TILLAMOOK ESTUARIES PARTNERSHIP

Tillamook Estuaries Partnership is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and one of only 28 National Estuary Programs in the country. Born out of the Clean Water Act, the National Estuary Program is focused on bays of national significance. What makes this program unique, is that it started as a local grassroots effort when community leaders gathered in the early 1990's to find solutions to the challenges Tillamook Bay was facing - degraded water quality, shellfish harvest closures, declining salmon populations, and key habitat loss. After a significant flood event in 1996, the environmental impacts from flooding were also added to the list of challenges. The community developed a Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan over a 5- year period and in 1999, we were officially recognized as a National Estuary Program. Over the last 16 years, we have made significant strides in improving water quality and restoring habitat for fish and wildlife species. We also expanded our study area to include all of the estuaries (5) in our county. We partner with over 30 entities at any given time on projects to fulfill our mission. We could not do it without them!!