A Prosperous Lower Umatilla Basin - Oregon Prosperity Council Report

On June 25th, the Oregon Prosperity Council that was formed by Governor Tina Kotek in January 2026 released its "Recommendations for Oregon's Long-Term Competitiveness and Prosperity” report. The report is designed to provide advice to the Governor on achieving three prosperity goals for Oregon:

1) Accelerate Oregon’s economic growth

2) Create more living wage jobs, now

3) Retain and grow Oregon businesses

Relevant to H2OEO and the Lower Umatilla Basin, the report calls for the state to:

Establish enforceable statewide permitting timelines and guardrails (a “shot clock”).

• Predictable permitting timelines are important for businesses to perform project planning and make financial investments. Capital projects and investments in new or existing businesses often occur in response to market forces. Time is of the essence when dealing with the market, and predictable timeframes ensure project costs are certain (costs only rise over time) and that investments are prudent. I have worked on several projects where the decision to locate to one state or another was dependent on investment timing and permitting predictability.

• Additionally, many environmental protection regulations require a permit before changes are made to a municipal or industrial facility. Permittees seeking to improve environmental protection by upgrading treatment technology and reducing environmental impacts often must wait for permits from regulators to install these upgrades. Predictable permitting timeframes will allow for timely and increased environmental protection.

Reduce regulatory and administrative burdens by 20% by 2029 while maintaining environmental protection.

• Many regulations are out of date, duplicative, or impose requirements that do not provide meaningful environmental protections. Reducing regulatory burdens while ensuring Oregon’s natural environment is protected is a win-win for Oregon because it protects our environment, reduces workload burdens on state agencies, and reduces costs for businesses.

Establish a dedicated and recurring site readiness and infrastructure fund of $250 million per biennium and modernize statutes and state policies governing land intended for industrial and business growth.

• As stated earlier, investments in new or existing businesses often occur in response to market forces. Having a dedicated system to ensure Oregon is ready to receive investments in a timely manner is important for businesses looking to locate or expand in Oregon.

Many reports and initiatives such as this are implemented by Executive Order. For example, New Jersey’s Governor recently issued Executive Order EO-5, directing state agencies to take many actions similar to what the Prosperity Council recommends.

What actions Oregon takes in light of the Prosperity Council’s report has not yet been determined. However, the above recommendations are a strong starting point for making Oregon more prosperous and attractive to new industries.

You can find out more about the Prosperity Council and view its final report on the Governor’s Prosperity Council web page.