Steph
Routh
Clean Water. Healthy Soil.
Water bills keep rising while data centers get tax breaks. I'm running to change that.
East Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District · At-Large Director, Position 2 · November 3
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Why I'm running for this board
In the 2021 heat wave, more people died in my Lents zip code than anywhere else in Portland. The blocks with the fewest trees got the hottest.
Now data centers are coming for the land and water that keep us cool and fed, and they're getting huge tax breaks to do it. I grew up in East Portland. I'm running to protect it.
The Soil & Water Conservation District is one of the places this fight happens. Here's what it does, and what I'll do on its board:
Saving farmland
When a farm is about to be sold for warehouses or data centers, the District can buy it and keep it a farm for good. It has saved 14 so far. I'll fight to save more.
Guarding our water
Data centers use huge amounts of the water we drink and farm with. The board has a say in how that water gets used, and I'll use it.
Cooling our streets
District grants plant trees and build community gardens, about $1 million to 26 groups in 2024. I'll send that money to the hottest blocks first.
Cleaning our creeks
Crews restore Johnson Creek and Beaver Creek, free to landowners. I'll bring that work to the parts of East County still waiting for it.
How the District works
The District is a small local government. It covers the part of Multnomah County east of the Willamette River: Portland, Gresham, Troutdale, Fairview, Wood Village, and the farms and forests out past Corbett toward the Columbia River Gorge.
It gets its money from property taxes, about $6.4 million a year, which works out to about $53 a year for the owner of an average Portland home. Five elected board members decide how to spend it.
20 years fighting for East County
I was born in Parkrose, and this is still home.
- Chair and Vice-chair, Portland Planning & Sustainability Commission, 2019 to 2026
- First executive director, Oregon Walks, pushing for sidewalks and walkable neighborhoods statewide
- Helped organize the opposition that stopped SB 1586, a bill offering tax breaks to data centers
- Supported clean water and renewable energy projects with rural and Indigenous communities at Green Empowerment
On this board, I'll build a coalition for community-based solutions, so the next heat wave finds East Portland ready and every neighborhood can thrive.
What I will work for
Protect the farmland that feeds us.
Farms in our region are in danger of being sold off and paved over for warehouses and data centers. The District can oppose proposed laws that would pave over critical farmland and, in some cases, buy those farms and keep them in farming for good. Headwaters Farm helps more new farmers get going. I'll push for protecting farmland and supporting farmers, with extra attention to farmers who have had the hardest time getting land.
Keep pollution out of our streams.
Johnson Creek, Beaver Creek, and the Columbia Slough run right through our neighborhoods. When the water is clean and shaded by trees, salmon come back and fewer basements flood. The District already does this work for free. I'll make sure it reaches the parts of East County that are still waiting.
Guard our water from data centers demanding more of it.
Big data centers use enormous amounts of water, the same water we drink and farm with. This board has a say in how that water gets used, and I'll use it.
Spend the money where it's needed most.
The District's grants can plant trees where the heat hits hardest, build community gardens in places where fresh food is far away, and bring paid work managing waterways to East County. I'll advocate to send resources where they can do the most good.
"I've run a CSA farm feeding about 500 families for over a decade in the Metro area. I know that Steph has the knowledge and passion to help us protect farming and the Oregon way. I am proud to endorse her."
Aaron Nichols, Stoneboat Farm
Election information
If you live in Multnomah County east of the Willamette River, this race is on your ballot. Look for Soil & Water Conservation District near the end of your ballot.
If you need to register or update your address, the deadline is October 13 at oregonvotes.gov.
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Common questions
Who is running for East Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District, At-Large Director Position 2?
Steph Routh is on the ballot for At-Large Director, Position 2. She was born in Parkrose, lives in East Portland, and chaired the Portland Planning & Sustainability Commission. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
What is the East Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District?
It is a local government covering Multnomah County east of the Willamette River: Portland, Gresham, Troutdale, Fairview, Wood Village, Corbett, and the farms and forests out toward the Columbia River Gorge. Five elected board members direct about $6.4 million a year in property taxes, about $53 a year for the owner of an average Portland home.
What does a soil and water conservation district do?
It protects farmland from development, keeps pollution out of creeks like Johnson Creek and the Columbia Slough, funds tree planting and community gardens, offers free restoration help to landowners, and runs Headwaters Farm, where new farmers get their start.
Why does this race matter for data centers and water?
Data centers use large amounts of water and are buying land across the region. The district can buy farmland and keep it in farming, and it has a voice in how local water is used. Steph helped organize the opposition that stopped SB 1586, a bill offering tax breaks to data centers.
When do I vote, and how?
Ballots are mailed Wednesday, October 14, 2026. Return yours to a Multnomah County drop box by 8 p.m. on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, or mail it postmarked by that day. Register or update your address by October 13 at oregonvotes.gov.
Where is this race on my ballot?
Near the end, listed as Soil & Water Conservation District, At-Large Director Position 2.
Who has endorsed Steph Routh?
Endorsers include State Senator Khanh Pham, six state representatives, Metro Council President Juan Carlos Gonzalez, Portland City Councilor Tiffany Koyama Lane, Gresham City Councilor Eddy Morales, former Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt, and organizations including East County Rising, the Oregon Working Families Party, APANO Action Fund, Basic Rights PAC, Next Up Action Fund and Sunrise Movement PDX. The full list is on the endorsements page.