Do you love where you live?
Are you interested in protecting natural spaces, plants, and animals in your area?
Are you passionate about locally grown food?
Do you want to give back to your community?
Would you like a say in how tax dollars are spent?
If so, West Multnomah SWCD’s Board of Directors could be the place for you to serve the public while you share your thoughts and expertise!
On November 3, 2026, Multnomah County will hold a general election that includes Board of Director positions for West Multnomah SWCD. As does East Multnomah SWCD, if you live outside of our District bounds but within the county.
Seven elected members make up our board. Five of these members are Zone directors who represent a specific part of the District. The other two members are At-Large directors who represent the District overall. All positions serve a four-year term.
Above, a picture of some of the District’s board and associate board members, in August 2025.
Three director positions will be open for election in November 2026, with terms beginning January 1, 2027:
Zone 4 – representing the area bounded on the west by the Washington County line, to the north by Cornelius Pass and Newberry Roads, including all properties south of those roads. Bounded to the east by the Willamette River and to the south by West Burnside.
Zone 5 – representing the area south of West Burnside. The east boundary is the Willamette River; on the south it is the Clackamas County line; and on the west, it is the Washington County line.
At-Large – representing the District overall.
Learn How to Join Our Board
We’re co-hosting a virtual info session on June 9 at 6pm, where we’ll walk through of the basics of what a Soil and Water Conservation District board director does, what qualifications are needed, and what steps candidates need to take to get on the ballot and get elected. Hear from Directors who’ve just started to serve and who’ve served for many years. You are sure to walk away feeling inspired and ready to take the next step in becoming an elected Director of a Soil and Water Conservation District!
This event will be hosted in collaboration with East Multnomah SWCD, Marion SWCD, Clackamas SWCD, and Upper Willamette SWCD (Lane County), so feel free to invite your friends in neighboring towns and counties.
What does a board director do?
Board members help guide West Multnomah SWCD by working with district leadership to establish policy and strategies. Specific duties include ensuring fiscal responsibility, adopting the budget, attending board and committee meetings, representing West Multnomah SWCD at local and regional events, and helping set the strategic direction for the organization. Read more about our current Board of Directors.
A diversity of lived experiences, identities, and skill sets among board members helps us provide communities in our District with useful services. While conservation is core to our mission, West Multnomah SWCD is strengthened when board members bring expertise in a variety of fields, whether from professional or lived experience, such as community organizing, outreach, education, financial management, business, human resources, public service, agriculture, environmental services, and more.
Am I eligible to run for a director position?
At-large directors must reside within the boundaries of the conservation district and be a registered voter in the District. Zone directors must be registered voters and reside within the specific zone they represent.
Please note that there is no longer a land-ownership or land-management requirement for Board Directors. Anyone who is a registered voter in the District and lives in the District is eligible to run.
The West Multnomah SWCD office can help you determine if you are eligible for an at-large position or a zone position. Email info@wmswcd.org if you’re unsure.
How to file as a candidate
- Candidates must submit their “Petition for Nomination Signature Sheet” to the local county elections official for signature verification with a minimum of 10 registered electors that reside within the boundaries of the district before submitting it to Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA). Those signatures can be collected anytime before the candidate’s filing deadline. Please note: The County Clerk does NOT submit your petition to ODA for you; see next step
- Candidates must retrieve their certified “Petition for Nomination Signature Sheet” from the county elections official to submit it and the Declaration of Candidacy form, to ODA by between 8 am on July 16 and 5 pm on August 25, 2026 (for incumbents the deadline is August 18th at 5pm).
Submissions can be sent by email to sandi.hiatt@oda.orgegon.gov or by mail to:
Oregon Dept. of Agriculture
Attn: Grants Administrative Officer
635 Capitol St. NE, Suite 100
Salem OR 97301
Please see the full guidance on running for an SWCD director position, including links to all required candidate forms, in the SWCD Candidate Resource Page provided by Oregon Department of Agriculture.
Candidates may also choose to file a Candidate Statement for the Multnomah County Voter’s Pamphlet. This is not required to run, but lets voters get to know you and your stances. This form is filed through Multnomah County, not through ODA.
Important Dates 2026
- June 9 – online information session about joining our Board of Directors
- July 16 – First day to file Declaration of Candidacy & Petition for Nomination.
- August 18 – Last day for an incumbent candidate seeking reelection to the same office (same District and Zone seat) to file their Declaration of Candidacy and Petition for Nomination Forms to ODA by 5pm.
- August 25
- Last day to file Declaration of Candidacy & Petition for Nomination to ODA by 5pm, for non-incumbent candidates.
- Last day to file a Candidate Statement for the Multnomah County Voter’s Pamphlet.
- August 26 – First day for district candidate to file the Declaration of Intent and Request for Write-In Votes to be Tallied Form with ODA. Candidates must file this paperwork and it must be accepted for a write-in campaign to result in election of that candidate. Write-ins will not be considered for positions for which there is a candidate formally running (using the above process).
- October 20 – Last day for district candidate to file Declaration of Intent and Request For Write-In Votes to be Tallied Form with ODA no later than 5 pm.
- November 3 – Election Day
- January 1, 2027 – First day of Director term
Please note, these dates, paperwork, and rules are only applicable Soil & Water Conservation District Board of Directors seats. If you are interested in running for other public offices, make sure to check their process with the relevant jurisdictions.
Join a board meeting to see what it’s like!
Our board meetings are held every month on Zoom, typically at 6pm on the 3rd Tuesday of the month. Email info@wmswcd.org to get notification and the Zoom link to join, so you can get a sense of the meetings. Our agendas and minutes are also posted on our site.
Questions?
If you have more questions, contact Sandi Hiatt from Oregon Dept. of Agriculture: 971-301-3605, sandi.hiatt@oda.oregon.gov.
