<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>EX-99.2I
<SEQUENCE>9
<FILENAME>defercompplan.txt
<TEXT>

                                                 THE EVERGREEN FUNDS

                                             DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN

          This Deferred Compensation Plan, effective as of September 18, 1997,
     sets forth the terms whereby a Trustee of the Evergreen Funds, entitled to
     compensation payable by the Evergreen Funds, may defer the receipt of his
     or her compensation.

1. . DEFINITION OF TERMS AND CONDITIONS

                  ----------------------------------

          1.1 Definitions. Unless a different meaning is plainly implied by the
     context, the following terms as used in this Plan shall have the meanings
     specified below:

          (1) "Beneficiary" shall mean such person or persons designated
     pursuant to Section 4.3 hereof to receive benefits after the death of the
     Trustee.

          (2) "Board of Trustees" shall mean the Board of Trustees or the Board
     of Directors of an Evergreen Fund. -------------------

          (3) "Code" shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended
     from time to time, or any successor statute.

          (4) "Compensation" shall mean the amount of trustees' fees paid by an
     Evergreen Fund to the Trustee during a Deferral Year prior to reduction for
     Compensation Deferrals made under this Plan.

          (5) "Compensation Deferral" shall mean the amount or amounts of the
     Trustee's Compensation deferred under the provisions of Section 3 of this
     Plan.

          (6) "Deferral Account" shall mean the account maintained to reflect
     the Trustee's Compensation Deferrals made pursuant to Section 3 hereof and
     any other credits or debits thereto.

          (7) "Deferral Year" shall mean each calendar year during which the
     Trustee makes, or is entitled to make, Compensation Deferrals under Section
     3 hereof.

          (8) "Evergreen Funds" shall mean any and all of the registered
     investment ----------------- companies currently or subsequently advised by
     Evergreen Investment Management Company or any of its affiliates.

          (9) "Valuation Date" shall mean the last business day of each calendar
     year and ---------------- any other day upon which an Evergreen Fund makes
     a valuation of the Deferred Account.

          1.2 Plurals and Gender. Where appearing in this Plan the singular
     shall include the plural and the masculine shall include the feminine, and
     vice versa, unless the context clearly indicates a different meaning.

          1.3 Trustees and Directors. Where appearing in this Plan, "Trustee"
     shall also refer to "Director" and "Board of Trustees" shall also refer to
     "Board of Directors."

          1.4 Headings. The headings and sub-headings in this Plan are inserted
     for the convenience of reference only -------- and are to be ignored in any
     construction of the provisions hereof.

2. . PERIOD DURING WHICH COMPENSATION DEFERRALS ARE PERMITTED

                  --------------------------------------------------------

          2.1 Commencement of Compensation Deferrals. The Trustee may elect, on
     a form provided by, and submitted to, the Secretary of an Evergreen Fund,
     to commence Compensation Deferrals under Section 3 hereof for the period
     beginning on the date such form is submitted to the Secretary of the
     Evergreen Fund.

          2.2 Termination of Deferrals. The Trustee shall not be eligible to
     make Compensation Deferrals after the earlier of
     the following dates:

          (1) The date on which he ceases to serve as a Trustee of the Evergreen
     Fund; or

          (2) The effective date of the termination of this Plan.

3. . COMPENSATION DEFERRALS

                  ----------------------

3.1      Compensation Deferral Elections.
         -------------------------------



<PAGE>

          (1) Except as provided below, an executed deferral election on the
     form described in Section 2.1 hereof, must be filed with the Secretary of
     an Evergreen Fund prior to the first day of the Deferral Year to which it
     applies. The form shall set forth the amount of such Compensation Deferral
     (in whole percentage amounts). Such election shall continue in effect for
     all subsequent Deferral Years unless it is canceled or modified as provided
     below. Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) any person who is elected to the
     Board during a fiscal year of an Evergreen Fund may elect before becoming a
     Trustee or within 30 days after becoming a Trustee to defer any unpaid
     portion of the retainer of such fiscal year and the fees for any future
     meetings during such fiscal year by filing an election form with the
     Secretary of the Evergreen Fund, and (ii) Trustees may elect to defer any
     unpaid portion of the retainer for the fiscal year in which Deferred
     Compensation Plans or agreements are first authorized by the Board and any
     unpaid fees for any future meetings during such fiscal year by submitting
     an election form to the Secretary of an Evergreen Fund within 30 days of
     such authorization.

          (2) Compensation Deferrals shall be withheld from each payment of
     Compensation by an Evergreen Fund to the Trustee based upon the percentage
     amount elected by the Trustee under Section 3.1 (a) hereof.

          (3) The Trustee may cancel or modify the amount of his Compensation
     Deferrals on a prospective basis by submitting to the Secretary of an
     Evergreen Fund a revised Compensation Deferral election form. Subject to
     the provisions of Section 4.2 hereof, such change will be effective as of
     the first day of the Deferral Year following the date such revision is
     submitted to the Secretary of the Evergreen Fund.

3.2      Valuation of Deferral Account.

         -----------------------------

          (1) An Evergreen Fund shall establish a bookkeeping Deferral Account
     to which will be credited an amount equal to the Trustee's Compensation
     Deferrals under this Plan. Compensation Deferrals shall be allocated to the
     Deferral Account on the day such Compensation Deferrals are withheld from
     the Trustee's Compensation and shall be deemed invested pursuant to Section
     3.3, below, as of the same day. The Deferral Account shall be debited to
     reflect any distributions from such Account. Such debits shall be allocated
     to the Deferral Account as of the date such distributions are made.

          (2) As of each Valuation Date, income, gain and loss equivalents
     (determined as if the Deferral Account is invested in the manner set forth
     under Section 3.3, below) attributable to the period following the next
     preceding Valuation Date shall be credited to and/or deducted from the
     Trustee's Deferral Account.

3.3      Investment of Deferral Account Balance.
         --------------------------------------



<PAGE>




           (1) The Trustee may select from various options made
     available by the Evergreen Funds the investment media in which all or part
     of his Deferral Account shall be deemed to be invested.

          (a) The Trustee shall make an investment designation on a form
     provided by the Secretary of the Evergreen Funds (Attachment A) which shall
     remain effective until another valid designation has been made by the
     Trustee as herein provided. The Trustee may amend his investment
     designation daily by giving instructions to the Secretary of the Evergreen
     Funds.

          (b) Any changes to the investment media to be made available to the
     Trustee, and any limitation on the maximum or minimum percentages of the
     Trustee's Deferral Account that may be invested in any particular medium,
     shall be communicated from time-to- time to the Trustee by the Secretary of
     the Evergreen Funds.

          (2) Except as provided below, the Trustee's Deferral Account shall be
     deemed to be invested in accordance with his investment designations,
     provided such designations conform to the provisions of this Section. If:

          (a) the Trustee does not furnish the Secretary of the Evergreen Funds
     with complete, written investment instructions, or Funds with

          (b) the written investment instructions from the Trustee are unclear,

          then the Trustee's election to make Compensation Deferrals hereunder
     shall be held in abeyance and have no force and effect, and he shall be
     deemed to have selected the Evergreen Money Market Fund until such time as
     the Trustee shall provide the Secretary of the Evergreen Funds with
     complete investment instructions. In the event that any Evergreen Fund
     under which any portion of the Trustee's Deferral Account is deemed to be
     invested ceases to exist, such portion of the Deferral Account thereafter
     shall be held in the successor to such Evergreen Fund, subject to
     subsequent deemed investment elections.

          The amount of the earnings credited to a Trustee's Deferral Account
     shall be determined by using the Evergreen Fund(s) selected by the Trustee
     to measure the hypothetical performance of the Trustee's Deferral Account.
     The value of a Deferral Account, as of any date, will be equal to the value
     such account would have had if the amount credited to it had been invested
     and reinvested in shares of the Evergreen Fund(s) designated by the Trustee
     ("Designated Shares"). Trustees may change the designation of the Evergreen
     Fund(s) in which their compensation deferrals are deemed to be invested
     daily by giving instructions to the Secretary of the Evergreen Funds. In
     such a case, the Designated Shares of one Evergreen Fund will be exchanged
     for Designated Shares of another Evergreen Fund based on the net asset
     value per share of the respective Evergreen Funds. Each Deferral Account
     will be credited or changed with book adjustments representing all
     interest, dividends and other earnings and all gains and losses that would
     have been realized had the amounts credited to such account actually been
     invested in the Designated Shares. A participating Evergreen Fund's
     obligation to make payments with respect to a Deferral Account is and will
     remain a general obligation of the Evergreen Fund to be made pro rata from
     the general assets and property of each Evergreen Fund portfolio.

               The Secretary of the Evergreen Funds shall provide an annual
          statement to the Trustee showing such information as is appropriate,
          including the aggregate amount in the Deferral Account, as of a
          reasonably current date.

4. . DISTRIBUTIONS FROM DEFERRAL ACCOUNT

                           -----------------------------------

               4.1 In General. Distributions from the Trustee's Deferral Account
          may be paid in a lump sum or in installments as elected by the Trustee
          commencing on or as soon as practicable after a date specified by the
          Trustee, which may not be sooner than the earlier of the first
          business day of January following (a) a date five years following the
          deferral election, or (b) the year in which the Trustee ceases to be a
          member of the Board of Trustees of the Evergreen Funds.
          Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event of the liquidation,
          dissolution or winding up of an Evergreen Fund or the distribution of
          all or substantially all of an Evergreen Fund's assets and property
          relating to one or more series of its shares to the shareholders of
          such series (for this purpose a sale, conveyance or transfer of an
          Evergreen Fund's assets to a trust, partnership, association or
          corporation in exchange for cash, shares or other securities with the
          transfer being made subject to, or with the assumption by the
          transferee of, the liabilities of the Evergreen Fund shall not be
          deemed a termination of the Evergreen Fund or such a distribution),
          all unpaid amounts in the Deferral Account as of the effective date
          thereof shall be paid in a lump sum on such effective date. In
          addition, upon application by a Trustee and determination by the
          Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Evergreen Funds that the
          Trustee has suffered a severe and unanticipated financial hardship,
          the Secretary shall distribute to the Trustee, in a single lump sum,
          an amount equal to the lesser of the amount needed by the Trustee to
          meet the hardship plus applicable income taxes payable upon such
          distribution, or the balance of the Trustee's Deferral Account.

                    4.2 Death Prior to Complete Distribution of Deferral
               Account. Upon the death of the Trustee (whether prior to or after
               the commencement of the distribution of the amounts credited to
               his Deferral Account), the balance of such Account shall be
               distributed to his Beneficiary in a lump sum as soon as
               practicable after the Trustee's death.

                    4.3 Designation of Beneficiary. For purposes of Section 4.2
               hereof, the Trustee's Beneficiary shall be the person or persons
               so designated by the Trustee in a written instrument submitted to
               the Secretary of the Evergreen Funds (Attachment B). In the event
               the Trustee fails to properly designate a Beneficiary, his
               Beneficiary shall be the person or persons in the first of the
               following classes of successive preference Beneficiaries
               surviving at the death of the Trustee: the Trustee's (1)
               surviving spouse, or (2) estate.

5. . AMENDMENT AND TERMINATION

                  -------------------------

                    5.1 The Board of Trustees may at any time in its sole
               discretion amend or terminate this Plan; provided, however, that
               no such amendment or termination shall adversely affect the right
               of Trustees to receive amounts previously credited to their
               Deferral Accounts.

6. . MISCELLANEOUS

6.1      Rights of Creditors.

         -------------------

                    (1) This Plan is an unfunded and non-qualified deferred
               compensation arrangement. Neither the Trustee nor other persons
               shall have any interest in any specific asset or assets of an
               Evergreen Fund by reason of any Deferral Account hereunder, nor
               any rights to receive distribution of his Deferral Account except
               as and to the extent expressly provided hereunder. An Evergreen
               Fund shall not be required to purchase, hold or dispose of any
               investments pursuant to this Plan; however, if in order to cover
               its obligations hereunder the Evergreen Fund elects to purchase
               any investments the same shall continue for all purposes to be a
               part of the general assets and property of the Evergreen Fund,
               subject to the claims of its general creditors and no person
               other than the Evergreen Fund shall by virtue of the provisions
               of this Plan have any interest in such assets other than an
               interest as a general creditor.

                    (2) The rights of the Trustee and the Beneficiaries to the
               amounts held in the Deferral Account are unsecured and shall be
               subject to the creditors of the Evergreen Funds. With respect to
               the payment of amounts held under the Deferral Account, the
               Trustee and his Beneficiaries have the status of unsecured
               creditors of the Evergreen Funds. This Plan is executed on behalf
               of the Evergreen Fund by an officer of an Evergreen Fund as such
               and not individually. Any obligation of an Evergreen Fund
               hereunder shall be an unsecured obligation of the Evergreen Fund
               and not of any other person.

                    6.2 Agents. The Evergreen Funds may employ agents and
               provide for such clerical, legal, actuarial, accounting, advisory
               or other services as they deem necessary to perform their duties
               under this Plan. The Evergreen Funds shall bear the cost of such
               services and all other expenses they incur in connection with the
               administration of this Plan.

                    6.3 Incapacity. If an Evergreen Fund shall receive evidence
               satisfactory to it that the Trustee or any Beneficiary entitled
               to receive any benefit under this Plan is, at the time when such
               benefit becomes payable, a minor, or is physically or mentally
               incompetent to give a valid release therefor, and that another
               person or an institution is then maintaining or has custody of
               the Trustee or Beneficiary and that no guardian, committee or
               other representative of the estate of the Trustee or Beneficiary
               shall have been duly appointed, the Evergreen Fund may make
               payment of such benefit otherwise payable to the Trustee or
               Beneficiary to such other person or institution, including a
               custodian under a Uniform Gifts to Minors Act, or corresponding
               legislation (who shall be a guardian of the minor or a trust
               company), and the release of such other person or institution
               shall be a valid and complete discharge for the payment of such
               benefit.

                    6.4 No Guarantee of Trusteeship. Nothing contained in this
               Plan shall be construed as a guaranty or right of any Trustee to
               be continued as a Trustee of one or more of the Evergreen Funds
               (or of a right of a Trustee to any specific level of
               Compensation) or as a limitation of the right of any of the
               Evergreen Funds, by shareholder action or otherwise, to remove
               any of its trustees.

                    6.5 Counsel. The Evergreen Funds may consult with legal
               counsel with respect to the meaning or construction of this Plan,
               their obligations or duties hereunder or with respect to any
               action or proceeding or any question of law, and they shall be
               fully protected with respect to any action taken or omitted by
               them in good faith pursuant to the advice of legal counsel.

                    6.6 Spendthrift Provision. The Trustees' and Beneficiaries'
               interests in the Deferral Account shall not be subject to
               anticipation, alienation, sale, transfer, assignment, pledge,
               encumbrance, or charges and any attempt so to anticipate,
               alienate, sell, transfer, assign, pledge, encumber or charge the
               same shall be void; nor shall any portion of any such right
               hereunder be in any manner payable to any assignee, receiver or
               trustee, or be liable for such person's debts, contracts,
               liabilities, engagements or torts, or be subject to any legal
               process to levy upon or attach.

                    6.7 Notices. For purposes of this Plan, notices and all
               other communications provided for in this Plan shall be in
               writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given when
               delivered personally or mailed by United States registered or
               certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, or by
               nationally recognized overnight delivery service, addressed to
               the Trustee at the home address set forth in the Evergreen Funds'
               records and to an Evergreen Fund at its principal place of
               business, provided that all notices to an Evergreen Fund shall be
               directed to the attention of the Secretary of the Evergreen Fund
               or to such other address as either party may have furnished to
               the other in writing in accordance herewith, except that notice
               of charge of address shall be effective only upon receipt.

                    6.8 Interpretation of Plan. Interpretation of, and
               determinations related to, this Plan made by the Evergreen Funds
               in good faith, including any determinations of the amounts of the
               Deferral Account, shall be conclusive; and an Evergreen Fund
               shall not incur any liability to the Trustee for any such
               interpretation or determination so made or for any other action
               taken by it in connection with this Plan in good faith.

                    6.9 Successors and Assigns. This Plan shall be applicable
               to, and shall inure to the benefit of, the Evergreen Funds and
               their successors and assigns and to the Trustees and his heirs,
               executors, administrators and personal representatives.

<PAGE>

                                  ATTACHMENT A

                           DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN

                             DEFERRAL ELECTION FORM

TO:                    The Secretary of the Evergreen Funds

FROM:

DATE:

                    With respect to the Deferred Compensation Plan I hereby make
               the following elections:

               Deferral of Compensation

                    Starting with Compensation to be paid to me with respect to
               services provided by me to The Evergreen Funds after the date
               this election form is provided to The Evergreen Funds, and for
               all periods thereafter (unless subsequently amended by way of a
               new election form), I hereby elect that ___ percent (___%) of my
               Compensation (as defined under the Plan) be deferred and that
               each Fund establish a bookkeeping account credited with amounts
               equal to the amount so deferred (the "Deferral Account"). The
               Deferral Account shall be further credited with income
               equivalents as provided under the Plan. Each Compensation
               Deferral (as defined in the Plan) shall be deemed invested as of
               the end of the calendar quarter during which such Compensation
               Deferral is withheld from my Compensation.

                    I wish the Compensation Deferral to be invested in the Funds
               and percentages noted in Annex A to this Form.

                    I understand that the amounts held in the Deferral Account
               shall remain the general assets of The Evergreen Funds and that,
               with respect to the payment of such amounts, I am merely a
               general creditor of The Evergreen Funds. I may not sell,
               encumber, pledge, assign or otherwise alienate the amounts held
               under the Deferral Account.

Distributions from Deferral Account

           I hereby elect that distributions from my Deferral Account be paid:

               _____ in a lump sum or

                    _____ in quarterly  installments  for ____ years  (specify a
               number of years not to exceed five);


Commencing on the first business day of January following:

               _____ the year in which I cease to be a member of the
              Board of Trustees of the Funds, or

               _____ (a calendar year but not a year earlier than 2000).


                    I hereby agree that the terms of the Plan are incorporated
               herein and are made a part hereof. Dated as of the day and year
               first above written.

WITNESS:                                                      TRUSTEE:


------------------------                             -------------------------


                            RECEIVED:

                               THE EVERGREEN FUNDS

                            By:_____________________

                            Name: __________________


                           Title: __________________


                            Date: __________________





<PAGE>

                                                   ANNEX A

               I desire that my deferred Compensation be invested as follows:

[Names of Available Evergreen Funds                                 _____%
 as may be updated from time to time]







                                                   ----------------------
                                                   100% of Deferred
                                                   Compensation amount

<PAGE>

                                                 ATTACHMENT B


                                                 THE EVERGREEN FUNDS

                                             DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN

                                             DESIGNATION OF BENEFICIARY



                    You may designate one or more beneficiaries to receive any
               amount remaining in your Deferral Account at your death. If your
               Designated Beneficiary survives you, but dies before receiving
               the full amount of the Deferral Account to which he or she is
               entitled, the remainder will be paid to the Designated
               Beneficiary's estate, unless you specifically elect otherwise in
               your Designation of Beneficiary form.

                    You may indicate the names not only of one or more primary
               Designated Beneficiaries but also the names of secondary
               beneficiaries who would receive amounts in your Deferral Account
               in the event the primary beneficiary or beneficiaries are not
               alive at your death. In the case of each Designated Beneficiary,
               give his or her name, address, relationship to you, and the
               percentage of your Deferral Account he or she is to receive. You
               may change your Designated Beneficiaries at any time, without
               their consent, by filing a new Designation of Beneficiary form
               with the Secretary of the Funds.

                                              * * * * * * * * * * * * *


                    As a participant in the Evergreen Funds' Deferred
               Compensation Plan (the "Plan"), I hereby designate the person or
               persons listed below to receive any amount remaining in my
               Deferral Account in the event of my death. This designation of
               beneficiary shall become effective upon its delivery to the
               Secretary of the Funds prior to my death, and revokes any
               designation(s) of beneficiary previously made by me. I reserve
               the right to revoke this designation of beneficiary at any time
               without notice to any beneficiary.

 I hereby name the following as primary Designated Beneficiaries under the Plan:

Name                                Relationship     Percentage        Address

---------------------- ----------   ---------%       ---------------------------

Name                                Relationship     Percentage        Address

---------------------- ----------   ---------%       ---------------------------


Name                                Relationship     Percentage        Address

---------------------- ----------   ---------%       ---------------------------


Name                                Relationship     Percentage        Address

---------------------- -----------  ---------%       ---------------------------

                    In the event that one or more of my primary Designated
               Beneficiaries predeceases me, his or her share shall be allocated
               among the surviving primary Designated Beneficiaries. I name the
               following as secondary Designated Beneficiaries under the Plan,
               in the event that no primary Designated Beneficiary survives me:

<TABLE>

<S>                                      <C>            <C>             <C>


Name                                Relationship     Percentage        Address

-----------------------             ----------       ---------%        ---------


Name                                Relationship     Percentage        Address

-----------------------             ----------       ---------%        -----------------------------


Name                                Relationship     Percentage        Address

-----------------------             ----------       ---------%        -----------------------------


Name                               Relationship      Percentage        Address

---------------------------         ----------       ---------%        ------------------------

</TABLE>

                    In the event that no primary Designated Beneficiary survives
               me and one or more of the secondary Designated Beneficiaries
               predeceases me, his or her share shall be allocated among the
               surviving secondary Designated Beneficiaries.

----------------                                        ------------------------
   (Witness) (Signature of Trustee)

Date:                                                    Date:








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</DOCUMENT>
