Activity Report for the Period 8/1/2016 – 7/12/2016

East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
ACTIVITIES
Jay Udelhoven
Completed:
  • Boards/Committees: Prepped for and attended July Land Legacy Committee meeting and August board meeting.
  • External Engagement/Partnerships: Hosted quarterly partnership meeting with watershed councils; attended an Oregon Agricultural Heritage Program (OAHP) work group meeting and presented at an OAHP public informational meeting in Salem; attended Sandy River Basin Watershed Council's restoration site visit, summer picnic, and meeting; participated in the Oregon Association of Conservation District's (OACD's) Working Lands Easement Committee meeting; met with policy representative (Amanda Rich) from The Nature Conservancy.
  • Policies/Planning/Budgeting: Completed review of Urban Lands Program 5-Year Plan; continued revision of personnel policies.
  • Program Implementation: Made site visit to Dianna Pope Natural Area to see the culvert project; toured the Headwaters Farm and spoke with a couple of the farmers.
  • Supervision/Leadership: Continued to address personnel issue.
Planned:
  • Boards/Committees: Prep for and host Personnel Committee Meeting.
  • External Engagement: Prep for and attend OAHP meeting; participate in OACD committee meeting.
  • Policies/Planning/Budgeting: Continue revision of personnel policies.
  • Program Implementation: Meet with Portland Parks & Recreation Manager (James Allison) to discuss Columbia Slough parcel and interests in assisting Home Owner Associations; explore with staff possible long-term relationship with local Granges.
  • Supervision/Leadership: Continue to address personnel issue.
FINANCE & OPERATIONS
ACTIVITIES
Program Supervision / Finance & Budget Lissa Adams
Completed:
  • Finalized staff evaluations, calculated salary schedule adjustments and worked with Phyllis to make payroll adjustments.
  • Prepared June financial reports and attended August board meeting.
  • Engaged new auditor (Pauly, Rogers and Co.) and began audit preparations and year end journal entries.
Planned:
  • Begin drafting investment policy after reviewing State Treasury Department templates.
Office Management Jed Arnold
Completed:
  • Booked the Columbia Grange for the September Board Meeting.
  • Baseball Caps are finally complete! I will be ordering mesh-back versions now that we have seen the quality of the final product.
  • New healthcare is fully in place with no hiccups reported so far.
Planned:
  • Look into SDAO's templates for Ethics Policies and Best Practices.
  • Catalog several additional boxes of archive files and move off-site.
  • I will be taking some time off of work next week.
Facilities Management Scot Wood
Completed:
  • The soft walls are installed and functioning! All of the trim work has been installed and the board room is one step closer to completion. The new exterior door has been ordered.
  • I have ordered a new closet door for the small closet in the board room to accommodate the new soft wall.
  • Stuart and I moved logs from where the cedars were cut down at the farm road entrance up to the new parking area by the soon-to-be-installed new prop house.
Planned:
  • I will be installing the new exterior door in the board room as soon as it is in, which should be in about 6 weeks.
  • I will install the new closet door and closet shelving as soon as the door is in, which should be in about a week or so.
  • Stuart, Rowan and I will be trenching and laying pipe in for the new storm water drain system and new water lines for the soon-to-be-installed prop house.
Marketing & Media Alex Woolery
Completed:
  • Worked with Chelsea to edit culvert construction press release for distribution and for the website; conducted email and phone press outreach to several media outlets. The Portland Tribune/Gresham Outlook ran the story in their Sustainable Life section, and I promoted the article and our web article on our social media.
  • Worked on fall workshops materials and assisted with general campaigning and email/social promotion; also worked with Chelsea to continue promoting next week's Livestock Workshop. Currently running Facebook ads for both Urban and Rural Lands.
  • Reviewed the EMSWCD history draft document and discussed how to change its flow, structure and elements with Lissa. Currently preparing an outline of proposed changes.
  • Worked with Suzanne to put together graphs and a slide show presentation for her PIC grant applicant survey project.
Planned:
  • Continue work on branding/identity guidelines and supporting documents.
  • Finalize history document outline and review with Lissa and Jay.
  • Finalize new workshop schedule design and print; continue promoting fall workshops.
  • Continue research into plant sale plugin alternatives and begin testing plugins.
  • Begin preparing press outreach and campaign elements for Headwaters farmer recruitment.
Information Technology Lissa Adams,
Jed Arnold,
Alex Woolery
Completed:
  • Staff reported the server was running loudly. The server was using a very high percentage of available memory and the noise was due to fans working to cool the station. Lissa followed up with Online Support.
  • The internet connection has been dropping off occasionally; Lissa created a ticket with Online Support to investigate the issue.
  • Staff brought up concern some emails sent by our campaign program (MailChimp) were getting caught in spam; Alex noted this only happens locally and not to our constituents (email recipients), due to safeguards against phishing emails.
Planned:
  • Lissa will research mail archiving software options for organizing and compressing public records mailbox.
  • Alex will look into ways to adjust spam settings to allow our own emails (website form emails, MailChimp) to reach us with less issues.
RURAL LANDS
ACTIVITIES
Program Management Julie DiLeone
Completed:
  • Construction of the bridge at the west crossing at Headwaters is underway. We have a time lapse camera and are also taking lots of pictures.
  • Since the start of construction was delayed two weeks, I am applying for an extension to the in water work period.
  • Testing turbidity twice daily above and below the construction area per DEQ permit requirements.
Planned:
  • More construction oversight.
  • Vacation Aug 20-29.
Rural Water Quality Aaron Guffey
Completed:
  • Aaron is currently on parental leave until Mid-September.
StreamCare Lucas Nipp
Completed:
  • Started and completed initial site preparation (weed clearing) on all newly enrolled StreamCare sites; 7.11 acres in the Big, Beaver and Johnson Creek Watersheds. I also began managing maintenance spraying on previously enrolled StreamCare sites (26.39 acres so far).
  • Completed initial site preparation (weed clearing) in the forested portion of Oxbow Farm; mostly on the edges of the 14.65 acre forest.
  • I attended the Learning Point Team Leader Tools training.
  • I have been ordering plants for the plant sale and StreamCare. I have secured most of the plants, except for some of the rare plants staff wanted for the plant sale.
Planned:
  • I will continue managing maintenance sprays on all StreamCare sites.
  • I will continue working with nurseries to secure plant confirmations for the plants we need for the plant sale and for StreamCare.
  • Beaver Creek Partnership meeting and Western Invasives Network Steering Committee Meeting.
Technical Assistance Jeremy Baker
Completed:
  • Site visit out to a property to review Heavy Use Area (HUA) specifications.
  • Site visit to a property to determine size and location for raingarden construction to treat stormwater runoff from a large roof.
  • Working on Livestock Workshop presentation in collaboration with Kim Galland (NRCS District Conservationist). We have established workshop topics, divided responsibilities for each, and have been creating content accordingly.
Planned:
  • Making changes to HUA specification and management of the area to be treated.
  • Creating a conservation plan, budget and CLIP documentation for a site.
  • Meeting with Kim today to review our presentation and revise accordingly to remove possible overlap, while maintaining clarity and flow of presentation topics.
Weed Management Chris Aldassy
Completed:
  • Jon and I visited knotweed sites in the Beaver, Johnson, and Fairview Creek watersheds. We controlled 18 sites - approximately 42 square meters. We also controlled and monitored EDRR sites for Purple Loosestrife and Giant Hogweed.
Planned:
  • I will try my best to catch up on the backlog of emails and landowner inquiries while trying to get as much field work done as possible.
Weed Management Jon Wagner
Completed:
  • I had meetings for water quality outreach and EMSWCD illustrations. I completed three spot illustrations for a beetle bank flyer.
  • Ellen, Chris and I controlled 76 square meters of knotweed over 33 acres. We also controlled 15 square meters of spurge laurel over 13 acres at Bridal Veil state Park. We surveyed for hogweed at Hartley elementary. We controlled 0.5 square meters of purple loosestrife at Fairveiw Ponds. Chris, Ellen and I controlled 50 square meters of false brome over 89 acres.
  • Ellen and I controlled invasive weeds around planted trees and shrubs at a four acre restoration site in Latourell.
Planned:
  • We will finish false brome control for the year.
  • Continue annual knotweed control along the Sandy River and known populations.
  • Conduct monthly water quality sampling and sample benthic stream invertebrates.
Outreach & Education Chelsea White-Brainard
Completed:
  • Promoted Livestock Workshop through direct mailing (1623 recipients), email (675 recipients), social media posts, web post, partner outreach, and tabling.
  • Informed the community about the fish passage barrier removal project at Headwaters Farm through a web post, social media posts, and a press release which ran in the Sustainable Life section of the Portland Tribune. Worked with Alex on distribution.
  • Attended the 4-County CWMA (Cooperative Weed Mangement Area) strategic planning retreat, attended Equity Team meeting, attended webinar on communicating water quality data, attended a webinar on writing for diverse audiences, tabled at Burns Feed Store Customer Appreciation Day.
Planned:
  • Coordinate the logistics of the Livestock Workshop on August 17th at the Columbia Grange in Corbett.
  • Finalize materials on beetle banks for Far West Show and staff booth.
URBAN LANDS
ACTIVITIES
Program Management Kathy Shearin
Completed:
  • Kathy is currently on vacation from 7/27-8/15.
Technical Assistance Erik Carr
Completed:
  • Assisted with submission of MHCC Metro Capital Grant, including document editing and meeting with Metro staff.
  • Attended a presentation on Portland Stormwater Manual updates.
  • Provided "Intro to Naturescaping" presentation at the Portland Nursery.
  • Conducted a site visit for a streamside landowner along Crystal Springs Creek.
Planned:
  • Meet with Columbia Slough Watershed Council's tech team to continue restoration action planning.
  • Attend an "Intro to Graywater" workshop.
  • Technical assistance as needed.
Outreach & Education Angela Previdelli
Completed:
  • Edited Sandy River Basin Watershed Council's grant application for Mount Hood Community College.
  • Tabled at the Columbia Slough Regatta.
  • Attended Urban Ecology Presentation at Crystal Springs wetland.
  • Attended East County Caring Community, a service-provider meeting in Gresham.
Planned:
  • Participating in the final grant review meeting for Metro's restoration grants.
  • Updating GIS maps of workshop and field trip locations for use by contracted workshop presenters.
Outreach & Education Katie Meckes
Completed:
  • Continued work on Database needs assessment.
  • Attended Urban SWCD outreach meeting with West & Clackamas to continue discussion of unifying our messaging and better coordinating our offerings across Districts.
  • Assisted with MHCC Metro Capital Grant proposal by conducting a copy edit and estimating EMSWCD staff time for budget.
  • Updated and organized outreach contacts list. Updated workshop locations list. Added ~80 new possible field trip locations to list for presenters.
  • Submitted event details to Oregonian, small newspapers, online calendars, neighborhood associations. Sent out the workshop announcement to our email list on Wednesday and have received 250 workshop registrations already! Met with Angela to strategize outreach to East County and East portland neighborhoods.
Planned:
  • Meet with Kathy to discuss needs and figure out next steps.
  • Fall workshop season preparations will include purchasing supplies and organizing contents for new Pollinator and Beneficial Insect workshop bins and refreshing backstock supplies and handouts.
  • Continue outreach to list serves. Provide attendance updates to hosts of September workshops and encourage them to use Nextdoor as a tool to promote workshops in their own neighborhood.
CONSERVATION LEGACY
ACTIVITIES
Program Management Andrew Brown
Completed:
  • Andrew is currently on vacation.
Land Legacy Rick McMonagle
Completed:
  • Rick is currently on administrative leave.
Grants Suzanne Easton
Completed:
  • Researching on-line grant application and management sytems for next PIC cycle.
  • Held successful PIC 2016 Grantee reception.
  • Worked on Equity Assessment Report.
  • Completed all but 3 PIC Funding Agreements.
  • Met with Growing Gardens staff to review PIC 2016 work to date.
  • Site visit with Project YESS at Lynwood Church garden.
  • Prepared presentation of 2016 PIC applicant survey results.
Planned:
  • Complete last of the PIC 2016 contracts.
  • Prepare for Equity Team meeting with Metro and WMSWCD.
  • Prepare for September Grants Committee meeting.
  • Prepare on-line application system recommendation with Andrew.
Headwaters Farm Rowan Steele
Completed:
  • Gave Headwaters Farm tour and presentation to group from Woodlawn Farmers Market.
  • Met with staff from City of Gresham and Metro to discuss possible 40-mile loop that would bisect Headwaters Farm.
  • Various projects: sold extraneous flail mower, coordinated fascia mount for gutters on curing shed, greenhouse delivery, sign permitting, and moved logs out into the Dianna Pope Natural Area for habitat.
Planned:
  • Running water pipes, electrical conduit, and stromwater infrastructure for new developments.
  • Presenting the Headwaters Incubator Program to the Multnomah Grange.
  • Working on various farm projects: possible new electrical service line, building permits for farm signage, and helping out with culvert replacement as needed.
Headwaters Farm Stuart Moeller
Completed:
  • Flail mowed remaining covercrop.
  • Installation of catch basin and erosion control measures.
  • Set up of pallet racking in cooler.
  • Worked on following farm projects: log moving, gutter fascia install, greenhouse delivery, and weed management.
Planned:
  • Resetting a pollinator meadow.
  • Trenching and running pipe around new facilities.
  • String trimming and general invasive weed management.