Submitted by Rep. Rick Larsen’s office

Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02) will visit several Friday Harbor small businesses that benefitted from federal Paycheck Protection Program loans on Wednesday, Aug. 12. He will hear from local small business owners and community stakeholders about the loans’ impact and the challenges they are adapting to during the pandemic.

In March, Larsen voted for the bipartisan CARES Act that included the PPP to help small businesses retain employees and stay in business. According to the Small Business Administration, PPP loans have helped more than 8,500 small businesses in the Second District, including 535 in San Juan County, save more than 60,000 jobs during the pandemic. Larsen is fighting to strengthen PPP in any upcoming pandemic aid package to ensure assistance reaches more small businesses, including underserved communities and nonprofits.

Larsen will also meet with the San Juan County Land Bank staff to discuss the organization’s “Moveable Feast” conservation project. The land bank recently received a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service grant to fund conservation efforts for the island marble butterfly, which USFWS listed as an endangered species earlier this year. Larsen will then tour the Lake Zylstra preservation project. Larsen is fighting for improved funding for National Coastal Wetlands grants which help local organizations like the Land Bank acquire, preserve and increase access to vital public lands for future generations.