2026 Eastern Oregon Summit Focuses on Building a Stronger and More Sustainable Economic Future for Eastern Oregon

The 2026 Eastern Oregon Economic Summit brought together business, agricultural, healthcare, and community leaders to discuss the challenges and opportunities shaping rural Oregon. Conversations focused on economic competitiveness, workforce development, agriculture, energy, water, housing, and regulatory policy. A consistent theme was the widening gap between Oregon and neighboring Idaho in attracting businesses, investment, and workers. Participants called for practical policies that protect natural resources while also supporting employers, families, and rural communities. These themes resonate in the Lower Umatilla Basin, a major economic driver in Eastern Oregon. Businesses and farmers in the basin have worked hard to support educational opportunities for employees and their families and are implementing the latest technologies to ensure groundwater and surface waters are protected.

Business leaders described how taxes, labor mandates, permitting requirements, and regulatory uncertainty can make it more difficult to operate and expand in Oregon. One food business offered a compelling example. The company employs approximately 400 people and has considered adding production capacity that could create about 138 additional jobs. Oregon has invested roughly $2.4 million to help retain the company, but its long-term decisions will also depend on workforce availability, housing, childcare, utility costs, and the overall business environment. Speakers emphasized that incentives can help, but lasting competitiveness requires addressing the underlying conditions that influence investment.

Workforce shortages are closely tied to the availability of housing, childcare, education, and community amenities. Employers cannot fill open positions if workers cannot find an affordable place to live or reliable care for their children. Conference participants supported expanding Career Technical Education, providing earlier access to apprenticeships and skilled trades, and better aligning training programs with employer needs. They also noted that investments in youth sports and other community programs help make Eastern Oregon an attractive place for workers and their families to build their lives.

Agriculture and food processing remain central to the region’s economy, supporting farms, transportation companies, processors, and local tax bases. However, speakers warned that processing and related investments may increasingly move across the border when Oregon’s costs and regulations become less competitive. Protecting these industries will require policies that recognize the economic realities facing rural employers while continuing to promote responsible environmental stewardship.

Water and energy also play a decisive role in Eastern Oregon’s future. Reliable irrigation, water storage, drought planning, municipal water systems, and wastewater capacity are all essential to sustaining communities and economic growth. Participants also stressed the importance of the Columbia-Snake River dams, which support hydropower, irrigation, navigation, and regional stability, while acknowledging opportunities to invest in solar, nuclear, and other energy resources. The conference’s message was clear: Eastern Oregon’s success will depend on coordinated, rural-focused solutions that strengthen communities, preserve economic opportunity, and responsibly manage the natural resources on which the region depends.

The Lower Umatilla Basin is a prime example of natural resource protection and economic growth. Local farmers grow crops to provide to food processors at the Port of Morrow. The water used by processors to peel, cut, and process crops is then piped back to farmers to reuse both the water and residual nutrients therein. This sustainability and resilience model reduces the demand for water from streams and aquifers, eliminates the need for commercially produced fertilizers, and reduces the carbon impacts of transporting crops and products over long distances.

H2OEO is encouraged by the leadership Governor Tina Kotek has provided in emphasizing the need for economic prosperity in Oregon, both through the creation of a Prosperity Roadmap, the designation of an Oregon Chief Prosperity Officer (Sen. Knopp), and the creation of the Oregon Prosperity Council, who recently issued its report providing a series of recommendations to foster economic prosperity in Oregon. We look forward to working with the state, both locally and statewide, on sharing our experience in creating a prosperous Lower Umatilla Basin and in implementing the recommendations made by the council.