Activity Report for the Period 1/29/2016 – 2/12/2016

East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District
Sections:
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
ACTIVITIES
Jay Udelhoven
Completed:
  • Boards/Committees: Helped prepare for and host board meeting and Land Legacy Committee meeting.
  • External Engagement: Attended ODA Managers Training at Wasco County SWCD; attended NACD meeting in Reno.
  • Policies: Finalized Board/Committee Policies & Procedures; finalized GLIP Guidelines.
  • Program Implementation: Met with Anita Yap of DEQ to discuss Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) opportunities; attended second Natural Area Stewardship Advisory Committee meeting.
Planned:
  • Boards/Committees: Help prepare for and attend PIC Review Committee meeting.
  • External Engagement: Attend Multnomah County Farm Bureau meeting; attend Oregon Parks & Recreation reception.
  • Policies: Begin review of personnel policies.
  • Program Implementation: Begin FY16-17 budget preparations; meet with TSCC regarding FY16-17 budgeting; meet with Evan Haas from DEQ's CWSRF to discuss opportunities; review and comment on the Urban Lands 5-Year Plan.
FINANCE & OPERATIONS
ACTIVITIES
Program Supervision / Finance & Budget Lissa Adams
Completed:
  • Attended TSCC annual budget training and TSCC quarterly finance officers group meeting.
  • Met with the equity team and completed the first phase of our organizational assessment. Phase 2 and 3 are scheduled in March and April respectively.
  • Various financial tasks, including creating December financial reports, reviewing January payroll, reviewing January bank statements, and A/P review & approval.
Planned:
  • Surface 3 tablet devices have been ordered and I'm in the process of setting them up. Also, I'm working with Verizon (our data plan carrier) to resolve software licensing issues with Office 365.
  • Working with Julie and Rural Lands team to research and develop RFP process for the culvert project at Headwaters Farm.
Office Management Jed Arnold
Completed:
  • Received and reviewed quotes for replacement of the office copy machine and color printer.
  • Cleared up some billing and invoicing issues with multiple vendors.
  • Phones have been busier than usual with a mix of Plant Sale questions and landowner inquiries.
Planned:
  • Write up a list of possible alternative transportation incentives for staff.
  • Catch up on records and minutes for board and committee meetings.
  • Plant Sale!
Facilities Management Scot Wood
Completed:
  • I met with Jay and Lissa to discuss the city's permit requirements for the board room project to determine our next steps. We are doing some more investigating and fact finding before taking further action.
  • I met with a contractor who repaired the roof at Headwaters and we are letting the ceiling dry out before continuing with repairs.
  • I finished the "hardening off" tables as well as built 16 field "sink" stands.
Planned:
  • The Safety committee will be finalizing a draft Emergency Action Plan to present to the management team for review.
  • I will be soliciting quotes from security companies to install our security cameras on the outside of the office building.
  • I will be working with Jay to find an instructor to teach an "Active Threat" class for staff.
Marketing & Media Alex Woolery
Completed:
  • Closed the plant sale online store: ~$29.6k in sales, nearly sold out. Managed and reconciled orders, payments, and refunds, worked to resolve any anomalies. Answered customer questions, printed, organized and checked packing slips, generated customer list, updated MailChimp contact database and created a reminder email list.
  • Worked with Andrew to refine satellite imagery for large District maps: recolored areas and adjusted levels for consistency, investigated eco-friendly map backing materials.
  • Worked with Lissa on revisions and additions to the final draft Marketing Plan.
  • Planning, printing, postage and outreach materials with Chelsea for upcoming Farm Succession workshop.
Planned:
  • Plant sale: order and inventory management, refunds and customer assistance, documenting volunteer efforts and pickup day, and rent audio equipment for music on pickup day.
  • Import responsive menu template from development website to public website and activate. Materials, advertising and support for Farm Succession workshop outreach.
Information Technology Alex Woolery
Completed:
  • Worked with City of Portland IT support to resolve issue one staff member was having accessing EMSWCD website.
  • Resolved issue around emails bouncing for certain staff and board; updated all email accounts' spam accounts and aliases.
  • Met with Online Support and Lissa to review station monitoring, hardware, software licensing, the server, wireless and general IT needs.
Planned:
  • Schedule additional round of wireless testing (first round delayed due to unforeseen issues)
  • Assist staff with network, software, printing etc. issues as necessary.
  • Assist with setting up tablets and accounts on tablets as necessary.
RURAL LANDS
ACTIVITIES
Program Management Julie DiLeone
Completed:
  • Interviewed 5 candidates for the open position in Rural Lands.
  • Developed an outline for the Rural Water Quality 5 year plan.
  • Responded to a public comment on our Dept. of State Lands permit application.
Planned:
  • Checking references for the top candidate.
  • Draft Rural Lands budget.
  • Working with other staff to update the CLIP application and agreement; develop a conservation plan template; update web content.
Rural Water Quality Aaron
Completed:
  • Aaron is currently out on family leaving following the birth of his daughter.
StreamCare Lucas Nipp
Completed:
  • Jay and I attended the National Association of Conservation District's Annual Meeting in Reno. It was very empowering to know we are part of a national movement working for clean water and soil. It was very interesting to see how dynamically Districts carry out work across the nation.
  • I managed final plant orders, substitutions, cancellations, and delivery scheduling.
  • Chelsea and I, with help from Chris, received about 70,000 bare root plants for StreamCare and the Plant Sale. We split off about 11,000 for the Plant Sale and the remaining were sorted for planting on StreamCare sites.
Planned:
  • I will oversee crews planting just under 60,000 plants on StreamCare sites over the next three weeks.
Weed Management Chris Aldassy
Completed:
  • Follow up control of Daphne near Bridal Veil on previously treated areas.
  • Edited and sent out contracts and finalized permits for garlic mustard work.
  • Had some fun out of the ordinary work days including interviewing candidates for new rural lands position, helping Lucas with plant orders and mulching for pollinator gardens, and attended the Urban Ecology Symposium at PSU.
Planned:
  • Connecting with contractors to go over spring scheduling.
  • Plant Sale!
Weed Management Jon Wagner
Completed:
  • Finished plant/pollinator illustration.
  • Participated in rural lands interviews.
  • Conducted Water Quality sampling.
  • Controlled 66 net square meters of Ivy and 60 Ivy trees on public and private land. Survey 12 miles.
Planned:
  • Help with plant sale prep.
  • Planting and staking on weed-eradicated restoration sites.
  • Attend 4 county CWMA Pull-Together.
Outreach & Education Chelsea White-Brainard
Completed:
  • Developed promotional material for Farm Succession workshop.
  • Events: Staffed booth at NW Agricultural Show. Attended Urban Ecology Conservation Symposium, Attended Columbia Slough Celebration Gala.
  • With Julie and Aaron, worked with Pivot Group to develop questions for survey of nursery growers.
  • With Julie, Jon, and Chris, interviewed candidates for Conservation Technician position.
Planned:
  • Promote Farm Succession Workshop, Rural Native Plant Workshop.
  • Sort plants for StreamCare planting.
  • Work with partners to finalize nursery grower survey questions and compile contacts.
  • Compile/distribute results from Rural Lands messaging session.
URBAN LANDS
ACTIVITIES
Program Management Kathy Shearin
Completed:
  • Attended Adult Conservation Education NW meeting at Metro.
  • Attended Urban Ecosystem Research Consortium Symposium at PSU.
  • Met with Oregon Flora Project and Metro to discuss contract logistics for the regional Native Plants Website.
  • Attended EMSWCD board meeting.
  • Finalizing contract with Sandy River Basin Watershed Council for management of the Mt Hood Community College Opportunity Assessment.
Planned:
  • Urban PIC application review.
  • Staffing a 4-County Coorperative Weed Management Area (CWMA) booth the the Yard Garden and Patio Show.
  • Humboldt Neighborhood Friends of Trees planting for the trees we are installing at the Home-Forward apartment complex next to Conservation Corner. These trees will replace the invasive Tree of Heaven and English Holly that we had removed.
  • Urban Lands team will be working over the Presidents day holiday, setting up the tent and getting the area ready for volunteers who will arrive Tuesday Morning.
Technical Assistance Erik Carr
Completed:
  • Met with director of "Our NE 42nd Ave" to discuss potential stormwater retrofit projects in Concordia/Cully neighborhood.
  • 4 technical consultations, including 2 site visit in Gresham.
  • Assisting with native plant sale preparation.
  • Attend Urban Ecology and Conservation Symposium at PSU.
Planned:
  • Plant sale preparations.
  • Collective Impact webinar by Alliance for Community Trees.
  • Plant sale event.
Outreach & Education Angela Previdelli
Completed:
  • Plant Sale - volunteer coordination, plant order logistics, day of event logistics, cold truck organization, materials/supplies prep.
  • Organizing CONNECT conference speakers for the Urban Track. 7 speakers confirmed, a few more tentative.
  • Phase 1 of the Equity Self Assessment with the Equity Team.
Planned:
  • Volunteer week for Plant Sale order sorting. 760 orders, 83 volunteers.
  • Plant Sale Day!
Outreach & Education Katie Meckes
Completed:
  • Updated documents to train/orient new contract presenters. Prepared training binder for latest contractor that will be coming on this spring. Met with Lea to discuss transfer of duties back to me after plant sale.
  • Organized materials, updtated day of event documents for Plant Sale. Prepared PS Pick Up reminder announcement. Learned how to use label printer at CCC.
  • Attended UL team meeting & UL demo projects meeting.
Planned:
  • Will be picking up workshop coordination duties after plant sale comes to a close.
  • Ongoing PS preparations, site logistics, materials prep. Will be sorting plants all next week with UL team and volunteers.
CONSERVATION LEGACY
ACTIVITIES
Program Management Andrew Brown
Completed:
  • Worked on ALE project management plan and best management standards and practices.
  • Assisted Grants manager with collating PIC review materials for review committee.
  • Worked on capturing spatail information for planned infrastructure and projects on Headwaters Farm for 5 year plan.
  • reviewed initial draft of Multnomah County Comprehensive Plan update.
Planned:
  • Further work on ALE project managementn plan and Best Management Practices's.
  • Review PIC grant applications and prepare for PIC review Committee meeting.
  • Work on the operational plan for the future use of Oxbow farm.
  • Develop initial budget for FY 2016-17.
Land Legacy Rick McMonagle
Completed:
  • Prepared FY16-17 budget amounts.
  • Toured Access to Nature property with potential partners.
  • Met with consultant regarding farm best management practices.
  • Presented at Land Legacy Committee Meeting.
  • Planned for Farm Succession Event.
  • Revised Ag Land Easement best management practices.
Planned:
  • Working EMSWCD Plant Sale.
  • Coordinating land acquisition project.
  • Contacting landowners in Ag Priority Area.
  • Meeting with Columbia Land Trust.
  • Planning for Farmer Succession Event.
Grants Suzanne Easton
Completed:
  • Mailed out PIC 2016 Packet to Review Committee.
  • Completed first review of PIC 2016 applications.
  • Board approval of 7 new SPACE grants.
  • Participated in Equity Assessment Part 1.
  • Attended Columbia Slough Watershed Council Awards Gala.
Planned:
  • Prepare for PIC Review Committee on Feb. 24.
  • Continue follow-up on application questions.
  • Attend Equity/Grant-makers meeting, Feb. 18.
  • Miscellaneous administrative items: reimbursements, review mid-year grant reports, process new SPACE grants.
Headwaters Farm Rowan Steele
Completed:
  • Set up time lapse cameras at Headwaters; one capturing the Dianna Pope Natural Area and the other focused on the farm.
  • Working with engineer and Gresham Fire Department to iron out the remaining issues needed to permit new developments.
  • Participated in Equity Team's first leg of the EMSWCD equity assessment.
  • Red-flag reviewed three PIC applications (Woodlawn Farmers Market, Grow Portland, and Ecotrust).
Planned:
  • Hosting a New HIP Farmer Orientation.
  • Working with Rick and Aaron on Oxbow irrigation options and subsequent proposal.
  • Looking at soil samples, Headwaters Farm frontage signage, budget development, gate installation, follow up with possible HIP graduate landlords, and other projects.