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Measure 20-312 Seeks Permanent Funding For Soil And Water Conservation

Rachael McDonald

A measureon the ballot in most of Lane County would provide reliable funding for the Upper Willamette Soil and Water Conservation District.

Al Hrynyshyn is Board chair of the Upper Willamette Soil and Water Conservation District. He said they work with landowners and other partners to make sure land and water in Central and Eastern Lane County is safe, healthy and clean.

“Lane County’s an awesome place to live.” Hrynyshyn said, “It’s a marvelous place. And a lot of it’s because of these great natural resources that we have and we protect 2 of the 3. We protect the water, we protect the soil, and, in a roundabout way, that helps protect the air too.”

The district is currently funded through lottery dollars, which Hrynyshyn says are not reliable. If passed, Measure 20-312 would impose a tax of up to 7 cents per $1000 of property value. Funds help expand the work of the conservation district. Hrynyshyn said they surveyed residents on what they want from the conservation district earlier this year, pre-pandemic and before the Holiday Farm Fire.

“Eighty percent of people we surveyed said their biggest concern for us was how do we make our neighborhoods resilient and sustainable in the face of change." Hrynyshyn said. "And they were specifically talking about wildfire mitigation in this so-called wildland urban interface.”

Hrynyshyn said if Measure 20-312 is approved, that would allow them to do more to help rebuild from the Holiday Farm Fire and prepare for future wildfires. They also work with schools, landowners, and other partners in protecting water and soil in central and eastern Lane County. 

Copyright 2020 KLCC. 

Rachael McDonald is KLCC’s host for All Things Considered on weekday afternoons. She also is the editor of the KLCC Extra, the daily digital newspaper. Rachael has a BA in English from the University of Oregon. She started out in public radio as a newsroom volunteer at KLCC in 2000.
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