Clatsop County Seeks State Partnership To Advance North Coast Economic Growth (Photo) - 08/07/26
ASTORIA, OR — Clatsop County Board of Commissioners Chair Mark Kujala joined Gov. Tina Kotek and regional leaders Wednesday in Tillamook to discuss economic development opportunities, challenges facing the North Coast economy and opportunities for stronger partnership with the State of Oregon.
Clatsop County is facing significant economic pressures, including anticipated losses in timber revenue associated with the state’s Habitat Conservation Plan and uncertainty surrounding federal funding for the SAFE fisheries program. Against that backdrop, economic growth remains a top County priority.
“We have sites with the potential to bring family-wage jobs, assessed-value growth and tax revenue to our communities,” Kujala said. “What we need is continued cooperation with the state to address permitting, infrastructure and funding challenges so those opportunities can become reality.”
At the meeting, Kujala identified the North Coast Business Park, Tongue Point, and the Port of Astoria Airport Industrial Park as three of the County’s greatest opportunities for economic growth.
Despite their potential to attract investment, create jobs and expand the local tax base, each of these sites faces barriers that can delay or prevent development, including complex permitting requirements, inadequate infrastructure, and the significant costs of preparing industrial land for investment.
At the North Coast Business Park, continued development depends on coordinated permitting and sufficient wastewater capacity. At Tongue Point and Port properties, additional marine, industrial and federal investment will require infrastructure improvements and sustained coordination among local, state, and federal partners. Addressing these barriers will require state agencies to view economic growth as a shared priority and work alongside local communities to move viable projects from opportunity to development.
“If all agencies are looking through the lens of economic growth, rather than just a narrow focus on a conflicting tapestry of rules and regulations that stifle development, there can be progress,” said Kujala. “Economics are often the last consideration, and it should be an over-arching concern, if we are truly interested in Oregon being competitive with other states across the nation.”
As next steps, Clatsop County will continue providing the Governor’s Office with information about the North Coast Business Park, Tongue Point and Port of Astoria properties. The County requested a back-up plan for funding the SAFE program should the BPA continue to signal that they are no longer funding the program. Chair Kujala also requested a letter supporting expanded Coast Guard investment in Clatsop County and assistance with Warrenton wastewater infrastructure.
“Clatsop County has tremendous economic opportunities, but realizing them requires strong partnerships,” Kujala said. “We appreciate the Governor bringing North Coast leaders together and recognizing that the state has an important role in helping communities move projects forward and create good jobs for the people who live here.”
The meeting was part of the Governor’s outreach related to the Oregon Prosperity Plan and included the chairs of Clatsop, Tillamook and Columbia counties, the general manager of the Port of Tillamook, former Oregon Sen. Betsy Johnson, Rep. Cyrus Javadi, Gov. Kotek and members of her staff.
###
