Serving the Mid-Columbia region of Oregon and Washington, providing regional economic development and business assistance.Mid–Columbia Economic Development District

Mid Columbia Economic Development District strives to promote the creation of family-wage jobs, the diversification of the economic base, and the growth, development and retention of business and industry in Hood River, Wasco, Sherman, Klickitat and Skamania Counties

MCEDD is organized as a government non-profit in Oregon as an ORS-190 and in Washington through RCW 39.34.010.

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Broadband Action Planning in Klickitat & Skamania Counties

March 29, 2023 –   The Washington State Broadband Office and WSU Extension are leading a statewide effort to develop broadband action and digital equity plans at the County level  that will include local concerns, challenges, and opportunities into the statewide planning process.  This is a requirement that the state of Washington must meet in order to access federal funds that are designated for broadband deployment as well as meeting digital equity and inclusion requirements. This effort by the state of Washington will provide access to approximately $900 million in infrastructure funding that will be disbursed from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration over the next five years. These funds were provided through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill. MCEDD is working in partnership with Klickitat and Skamania Counties to support their participation in this statewide broadband planning effort!  MCEDD will be coordinating county-level Broadband Action Teams and conducting outreach to partners around broadband infrastructure availability and needs.  This outreach and planning will support the utilization and adoption of broadband technology for the whole community and will provide tremendous economic benefits at all levels: personal, business and community services including health, fire, emergency and education. Broadband planning sessions with the Community Councils in Klickitat and Skamania Counties are scheduled through April and May.  If you are a Washington Gorge resident interested in participating in this process, feel free to reach out to Carrie at Carrie@mcedd.org for further details.   [Continue Reading]

GOrge Regional Transit Strategy Update

February 3, 2023 – The purpose of the Gorge Regional Transit Strategy is to develop a roadmap for a regionally coordinated and integrated public transportation system in the rural 5-county, bi-state region adjacent to the large metropolitan areas of Portland/Vancouver. Phase I concluded in Winter 2021 and focused on strengthening partnerships, analyzing local transportation plans in the Columbia Gorge, and developing a collective regional vision and goals.  MCEDD’s Senior Mobility Manager, Kathy Fitzpatrick, is leading the current work on Phase II, developing the vision map and moving towards operationalizing the vision with the input that is being gathered from ongoing meetings with stakeholders. The process is highly complex and involved, with four different transportation agencies spread over five counties in the two-state area. The Strategy will be completed in July 2023 and will provide the region with a roadmap to a regional transit system that will give our residents the mobility to access work, school, recreation, and essential services.  For more complete information and the project timeline, visit the Gorge Translink website.   [Continue Reading]

MCEDD

802 Chenowith Loop Rd,
The Dalles, OR 97058
Phone: (541) 296-2266

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