Working together to enhance
our region

The Southwest Washington Regional Transportation Planning Organization Regional Trails Plan public survey is closed. If you have input for the effort please send to cwcog@cwcog.org.

Upon request, surveys are available on paper or in other languages. Questions may be directed to CWCOG by regular mail at PO Box 128, Kelso, WA 98626; via email to cwcog@cwcog.org.

The CWCOG has a highly varied work program with initiatives undertaken in the areas of long and short-term regional and local planning, transportation and economic development planning, community development, technical assistance, and a wide array of contractual services.

If you are looking for a diverse and challenging position and want to live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, then the CWCOG might be the place for you!

Click the button below to check out our current openings.

No Grant Applications are currently available. 

NEW for 2024: The CWCOG is moving to a four-day work week. New office hours are 8:30AM to 5:00PM Monday through Thursday. All staff work a modified remote work schedule but are always available during regular business hours. Please call the main office phone to be connected to any one of our staff. 

NEW WORKSHOP! ENTREPRENEUR ACTION PLAN

Are you thinking of starting a small business? Training for small business start-ups is available through a five-week program beginning April 25. The training will be hands-on and provide the details and resources necessary to start your business. Meet with local business experts weekly and gain the knowledge to get your dream business rolling. Additional information is available here.

Registration can be completed through the Lower Columbia College Portal.

2023-2028 COMPREHENSIVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY

The Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Council of Governments (CWCOG) Board of Directors approved the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) on August 24, 2023. The CEDS is a regional economic-development plan for the two-county region of Cowlitz and Wahkiakum Counties. The plan outlines a strategy for the region through a series of goals and objectives and includes descriptions of projects and partnerships to meet those goals and objectives. The CEDS planning process is supported by a grant from the Economic Development Administration (EDA).

The final CEDS is available online here.

In compliance with RCW 42.56, The Washington Public Records Act, the CWCOG records request application is available. For viewing and/or copying public records, click the button below for a printable request form. Please return this via email or USPS to access records maintained by the CWCOG.

AVAILABILITY AND PUBLIC COMMENT FOR THE DRAFT 2025 UNIFIED PLANNING WORK PROGRAM

The Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Council of Governments (CWCOG), as the Longview Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization and lead agency for the Southwest Washington Regional Transportation Planning Organization, invites the public to review and comment on the draft 2025 Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP).

The UPWP identifies tasks the CWCOG’s regional transportation planning program will work on during the next fiscal year July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025. Included is the program budget outlining how federal and state transportation funding is planned to be spent. The work program is developed by CWCOG staff in cooperation with regional cities, counties, ports, transit agencies, Washington State Department of Transportation, and Oregon Department of Transportation. The CWCOG Board of Directors is scheduled to consider adoption of the 2025 UPWP on May 23, 2024. After adoption, the 2025 UPWP will be submitted to the Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration for final approval.

Beginning April 25, 2024, the Draft 2025 UPWP will be available online or by calling the CWCOG office at (360) 577-3041 for document pickup at 207 4^th Avenue N., Administration Annex Building, Second Floor, Kelso WA. Questions may be directed to Robert Stevens, Senior Transportation Planner, by regular mail – PO Box 128, Kelso WA 98626 or via email – cwcog@cwcog.org. Close date for comments is May 9, 2024 at 5:00 pm.

The CWCOG operates in accordance with all applicable federal and state laws, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, age or disability.

Those persons with limited English Proficiency may request language assistance through oral, visual, and/or written translation at no cost to the individual.

For assistance or questions regarding the CWCOG’s Title VI or Limited English Proficiency policies or to file a complaint, please contact the Agency’s Title VI Coordinator at (360) 577-3041.