Dean P. Moberg is the only candidate for At-Large Position 2 on the Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District board in the Tuesday, Nov. 3 election.

The nonpartisan seat is one of four TSWCD board positions on the ballot, according to the district's elections page. The other three are Zone 3, Zone 4 and Zone 5. No candidate filed for Zone 3.

As we reported Oct. 16, Moberg is seeking reelection to the seat he first won in November 2020. He was reelected in 2022, according to his campaign biography. Terms for the new positions begin Jan. 1, 2027.

The Tualatin SWCD serves all of Washington County. Its seven-member board includes five zone directors representing specific parts of the county and two at-large directors elected countywide.

Board members are volunteers who serve four-year terms, according to the district's board page.

Moberg's record and priorities

Moberg lives in the Cedar Mill area with his wife, Sara Pascoe, a retired family nurse practitioner. He retired in March 2020 after a 35-year career with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). His final 25 years were based in Hillsboro, where he worked closely with the Tualatin SWCD, according to his campaign site.

He holds a bachelor's degree in plant science from UC Davis, a master's in teaching from Cornell University and a Ph.D. in environmental science and engineering from Oregon Health & Science University.

On the Oregon Association of Conservation Districts website, Moberg describes himself as the district's at-large director and treasurer. He also runs a small consulting company called Gash Gold Vermilion Natural Resources Consulting and serves on the Cedar Mill Farmers Market board.

During his USDA career, Moberg helped develop a partnership in which the TSWCD, USDA and Clean Water Services work with farmers to plant native trees and shrubs along the Tualatin River and its tributaries. Farmers have planted along more than 50 miles of streambank through that program, according to his campaign site.

On his priorities page, Moberg lists climate adaptation, protecting the Tualatin River from pollution, conserving water, supporting pollinator and songbird habitat, and maintaining family farms and forests as key concerns. He also calls for recruiting people from underserved communities to participate in district planning and to consider running for the board.

Other TSWCD races

The Banks Post reported that the Zone 4 race features incumbent Olivia Duren, while Zone 5 has two candidates: Ethan VanderZanden and Laura Graham. Every voter in the district votes on every seat.

Ballots are due Nov. 3.