Secretary of State Kate Brown and State Treasurer Ben Westlund joined board chair Gov. Ted Kulongoski at their first State Land Board meeting on Feb. 10, 2009, in Salem.

At the end of the public meeting, the board participated in planting native species along Mill Creek as part of the Department of State Lands' "Take Care of Oregon" project commemorating Oregon's 150th birthday.

Brown served in the Oregon Legislature for 17 years, where she became Oregon's first woman to serve as the Senate Majority Leader. Westlund served 11 years in the legislature, where he chaired the Ways and Means Committee and spearheaded the Oregon Cultural Trust.