The Port’s boundaries include the Coos Bay harbor, which has been critical to the development of the region, serving as the multimodal connection point for logs, lumber, and woodchips produced by the region’s mills, and the watershed of the Coos and Millacoma Rivers. While the timber industry is smaller than it once was, it is still a major source of jobs in the region.
The Port serves as a facilitator to the harbor’s maritime industry and as an economic development and transportation advocacy organization, promoting marine and industrial growth throughout southwest Oregon and the state, and economic activity in national and international markets. As of 2015, the Port offers diverse facilities and infrastructure to support the regional economy, including a large commercial fishing fleet based at the Charleston Marina, which is part of a complex that includes the Charleston Ice Dock, the Charleston Boatyard, the Charleston Marina RV Park, and a U.S. Coast Guard installation. These facilities serve various market segments, including commercial fishing and seafood processing, recreational fishing and boating, tourism, and a growing retail and commercial sector. In addition to tenants of the Port, a number of fish processing firms in the port district depend on the local fleet for their raw product.