogers Weed, director of the Washington State Department of Commerce. “We see broadband as one of those essential pieces of infrastructure.”

The grant application deadline is 5 p.m. on May 31 and grant awards will be announced in June. Application instructions and the grant application can be found on the Broadband Office website at www.broadband.wa.gov.  The competitive grant process is expected to draw dozens of applications, many from communities that have already begun work on broadband issues.

“We are hoping these grants result in strong community and regional broadband plans for unserved or underserved parts of our state,” said Will Saunders, program and policy director for the Broadband Office. “Communities with broadband access can not only improve their economies but also take full advantage of the benefits of e-government, telehealth and distance learning to improve the quality of life for their residents.”

In the aftermath of a natural or man-made disaster, you don’t have to be a small business owner to get recovery assistance from the U.S. Small Business Administration.  But did you know that SBA’s disaster assistance program is the agency’s only direct loan program?  Did you also know that SBA can provide assistance to communities in the aftermath of a disaster, independent of a Presidential disaster declaration?

Interesting and useful facts about the range and depth of SBA’s disaster assistance programs will be presented during the April 10 webinar hosted by Agility Recovery Solutions and SBA.  The webinar will focus on questions typically asked by the public and local media after a disaster.  In addition to clarifying SBA’s partnership with FEMA, we’ll also talk about SBA’s outreach to local banks to expand the support network for business recovery after a disaster.

SBA has partnered with Agility to offer business continuity strategies through its “PrepareMyBusiness” website. Visit www.preparemybusiness.org to access past webinars and get additional preparedness tips. 

The SBA provides disaster recovery assistance in the form of low-interest loans to homeowners, renters, private nonprofits and businesses of all sizes. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov/disaster.

WHAT: “Five Things You May Not Know about SBA Disaster Assistance” 
 A presentation and a Question & Answer session

WHO:    Mark Ihenacho, Public Information Officer, SBA Disaster Field Operations Center East;  Carol  Chastang, Public Affairs Specialist, SBA Office of Communications & Public Liaison.

WHEN:  Tuesday, April 10, 2012 – 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. EDT

HOW:    Space is limited. Register at https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/369141176

Agency Seeks to Increase number of Small Businesses Exporting, Value of Small Business Sales Abroad

The U.S. Small Business Administration is inviting states and U.S. territories to apply for $30 million in grants that can be used in a variety of ways to help increase exporting by small businesses. SBA began accepting applications on March 27.

“Federal investment in small business exporting is already beginning to pay dividends in foreign sales and economic development, which translates into a stronger economy and job creation,” said SBA Administrator Karen Mills.

“Through the STEP program, new-to-export and new-to-market firms are selling American products and services in markets all over the world. The future looks even more exciting – with key marketing initiatives ranging from South Korea, to India and the European Union. This year’s grants will further help states assist small businesses enter and succeed in the global market.”

The State Trade and Export Promotion (STEP) grant initiative, launched under the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, is a pilot grant program authorizing up to $90 million in grants to the states and U.S. territories over three years to help them increase the number of businesses that export, as well as the value of exports by small businesses.

In fiscal year 2011, the STEP program awarded 52 grants totaling $30 million. The average grant was for $577,000.

Each state, Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and American Samoa may submit a single application under the program each year. Activities authorized include participation in foreign trade missions and market sales trips, subscription to services provided by the Department of Commerce, design of international marketing products and campaigns, export trade show exhibits, training, and other efforts aligned with program goals.

The STEP program announcement will be posted at www.Grants.gov on March 27, 2012. The application period will be March 27, 2012 through May 17, 2012. Awards will be issued by September 30, 2012. See more information at www.sba.gov/STEP.