About Us   

Cliff and Gay Hall own Luckiamute Meadows Farm through which two creeks and a river run. Located next to the Kings Valley Charter School, it has been used for agricultural, wildlife and environmental school projects. "The kids have planted trees here, and they can look out the window and see the elk. They use this whole area as &133an outdoor classroom. They use the creek to look for fish and snails."

Hall has been on the Benton Soil & Water Conservation District board for three years, work he began as a way to return a favor. The District helped him restore riparian, wetland and prairie habitat for elk, birds, waterfowl, trout and steelhead that are native to his property's land and streams. The Halls were awarded BSWCD's 2002 Cooperator of the Year Award for their efforts. "When they asked me to be on the board, I could hardly refuse," he said.

Now retired, Hall was a Corvallis doctor since 1973. He bought the former sheep ranch in 1999 and has recently expanded his original 78-acre feeder calf ranch to about 160 acres, allowing him to increase his feeder operation to 50 calves. Nearly half of his acres are now in the federal Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program. He uses New Zealand fencing, which can be tightened to keep elk out while the calves are on the land from April to August, but can be taken down or loosened the rest of the year when elk are on the land.

"I wanted to leave the land better than I found it, do some ranching and develop a wildlife refuge."

Anne is a Corvallis business owner, secretary treasurer of the Benton County Farm Bureau, chair of the State Women's Committee and board member for the Benton County Soil and Water Conservation District. "Being in these organizations keeps me attached to my roots," says Anne, who grew up on a farm 12 miles south of Corvallis. "As a business owner I have contact with people that other organizations never reach, and I educate them. People come in for all types of advice -- I have people who ask me how to vote because they know I stay up on the issues." Anne was elected as director of Benton SWCD Zone 2, the northeastern area of the county, in 2003. Since then she has been a strong advocate for area farmers, and has taken a large role in educating county residents about the availability of grants for conservation projects on private land.

Tom is a Certified Range Management Consultant with over 40 years of experience in pasture and range management. He holds a BS in Animal Husbandry from California State Polytechnic College at San Luis Obispo (1953), an MS in Range Management from UC Berkeley (1957), and a PhD in Range Management from OSU (1966).

Tom has worked for the Extension Services at the Universities of California and Wyoming, and at OSU. He was on the OSU faculty and served as Extension Rangeland Specialist.

As a consultant, Tom has taught range and pasture management to Uganda dairy farmers; evaluated a land management dispute; evaluated fire's effects on rangeland; conducted workshops; and authored several papers on rangeland management.

Tom has received numerous awards and honors, including OSU's Career of Excellence Award upon retiring in 1992.

Tom also serves as Chairman of the Oregon Soil and Water Conservation Commission and on the Oregon Board of Agriculture representing Soil and Water Conservation Districts.

Tom and his wife, Gretchen, are private pilots. They own and operate a small farm south of Philomath.

Bobby is a native of Benton County with a lifetime's experience farming hay, cattle, horses, timber and Christmas trees. Through hunting and fishing he has spent a great deal of time observing the water and land and feels obligated to preserve nature so that future generations will have healthy ecosystems to enjoy. As a farrier and member of the Alsea Grange Hall executive committee, Bobby brings his excellent networking abilities to the BSWCD board.

A true son of Oregon's Willamette Valley, Frank lives and works on the Nusbaum Century farm at Bellfountain with his wife, Sharon, son, Orin, daughter-in-law, Mandy and grandson, Van. Frank finds time in his busy day to be a valued member of the Benton SWCD Board and a sincere representative of Benton County agricultural producers. Conservation practices are common on the Nusbaum farm. No-till Christmas tree management is enhanced with contour planting. Two-year volunteer grass seed production cycles consider soil properties, reduce chemical inputs, minimize fuel consumption and capitalize on the ability of rye grass to reseed. Frank recalls that he has not seen broken sod on some of their rotationally-grazed pastures in his 55-year lifetime. Those pastures are habitat for Western meadowlark and other ground nesting birds. Western pond turtles bask around the farm's 20-acre pond.

"I believe that education and outreach are the keys to protecting our natural resources. I support the District's conservation programs that provide technical and financial assistance to landowners and schools. I enjoy promoting conservation education by volunteering and I especially get a kick out of helping elementary and middle school students create a schoolyard habitat for birds and wildlife while they learn about native plants and our precious soil and water resources."

As Henry travels around the county, he is on the lookout for invasive weeds. "If I find the next meadow knapweed or false brome on my horseshoeing rounds hopefully we can get rid of it before it becomes a problem."

"I first got interested in being involved to help identify new invasive plants and get new infestations eradicated before they become a threat to agriculture and native ecosystems. As a farrier I drive all over Benton County and see a lot of new weeds before they are widespread. Now I have a place to go when I find something new to the area."

"Besides being on the lookout for new weeds, I'm also interested in rare native plant species. I'm a firm believer in the stewardship of families that make their living off the land. It's no coincidence that most of the healthiest native prairies in Benton County are on private land. Grazing, farming, logging and other disturbance factors that are a way of life for rural residents have "preserved" the habitat for many species that have become rare on unmanaged public lands. We should take the concerns of private land owners and those who make their living on natural resources into consideration when working to conserve or expand these habitats. Incentives that reward good stewardship should take precedence over arbitrary regulations that infringe on land management decisions."

"I live outside Philomath and grow produce and plants for the Corvallis Farmers Market. I enjoy collecting native wildflower seed and sharing it with neighbors. I'm motivated to protect the quality of life in rural Benton County for my three year old son and one year old daughter."

Associate Director since 1995.  BS in natural science and a M.S. in environmental soil science.  Rana is an avid naturalist and outdoors adventurer.  Supports Corvallis Chapter of the Audubon Society through volunteering for conservation projects/issues.  Assists Natural Resources Conservation Service with archaeological and natural resource projects.  Involved with the City of Corvallis Development issues as a concerned citizen.

Tim has been a dedicated volunteer in Corvallis since 1980.  He has an AAS in Water/Wastewater Technology from LBCC.  He now works at the Albany Wasterwater Plant.

Tim served several years as a Benton SWCD Associate Director before being elected as an At Large Director.  He has been very involved in the District's Annual Tree & Shrub Sale, acting as coordinator for the past two years.  He believes the #1 issue facing the world as a global community is WATER.  Quantity and quality are in short supply and need serious scrutiny by citizens to ensure a future with well managed resources.

Mark has lived in Corvallis since 1994.

Mark is the Water Conservaion Specialist for the City of Corvallis Public Works Department and provides community outreach and education related to water conservation and pollution prevention. Mark is a Certified Landscape Irrigation Auditor through the Irrigation Association and a Cross Connection Specialist through the Oregon Drinking Water Backflow Prevention Program. Mark is an active member of, and a past chair for the Pacific Northwest Section - American Water Works Association Water Conservation Committee. Mark also maintains active memberships in the Water Environment Federation and its local affiliate the Pacific Northwest Clean Water Association where he serves on the public outreach committee.

Mark currently serves as an Associate Director of the Benton Soil and Water Conservation District. From 1997 - 2000, Mark served as Director at Large for the Benton SWCD, and he served as Vice Chair from 1999 - 2000.

Mark is a member of the Board of Directors for the Marys River Watershed Council. Mark is a charter member of the council and has been active since its formation in 1996. Mark served as the Chair of the Education and Outreach Committee for many years and previously served on the Steering Committee for the MRWC for four years.

Mark served for seven years on the board of directors for Willamette Kayak and Canoe Club (WKCC) the as Conservation Chair and for three years as president.

From 1994 to 2000, Mark served on the faculty of Oregon State University in the Forest Engineering department researching riparian area structure & function, relationships between logging and landslides, soil compaction associated with logging, and municipal drinking water supplies coming from forested watersheds.

Mark earned a BS in Forest Management from the University of Georgia College of Forestry (1990) and an MS in Watershed Science from the College of Natural Resources at Utah State University (1993), and his background includes forestry, soil physical properties, watershed hydrology, and outreach & education.

In his spare time, Mark enjoys paddling kayaks and canoes, playing guitar, SCUBA diving, practicing yoga, gardening, and Northwest craft beer.