Port of Everett

It may not be as large as the portsof Seattle or Tacoma, Wash., but the Port of Everett says it is a thriving operation in the Puget Sound Region. Located in Everett, Wash., it is the state’s second-largest seaport by economic output and the fifth-largest port on the West Coast by export value.

Local citizens established the port in 1918 to meet business growth and the need for goods. Nearly 100 years later, “The Port of Everett strives to bring jobs, business and tourism to its local and surrounding communities,” it says, adding that it is still “committed to efficiently moving goods into and throughout Washington state and the world.”

With its location closer to Asian markets than facilities in California, the port says it can take on a range of cargo, such as aerospace parts, heavy machinery, construction equipment, and bulk and containerized commodities. It is the entry point for 100 percent of oversized parts for the 747, 767 and 777 airplane programs.

Additionally, the port’s maritime activity is a strong economic contributor to Snohomish County. It supports more than 35,000 jobs and generates approximately $4.1 billion in business spending and $249 million in taxes.

Promoting Regional Vitality

The port has a portfolio of properties that allow it to offer locations for businesses and meeting places. “Our real estate assets include industrial, commercial and office space, as well as moorage lands and buildings,” it says.

“Through the development of our real estate, we aim to promote regional economic vitality and job creation, generate new revenue for the port and enhance the built and natural environment,” the port says, noting that it has facilities on more than 3,000 acres. “These sites provide potential lessees prime development locations within convenient reach of key freeways, transit facilities, rail lines and recreation.”

Improving Habitats

Port of Everett also takes part in environmental projects, including the construction of the Union Slough Saltmarsh Mitigation Site, which it constructed. “After a 2005 expansion, it is now a 24-acre estuarine marsh mudflat habitat, located in the Snohomish River estuary,” the port says.

“Thanks to the diligent work of former Port of Everett Engineer Jack Olson, the Union Slough Saltmarsh Mitigation Project won the 2001 American Association of Port Authorities Environmental Improvement Award under the mitigation category,” the port says. The project is dedicated to Olson, who died in 2003.

Another project is Jetty Island, a man-made island made of dredge sediment. The port gained ownership of the island in 1929 and a new marsh was built on its west side 60 years later.

“The original dredged material is more than 100 years old and has been added to over time as the result of maintenance dredging of the Snohomish River Federal Navigation Channel,” the port says, noting that the island protects the harbor and the navigation channel that stems down the Snohomish River.

Its projects also include a new beach for habitat mitigation and better public access along the Mount Baker Terminal in Everett. “With these improvements, the beach is now accessible at all tide levels,” it continues, noting that the restoration is an environmental success. “After an environmental review, the area was determined to be flourishing with juvenile salmon, forage fish and numerous water birds.”