Office Location: 650 Hawthorne Ave SE, Ste # 130 Salem, OR 97301-5894 We are located in the Salem USDA Service Center Phone: (503) 391-9927 Fax: (503) 399-5799 E-mail: marion.swcd@oacd.org Office Photo and Map

Director Roles & Responsibilities

District board members do not have individual powers or authorities. An individual board member has power only when acting as a part of the district board. Effective boards work cooperatively as a unit to plan and oversee implementation of their district's programs. District boards set up their own administrative structure and committees, as needed. The state statutes require, at a minimum, that a chair and secretary should be selected from among the directors. The Marion SWCD board elects a chairperson, vice chairperson and a secretary/treasurer each year in the January board meeting.

Individual board members may be given authority to act on behalf of the board in specific, limited tasks such as: staff supervision, project management, serving as spokesperson, and signing documents.  Customary duties and responsibilities of all individual board members include:

• Attend and actively participate in all board meetings
• Come to meetings prepared
• Carry out committee responsibilities
• Help with district functions and events
• Participate in trainings and area/state meetings of the Oregon Association of Conservation Districts
• Keep abreast of local conservation issues
• Promote the district's work to local landowners, constituents, agencies, and organizations
• Promote the district's work to legislators and other decision makers regarding district funding

To learn more about what it means to be a director, click here.
To download the Director Job Description, click here.

Director Eligibility

"District director" is the title given to persons who are elected or appointed to serve on a conservation district board.  To ensure proper representation in a district, each district is divided into legally-defined zones. Directors are elected or appointed from those different areas of the district. By statute, ORS 568.560, a seven-member board must have five zone director positions and two at-large positions.

Zone Directors

You may become a zone director by:

• Owning or managing 10 or more acres of land in the district. You may either reside within the zone represented or own or manage 10 or more acres within the zone that is being represented and actively manage the property.
• Being involved in the active management of your property
• Residing within the boundaries of the district, and
• Being a registered voter

Or you may become a zone director by:

• Residing within the zone that is represented
• Serving at least one year as a director or associate director of a district, and
• Having a conservation plan approved by the conservation district board

At-Large Directors

You may become an at-large director by:

• Residing within the boundaries of the conservation district, and
• Being a registered voter

There are no land ownership or management requirements for at-large positions.

District Boundaries

The Marion SWCD encompasses the majority of Marion County, Oregon. The western half of the district includes the Willamette Valley, with the Willamette River creating the western boundary. The eastern portion of the district contains rolling foothills and the forested Cascade mountains. The Marion SWCD is composed of five separate zones covering different geographical and topographical features. The map below shows the boundaries of the zones (a description of each zone is located below the map). For a printable map, click here and for a more detailed description of the boundaries click here.

The zones of the District are defined as follows:

Zone 1 - the area west of I-5 to the Willamette River and north of Lockhaven Dr to the northern county line
Zone 2 - the area east of I-5 to the county line, north of Brooklake Rd, Center Rd, Nusom Rd, and Highway 213, which run east from Brooks
Zone 3 - the area west of Cascade Highway to the Willamette River, north of Highway 22 and the Township 7S/8S dividing line to the southern boundaries of Zones 1 & 2
Zone 4 - the area south of Highway 22 and the Township 7S/8S dividing line to the southern county line, west of Cascade Highway
Zone 5 - the area east of Cascade Highway and southeast of Highway 213 all the way to the the northern, eastern and southern county lines

If you are unable to determine which zone you are in, feel free to stop by our office or give us a call at 503-391-9927.

Director Elections

In Oregon, conservation district directors are elected in the November General Election held on even-numbered years.  District directors serve four-year terms and begin serving their terms in January following their election. Director positions are elected in "staggered" terms to provide continuity on the board and maintain operational consistency. A district board may appoint a person to fill a board vacancy between elections.

Although directors are elected by the local residents, they do serve in a voluntary capacity. Directors are not paid for their time and services, however they may be reimbursed for specific costs incurred while doing official district business.

The Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) Natural Resources Division is the elections filing officer for the Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) director elections. Elections for SWCD directors occur every two years. The next General Election is scheduled for Tuesday, November 2, 2010.

ODA’s Natural Resources Division oversees the conservation district elections process. Candidates and districts must follow specific guidelines to advertise the elections and to have candidates’ applications processed and placed on the ballot. ODA notifies the districts and county clerks which positions are to be on the ballot for election, the procedures to follow, and deadlines needing to be met.

Candidates and districts are responsible to submit the appropriate paperwork to the local county clerk and to ODA.

• For additional information and forms regarding SWCD Director Elections click here
• The 2010 SWCD Director Elections Calendar is available here

Associate Directors

Conservation districts capabilities are expanded by associate directors. Associate directors are appointed by the board and they do not vote on board decisions.  However, they can augment the board's knowledge and experience level as well as assist with programs and activities. An associate director serves until January 1 in odd numbered years. Every two years, district boards should reappoint those directors who are interested in continuing and who have contributed sufficiently to the district's conservation efforts.

General SWCD Information

More information about Oregon's Soil and Water conservation District's can be found on the following resource websites:

• Oregon Department of Agriculture's SWCD site - http://www.oregon.gov/ODA/SWCD/
• Oregon Association of Conservation Districts - http://www.oacd.org
• Oregon Natural Resource Conservation Service - http://www.or.nrcs.usda.gov/

Some information on this page was taken from the Oregon Soil and Water Conservation District Guidebook, "A Guide to Operations and Management."

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The Marion SWCD is an equal opportunity employer, providing services to the public without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political belief, sexual orientation, and marital or family status.

Website designed and maintained by the Marion SWCD

Marion Soil and Water Conservation District
650 Hawthorne Avenue SE, Suite 130
Salem, OR 97301
Phone: (503) 391-9927
Fax: (503) 399-5799
E-mail: marion.swcd@oacd.org
Hours: 8:00am - 5:00pm, Monday thru Friday (except federal holidays)

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