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Land Board Awards

Group of people stand outside behind three people holding awards.Every year since 2004, the State Land Board Awards recognize projects and partners for their exceptional contributions to thriving Oregon waterways, wetlands, and lands.

Nominations are now closed.

Awards will be presented by the Oregon Governor, Secretary of State, and State Treasurer at the October 14, 2025 Land Board meeting. 

About the Awards

  • The Stream and Wetland Project Awards recognize exemplary stream or wetland projects completed during the previous calendar year. .
  • The Partnership Award recognizes organizations that have been exceptional collaborators, helping advance Department of State Lands goals. 
  • The Catalyst Award recognizes an individual partner whose work supports and inspires stewardship of state lands and waters. 


Current Award Winners

This project restored over 8.6 miles of streams and reconnected 101 acres of wetland habitat on a tributary of the upper Grande Ronde River in Oregon’s Blue Mountains. Coordinated with a broader forest restoration effort, the project created a ridgetop-to-ridgetop restoration corridor that improves wildlife habitat, wildfire resilience, and water quality. Located in a high montane meadow that serves as source water for several downstream communities, the project stands out for its innovative use of restoration tools and early ecological success, highlighted by the return of beaver and improved habitat for species such as Columbia River bull trout.​

The West Sundial Wetlands mitigation project transformed over 82 acres in Troutdale from a landscape dominated by non-native pasture grasses and invasive forbs into a thriving wetland ecosystem. The project created a diverse mosaic of habitats, including forested wetlands, emergent wetlands, scrub-shrub wetlands, and upland buffers, while also providing flood storage for the surrounding community. It enhances habitat connectivity within the watershed and supports sensitive species such as the northern red-legged frog and numerous wetland-associated birds. The adjacent Ch’ak Ch’ak Trail offers wildlife viewing opportunities and features an interpretive panel developed in partnership with the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon to honor and share the area’s cultural and historical significance.​

As Umatilla County Soil and Water Conservation District Manager, Kyle Waggoner plays a pivotal role in connecting rural landowners and irrigators with natural resource agencies such as the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Oregon Department of State Lands, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. His leadership has been instrumental in efforts like the Landowner’s River Resiliency Guidebook and the City of Pendleton’s successful $3.7 million grant for large-scale stream restoration and the McKay Creek Watershed Action Plan. With deep local roots, strategic insight, and a collaborative, solutions-oriented approach, Kyle is a driving force for conservation and restoration in Umatilla County.​​

A coalition of 30 tribal, local, state, and federal partners, the John Day Basin Partnership is advancing large-scale restoration in Oregon’s largest basin managed for wild salmonids and home to the state’s longest free-flowing river. Over the past six years, the Partnership has implemented a series of coordinated projects that have removed 58 fish passage barriers, restored over 50 miles of stream habitat, reconnected 230 acres of floodplain, improved 681 acres of riparian habitat, planted more than 250,000 native plants, and installed over 1,100 beaver dam analogs. These efforts have improved conditions for species such as Middle Columbia River summer steelhead, bull trout, Chinook salmon, and Pacific lamprey. Core partners include the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, local soil and water conservation districts, watershed councils, Blue Mountain Land Trust, and Trout Unlimited.​

Frequently Asked Questions


Anyone and YES! Past nominations have come from landowners, consultants, funding partners, DSL staff, government agencies, watershed councils, local planners, businesses, organizations and more. 

If you have been a part of an exemplary project or partnership, please submit a nomination!​​​

​DSL convenes a selection committee that typically includes staff, partner organizations, and representatives of other state agencies to review nominations. Generally, one award per category is presented each year. However, the committee may recommend that more than one award be given, or that no award will be given, in a specific category.​​

For stream and wetland projects, the se​​lection committee considers:
  • Benefits to the resource
  • Innovation and creativity
  • Community involvement and partnerships
  • Avoidance and minimization in design

For partnership and catalyst awards, the selection committee considers:

  • Innovation and effort
  • Consistent outstanding service
  • The example set by the nominee

The Land Board Awards are presented by the Land Board – Oregon’s Governor, Secretary of State, and Treasurer – during the October board meeting. The award is a plaque featuring the artwork of glass artist Ann Cavanaugh. Award recipients are also highlighted in a news release, web features, and on social media.​

Past Awardees



CONTACT

Katrina Scotto di Carlo
Communications Officer
katrina.scottodicarlo@dsl.oregon.gov

Nomination Forms

Nomination forms for 2025 are closed.