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Commission Members

YOAHC is led by a 12-member commission, appointed by OWEB. Members represent different interests from across the state.


City
Independence
Representing
Natural Resources
Terms Served
First term: 2025 - 2027
Profile
Sara Evans-Peters has served as the U.S. Assistant Coordinator for Pacific Birds Habitat Joint Venture since 2010 with an emphasis is on building strategic partnerships and initiatives and incorporating working lands concepts into how we plan for and implement bird habitat conservation across Oregon and the West. Because partnerships are the backbone to Joint Ventures, Sara works closely with many key natural resource groups in Oregon including state and federal agencies, Tribes, land trusts, conservation districts, watershed counsels, extension offices and many other NGOs.

City
Klamath Falls
Representing
Fish & Wildlife Commission
Terms Served
First term: 2023 - 2027
Profile
Ed Contreras coordinates bird habitat conservation for the Intermountain West Joint Venture in Southern Oregon and Northeastern California (SONEC). He has been involved in collaborative private lands habitat conservation for a decade, previously working in Montana and Idaho. Ed works closely with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, USFWS Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, and a multitude of state, local and NGO partners to implement habitat improvements, including conservation easements, on farms and ranches. Ed lives in Klamath Falls with his wife Kara, they can be found outside with their dogs or on their horses and mules in the mountains.

City
TBD
Representing
Indian Tribal Interests
Terms Served
First term: 2026-2028
Profile

City
Corvallis
Representing
Oregon State University Extension
Terms Served
First term: 2024 - 2028
Profile
Dan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Applied Economics at Oregon State University. His research and extension programs focus on local and regional economic development, with emphasis on issues concerning land use, real estate markets, and natural resource policy. He also teaches and advises students in the Applied Economics Graduate Program. Prior to joining OSU in 2022, he was an Assistant Professor at Montana State University and a Research Economist at USDA’s Economic Research Service. He holds degrees from OSU (PhD, 2015) and University of Massachusetts (BS/MS, 2008/10).

City
Mitchell
Representing
Farmer and Rancher
Terms Served
First term: 2024 - 2028
Profile
James "Jim Bob" Collins serves as the chair for the Wheeler Soil and Water District Board. He is the owner/operator of Table Mountain Cattle Company in Wheeler County. The ranch is about 19,000 acres with range ground, including about 6 miles of steelhead spawning stream habitat in the John Day Watershed. The ranch leases an additional 10,000+/- acres from the National Forest Service for summer grazing. He has lifelong experience as an owner/operator rancher, performing restoration and ag water quality projects with multiple agencies. He also served as a private contractor for restoration projects in Wheeler County.

City
Medford
Representing
Fish & Wildlife Habitat
Terms Served
First term: 2025 - 2029
Profile
Mark Vargas grew up in Eagle Point, Oregon in Jackson County, and attended Oregon State University. After graduating from OSU he held a few jobs along the entire Oregon coast working for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. After about 10 years of living on the coast, Mark moved back to Jackson County in 1995 and has lived there ever since. Mark retired from ODFW after a great 37+ year career managing Oregon’s natural resources. He currently has a small farm where his family grows hay and raises sheep. Mark’s family is made up of a wife, Kerry, of 40 years, and three adult children who all still live in Jackson County. Plus, he now has his first grandchild!


City
Sandy
Representing
Agricultural Water Quality
Terms Served
First term: 2025 - 2029
Profile
Jan Lee has served on the Clackamas Soil & Water Conservation District board for 16 years and has been chair of its Working Lands Committee. She is a board member and president of the Oregon Association of Conservation Districts, serving the 45 statewide member districts, and earlier was OACD’s executive director. She has worked in water policy over 30 years, currently serving on the Water Resources Commission, and as a former legislator, served on the Water and Land Use Committee. She is a former OWEB board member. Currently she serves her city as a planning commissioner and budget committee member. Jan and her husband reside in Sandy.

City
Junction City
Representing
Farmer and Rancher
Terms Served
First term: 2026 - 2030
Profile

City
Adel
Representing
Farmer and Rancher
Terms Served
First term: 2025 - 2029
Profile
John O’Keeffe is a 3rd generation rancher in Warner Valley. He is doing a CCA with the Lakeview BLM district, has done over 4,000 acres of juniper control on O’Keeffe Ranch property, implemented as Sage Grouse plan on Sagehen Butte property with the NRCS; doing a Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances CCAA on the O’Keeffe Ranch; running a pilot project using threat based assessment in conjunction with permit renewal with Lakeview District and Oregon state office of BLM. He is a past president of the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association; past Chairman of the Federal Land Committee for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association; past Chairman OCA Public Land Committee, 2001-2011(approx); and past Director Public Lands Council, 2001-2011(approx). He has represented the OCA in the development of the Candidate Conservation Agreement CCA for Sage Grouse, member of Sage Con (Governor’s Sage Grouse task force), and landowner representative on the state Sage Grouse team. He was the recipient of the Oregon Voice of Agriculture 2002, the ODFW/OCA Riley Freeman Award, and the first Lake County Stewardship Award. John is currently ranching in Adel with his family.

City
Portland
Representing
Farmer and Rancher
Terms Served
First term: 2023 - 2027
Profile
Laura Masterson has been deeply involved in supporting Oregon agriculture since launching her own farm in 1996. In addition to farming, Laura has served on the East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District board since 2007, including five years as its Chair. Laura has also been a member of Oregon State Board of Agriculture and the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board where she served on the 2018 technical committee tasked with helping to launch the Oregon Agricultural Heritage Program.

City
Sisters
Representing
Ex officio OWEB Board Member (non-voting)
Terms Served
Member since 2024
Profile
Mark Labhart served as Tillamook County Commissioner for 12 years. Prior to that he worked for the Oregon Department of Forestry for 34 years, including 20 years managing a large portion of the Tillamook State Forest. He was an Incident Commander on an Oregon Fire Team for 11 years. He has served terms on the Fish Restoration & Enhancement Board, the STEP Advisory Committee, the Oregon Hatchery Research Center, and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife's External Budget Advisory Committee. He chaired a Legislative Task force to find alternate funding sources for ODFW. Mark sits on the OSU Sea Grant Advisory Committee as well as the OSU Extension Statewide Advisory Committee. He was a founding member of the Salmon Super Highway Project, the goal of which was to restore salmon access to tributaries in Tillamook County. He has enjoyed the distinction of being named Tillamook County’s Citizen of the Year and Volunteer of the Year, and Society of American Foresters' Oregon Forester of the Year. Mark's passion is fly fishing in the central Oregon lakes and deer and elk hunting. He and his wife moved to Sisters to be closer to children and grandchildren.

City
Portland
Representing
Coalition of Land Trust
Terms Served
First term: 2022 - 2026
Profile
Nancy Duhnkrack is a long-term volunteer at COLT, managing the pro bono program. She’s a graduate of Northwestern School of Law, Lewis and Clark College. In 2014, Nancy retired as Staff Attorney/Law Clerk for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit after 20 years in the Court. Nancy is a frequent speaker on conservation easement design and enforcement and provides pro bono legal advice to COLT and its members.


Contact

Please direct questions to OAHP Conservation Easement Specialist Robin Meacher, 971-301-1578.