Olivia Duren, the incumbent Zone 4 director on the Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) board, faces no challenger on the Nov. 3 general election ballot.

Duren, a Gaston resident, has held the Zone 4 seat since 2022, according to the district's website. Zone 4 covers Scholls, Laurelwood and portions of Cornelius, Forest Grove and Aloha. The new term would run from Jan. 1, 2027, through 2030.

She has worked as restoration program manager at The Freshwater Trust since 2013, according to BallotReady election data. Before that, she worked as a biologist and botanist at Tetra Tech from 2011 to 2013.

In a Q&A posted by The Freshwater Trust, Duren described her professional work as designing "restoration programs that provide common-sense approaches to river conservation." She said she became a director to support SWCD staff in advancing their mission for the Tualatin watershed and its communities, according to her profile on the district's website.

Other SWCD races on the ballot

Four of the seven board seats are up for election. No candidate filed for Zone 3, which covers Forest Grove and the northwest part of the county. In Zone 5, Ethan VanderZanden and Laura Graham are competing for the seat. Dean P. Moberg, the incumbent, is the sole candidate for At-Large Position 2.

Every registered voter in the district votes on every SWCD seat, not just the zone where they live, according to the Banks Post.

How to return your ballot

Washington County Elections mailed ballots to all registered voters starting Oct. 14. Voted ballots must be returned by 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Mailed ballots must be postmarked on or before Nov. 3 and received within seven calendar days after Election Day. No postage is needed at an official drop site.

Local drop boxes include Tigard City Hall at 13125 SW Hall Blvd. and Tualatin City Hall at 18880 SW Martinazzi Ave. Washington County has 21 drop locations total, all accessible 24 hours a day. A full list is available at WashCoVotes.org.

The SWCD board meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m., and meetings are open to the public.