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NEW MEMBER PROFILE
Port of Brookings Harbor
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lready regarded as one of the most popular destinations on the Oregon coast for recreational boating, fishing, and RVing (not to mention a substantial commercial fishing fleet), the Port of Brookings Harbor will be undergoing “portaltering” changes over the next few years that will see its popularity soar even higher. With a well-thought-out strategic plan, a FEMA project grant, and State and County partners, Port Manager Gary Dehlinger and his team, along with their five-member Port Commission have prioritized a number of projects that will not only improve current infrastructure but will position the Port for expansion well into the future. With a career as a project engineer in Southern California before taking on the role of Port Manager for the past five years, Dehlinger is well-suited to see the initiatives come to fruition.
...the Port of Brookings Harbor will be undergoing “portaltering” changes over the next few years that will see its popularity soar even higher. Background
Situated at the mouth of the Chetco River, just north of the California/ Oregon border, the Port of Brookings Harbor can trace its roots back to the turn of the 20th century when the Brookings Lumber and Box Company built the town around its lumber manufacturing plant and shallow-water harbor. Fast forward 100 years and lumber has been replaced by a robust commercial fishing industry along with a 520slip marina, a sizeable RV Park, over 30 retail shops and restaurants, and storage and receiving-dock leases. Through the 2010s, the Port saw more than its share of natural disasters. Having
just recovered from a tsunami in 2011, the Chetco Bar Fire in 2017 burned over 191,000 acres of surrounding land, leaving loose soil on the slopes. Two subsequent rain events in 2019 made short work of the slopes and brought down about 40,000 cubic yards of sediment. “The events were declared disasters and we were able to access FEMA funding to assist with dredging, reconstruction and repair,” said Dehlinger, adding that additional grants, loans, and partnerships round out funding solutions that will allow the Port to implement an ambitious action plan that will see significant improvements to the marina and RV park as well as a new wastewater
April 2021 — PACIFIC PORTS — 39
