Last week, members of the Port of Coos Bay team joined Oregon's Coastal Caucus Economic Summit to discuss infrastructure needs, economic opportunities, and the future of our coastal communities. Those conversations reinforced the importance of strong partnerships and continued investment in the South Coast's maritime economy and offered an opportunity to discuss one of the Port's longstanding priorities: Charleston's working waterfront.

Charleston has been a central focus for the Port's leadership team, and we wanted to share some of the recent work underway to address infrastructure needs and secure new investments in the facilities that support our commercial fishing fleet, recreational boaters, and maritime businesses.

Over the past two years, the Port has pursued nearly $12 million in state and federal funding for Charleston's marina and shipyard facilities.

That includes securing $1 million in federal funding for the Charleston Shipyard's marine ways rehabilitation, pursuing an additional $2.2 million through Connect Oregon for the marine ways, and requesting $2 million in federal funding to rehabilitate the shipyard's aging work docks. ( Questions & Answers: Charleston Shipyard Revitalization Project - Oregon International Port of Coos Bay )

We've also secured funding for improvements to marina parking lots, boat rinse station drainage, and Inner Basin restrooms, while continuing to pursue resources for other facility improvements.

Beyond these infrastructure projects, we're expanding our capacity to support Charleston's long-term needs. The Port has recently brought on additional expertise to strengthen our grant development and funding acquisition efforts, helping us pursue more opportunities to invest in Charleston's facilities. We're also working with local partners to explore opportunities for dedicated, full-time technical support for the Charleston Ice Plant, an essential service for the region's commercial fishing industry.

These efforts reflect a sustained commitment to Charleston's future. They also reflect the reality that maintaining and modernizing aging maritime infrastructure requires substantial resources, specialized expertise, long-term planning, and persistent advocacy at the state and federal levels.

We know the challenges facing Charleston are real. Some of its most important facilities have served our maritime community for decades, and the need for improvements is urgent. We also know that progress doesn't always happen as quickly as any of us would like.

Our responsibility is to keep moving that work forward, pursuing available funding, addressing immediate needs, and working alongside the people and businesses who depend on Charleston every day.

The conversations at the Coastal Caucus were another reminder that economic development is a team sport. We're always open to new ideas and perspectives, and we believe the Port's leadership team and staff is as collaborative as it has ever been in its approach to finding solutions. We welcome opportunities to work with community members, businesses, and partners who share our commitment to Charleston's future. By working together to strengthen our maritime infrastructure, support our fishing industry, and pursue new economic opportunities, we can build a more resilient and prosperous economy for our region.

In the coming months, we look forward to sharing additional updates on improvements and new opportunities for Charleston as we continue working closely with the Port Commission, Charleston Advisory Committee, and our community partners to advance these efforts.