Federal financial assistance now available to businesses impacted by BWCAW closures and wildfires

Several months after closures in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and surrounding wildfire impacts disrupted businesses across northeastern Minnesota, some are still dealing with the summer’s financial fallout.

This week, Cook County officials announced that small businesses and nonprofit organizations that experienced financial impacts can now access federal financial assistance through the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

A temporary SBA Disaster Recovery Center opened Wednesday, Oct. 28, at the Cook County Community Center, offering information and assistance with Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL). The low-interest loans are intended to help businesses cover operating expenses, payroll, utility bills, and other financial needs related to the wildfires, smoke conditions, and evacuations stemming from this summer.

Businesses and organizations can receive loans of up to $2 million, depending on financial circumstances and demonstrated needs. The SBA will determine the loan amount, interest rates, and repayment terms per applicant.

The SBA Disaster Recovery Center will be open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on Saturdays, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The center will be closed Sundays and on Tuesday, Nov. 3, for Election Day.

Ruth Vogel, Cook County Emergency Management Director, said business owners and organization leaders will need to bring evidence of their financial losses, show upcoming bills they are struggling to pay, their Employer Identification Number (EIN), and information to run a credit history. Additional paperwork may include insurance information detailing existing coverage and claims, and recent federal income tax return.

While access to the Disaster Recovery Center will end in mid-November, businesses and organizations can still access information from the SBA and apply for funds through July 22, 2027.

Vogel said businesses or organizations with questions about the loan program or whether they qualify can stop by the Cook County Community Center during the established operating hours to talk with SBA staff and learn more.

Since the July wildfires across northern Minnesota, county and state leaders have advocated for financial and economic assistance for businesses and organizations impacted by the wildfires and closures during the peak summer season.

In late July, state and local officials held a roundtable discussion in Cook County on the economic impacts of the BWCAW closures and the Little Knife Fire. The panel included Sen. Grant Hauschild, Rep. Roger Skraba, representatives from U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s office and Congressman Pete Stauber’s office, Cook County Commissioner District 4 Ann Sullivan, and Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Robert Deschampe, among others.

During the roundtable, business owners along the Gunflint Trail, the Sawbill Trail, and in Grand Marais shared their experiences and how cancellations and uncertainty affected their operations.

The SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loans mark the first opportunity for financial assistance available to businesses recovering from this summer’s wildfire impacts. The state did not convene for a special legislative session regarding economic recovery assistance this year. State leaders have said that will be a priority for the 2027 legislative session.

“At what should be the peak of their season, Northland businesses faced unprecedented disruption and turmoil due to wildfires that completely upended their bottom line, and they’re still recovering,” said Senator Hauschild in a press release this week. “Thankfully, support is available now for many of these businesses, and I will work with my colleagues in the legislature to deliver even more robust assistance to them in the upcoming session.”

Find more information about the SBA and loan opportunities here:  www.sba.gov/disaster.

WTIP’s Kalli Hawkins spoke with Ruth Vogel, Cook County Emergency Management Director, about the SBA Disaster Recovery Center and the Economic Injury Disaster Loans. Audio below.

Kalli Hawkins October 30, 2026