Former Wallowa County Commissioner Todd Nash addresses grievances ranchers have about wolf management at a listening session U.S. Rep. Cliff Bentz held April 4, 2024, in Pendleton. Nash is now a state senator and vice chair of the Senate Natural Resources Committee. (Bill Bradshaw/Wallowa County Chieftain, File)

ENTERPRISE — As Enterprise’s first state senator in more than a half-century, Todd Nash can take credit for some accomplishments that benefit rural Oregon.

The Republican was elected in November after serving two terms as a Wallowa County commissioner and two years as president of the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association. Nash succeeded fellow Republican Bill Hansell, of Athena, who retired last year.

Nash said he believes one of the greatest achievements of the 2025 session was something he’s been working on for years — an attempt to increase the amount livestock producers are compensated when wolves kill their animals.

Last year, before he was a senator, he advocated for a bill that would have paid producers seven times the market value of the livestock proved to have been killed by wolves. At the time, the compensation rate was 1-to-1.

This year, as a senator and with the help in the Rep. Bobby Levy, R-Echo, he got approved a compensation bill that pays four times the value of livestock that are confirmed or likely to have been killed by wolves. The 1-to-1 payment remains for horses and working dogs and there is no compensation for missing livestock.

It takes 16 votes in the Senate to pass legislation. The senator noted being in the minority party has its challenges and required him to build bridges with Democrats.

“You have to have a buy-in from the majority party, but there’s times you have conflict with your own party, too,” Nash said.

He noted that being in the opposition on a measure from lawmakers he disagrees with can be dicey and requires tact. He recalled he and other lawmakers from rural areas were able to block bills that would have been harmful on water-related issues or required unreasonable reporting of fertilizer in farm fields. Such issues are often simply a difference of opinion and he doesn’t want any hard feelings over them.

“But that was policy somebody thought was good that I thought was bad policy,” he said. “But I don’t want to dance on people’s graves. That’s just not appropriate.”

During the session, Nash was appointed vice-chair of Natural Resources and Wildfire Committee. He also was appointed to the Human Services Committee and the Housing and Development Committee.

That latter committee assignment will be appropriate when he meets July 22 in Pendleton at a town hall the Umatilla County Realtors Board hosts to hear his thoughts on housing and other issues.

Although Nash’s priorities have largely involved rural and agricultural interests, he has other concerns as a senator representing all of District 29. In addition to rural Wallowa County, the district covers all of Gilliam, Morrow, Sherman, Umatilla, Union and Wheeler counties, as well as parts of Clackamas, Jefferson, Marion and Wasco counties.

Nash is only the second senator from Enterprise to serve in the Oregon Legislature. Charles H. Zurcher represented District 21 from 1939-47, according to state records. District 21 then covered just Wallowa and Union counties.

“It’s really humbling to be the second one,” he said.

Next year’s session will be a short session and lawmakers will be limited as to what they can propose and get through. Nash said he can only commit to two measures next session and one of those is based on requests by the Oregon Farm Bureau.

“I’m a little bit open-ended right now,” he said.

He’s using the time off his legislative duties to reconnect with his constituents.

“One of the reasons for having the time to reflect is to reassess what’s important,” he said.

Overall, Nash said he’s found his time as a senator rewarding and frustrating.

“All of the above,” he said. “It’s certainly one of the most challenging positions I’ve held in my life. I’m super grateful to be there and be able to serve.”