November 3, 2026
Write in Raz Mason
Conservation District
At-Large Position 2
I’m running to help care for the extraordinary natural and agricultural resources of Wasco County — our soils and working lands, streams and riparian areas, forests, wildlife habitat, and water — and to support the farmers, ranchers, landowners, staff, agencies, and communities doing the practical work of conservation and restoration.
Why I’m running ↓
At-Large Position 2
Caring for the systems that sustain us
Soil, water, farms and ranches, forests, riparian areas, wildlife habitat, and resilient communities are not separate concerns. They are parts of the same living system.
I want to serve on the Wasco County Soil & Water Conservation District board because I value the locally grounded, cooperative work the district makes possible: bringing people, knowledge, funding, and technical resources together to conserve and restore the lands and waters on which both ecosystems and livelihoods depend.
I’m especially interested in soil health, water security, riparian and forest resilience, working lands, habitat, wildfire preparedness, and community resilience in a county shaped by agriculture, water constraints, fire, and changing environmental conditions.
Local conservation, practical assistance
Wasco County SWCD works cooperatively with landowners, agencies, organizations, and communities to promote conservation and wise use of natural resources. Its work connects local needs with technical assistance, conservation planning, restoration, education, partnerships, and financial resources.
Soil & working lands
Supporting soil health, erosion control, agricultural conservation, and productive working landscapes.
Water, streams & riparian areas
Advancing water conservation and quality, riparian restoration, monitoring, and watershed projects.
Forests, habitat & resilience
Supporting restoration, wildlife habitat, wildfire resilience, and partnerships that strengthen the wider landscape.
Science, agriculture, education and resilience
My background crosses several of the worlds that meet in conservation work. I have taught introductory biology, geology, and ecology, and during the COVID-19 pandemic taught agriculture online. I am also a member of Oregon Women for Agriculture.
Today I am founder and principal consultant of CompreSec LLC, where I work in risk management, safety, resilience, and protective planning. My broader experience includes education, nonprofit leadership, climate-change education, community facilitation, and public service.
I bring a systems-oriented perspective: looking at how land, water, people, infrastructure, institutions, and changing conditions interact, and asking what practical steps can help protect and restore the whole.
Wasco County: land, water and community
From the Columbia River and orchards of the Gorge to dryland wheat, rangeland, forests, river canyons and high desert, Wasco County brings together an extraordinary range of working lands and natural systems. Conservation here is practical, local work — sustaining the landscapes that sustain us.
Stewardship in Wasco County means caring for working lands and natural systems together — protecting soil and water, restoring habitat and riparian areas, strengthening forest and wildfire resilience, and supporting the people whose livelihoods are rooted in the land.
A stewardship approach to board service
Listen before prescribing
Farmers, ranchers, landowners, staff, Tribal communities, conservation partners, and residents hold knowledge that matters.
Think in systems
Water, soil, forests, agriculture, infrastructure, habitat, economics, and community resilience affect one another.
Protect and restore
Good stewardship includes conserving what is healthy while helping damaged lands, waterways, and habitat recover.
Use resources wisely
Conservation districts can connect local priorities with expertise, partnerships, grants, and programs that multiply what communities can accomplish.
My 2022 campaign for Oregon Senate District 26
Explore my 2022 SD-26 campaign: endorsements, positions, campaign report & successes.