Following major flooding in Oregon's coastal town of Tillamook in 2006 and 2007, Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski designated an Oregon Solutions project to prioritize projects on the ground that would alleviate the social, economic, and political damage such floods cause. Former Tillamook City Manager Dick Townsend, the Oregon Solutons project manager, explained that the process would "allow all affected parties to sit at the table and work on sustainable solutions to Tillamook Basin flooding. The Oregon Solutions process can also assist in coordinating affected state agency efforts, and provides an opportunity to have federal agencies at the table as partners." Two local leaders, State Senator Betsy Johnson and Tillamook County Commissioner Mark Labhart, are convening this effort. The Oregon Solutions Team signed a Declaration of Cooperation on October 31, 2007 that outlines the top prioritized projects to reduce flooding and its impacts, including how funding and permits might be obtained. Since last fall, the team has been working to implement the 9 priority projects.
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