What the District does
The East Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District is a small local government. It covers the part of Multnomah County east of the Willamette River: Portland, Gresham, Troutdale, Fairview, Wood Village, and the farms and forests out past Corbett toward the Columbia River Gorge.
Its job is to take care of the land and water in that area. It gets its money from property taxes, about $6.4 million a year, which works out to about $53 a year for the owner of an average Portland home. Five elected board members decide how to spend it.
Restoring creeks
Crews plant trees and pull weeds along Johnson Creek, Beaver Creek, and other streams so the water stays clean and cool. This maintenance is free for the people who own land along the creek.
Helping new farmers
Headwaters Farm in Gresham gives new farmers a place to begin. They rent a small plot, share tools and equipment, and build a business before moving on to land of their own.
Keeping farmland as farmland
When a farm is at risk of being sold off for warehouses, data centers, or housing, the District can buy it, attach a permanent rule that the land stays a farm, and sell it at a discount to a farmer. It has done this for 14 farms so far.
Awarding grants for community projects
Schools, nonprofits, and neighborhood groups can apply for funding for things like community gardens, planting trees, and outdoor classes for kids. In 2024, the District gave about $1 million to 26 groups.
Why I'm running
I grew up in East Portland. Like my neighbors, I have watched my water bill climb while data centers get huge tax breaks. These are policy choices, and the District's board makes some of them.
I have spent over 20 years fighting for East County: chairing Portland's Planning Commission, leading Oregon Walks as its first executive director, and working with communities in the state legislature. On this board, I will continue to fight for a region where we all can thrive.
What I will work for
Protect the farmland that feeds us.
Farms in East County are being sold off and paved over for warehouses and data centers. The District can buy those farms and keep them in farming for good, and Headwaters Farm can help more new farmers get going. I'll push for both, with extra attention to farmers who have had the hardest time getting land.
Keep pollution out of our streams.
Johnson Creek, Beaver Creek, and the Columbia Slough run right through our neighborhoods. When the water is clean and shaded by trees, salmon come back and fewer basements flood. The District already does this work for free. I'll make sure it reaches the parts of East County that are still waiting.
Guard our water from data centers demanding more of it.
Big data centers use enormous amounts of water, the same water we drink and farm with. This board has a say in how that water gets used, and I'll use it.
Spend the money where it's needed most.
During the 2021 heat wave, my zip code in Lents had more deaths from the heat than any other zip code in Portland. The blocks with the fewest trees got the hottest. The District's grants can plant those trees, build community gardens in places where fresh food is far away, and bring paid work managing waterways to East County. I'll work to send that money here.
"I've run a CSA farm feeding about 500 families for over a decade in the Metro area. I know that Steph has the knowledge and passion to help us protect farming and the Oregon way. I am proud to endorse her."
Aaron Nichols, Stoneboat Farm
How to vote
If you live in Multnomah County east of the Willamette River, this race is on your ballot. Look for Soil & Water Conservation District near the end of your ballot.
If you need to register or update your address, the deadline is October 13 at oregonvotes.gov.
Join us
- Knock on doors with Steph in your neighborhood
- Host a coffee or a house party for your neighbors
- Put up a yard sign
- Add your name to the list of people endorsing Steph
- Ask a group you belong to for its endorsement
- Tell three people this race is on their ballot
