Activity Report for the Period 9/12/2016 – 9/23/2016

East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
ACTIVITIES
Jay Udelhoven
Completed:
  • Boards/Committees: Prepped for and hosted September board meeting.
  • External Engagement: Met with Jim Desmond, Executive Director of The Nature Conservancy's Oregon Chapter; participated in tour of Multnomah County with West Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District's Executive Director and the Natural Resource Conservation Service's State Conservationist, Basin Lead, and District Conservationist.
  • Policies/Planning/Budgeting: [No progress.]
  • Program Implementation: Explored with staff possible long-term relationship with local Granges.
  • Supervision/Leadership: Continued to address personnel issue.
Planned:
  • Boards/Committees: Prep for and host FY15-16 Annual Meeting and October board meeting.
  • External Engagement: [Nothing planned.]
  • Policies/Planning/Budgeting: Help finalize FY15-16 Annual Report.
  • Program Implementation: Engage Multnomah Grange in mutually beneficial partnership.
  • Supervision/Leadership: Attend Pacific Program leadership training.
FINANCE & OPERATIONS
ACTIVITIES
Program Supervision / Finance & Budget Lissa Adams
Completed:
  • Prepped for and attended September board meeting. Prepared August financial reports and various other tasks for October Board meeting and Annual meeting.
  • Was out much of last week and this week on family business, plus took a couple days vacation.
Planned:
  • Work with Jed to review insurance coverages and possibly seek quotes for D&O, Property and General Liability coverage.
  • Work with Katie and other Surface tablet users to procure necessary peripheral attachments, label all equipment and set up a check out system.
Office Management Jed Arnold
Completed:
  • Completed paperwork and other follow-up related to the recent Personnel Committee decision.
  • Helped fill in around the office while Lissa and Alex were out.
  • Assisted with a higher-than-normal volume of desktop support issues. Worked with Online support to help identify a possible issue with the way some user profiles are being stored.
Planned:
  • Coordinate the October Board meeting and Annual meeting at Columbia Grange Hall.
  • Follow up with SDIS regarding best practices insurance discounts.
  • Complete and file forms with information requested by the Oregon Employment Department.
Facilities Management Scot Wood
Completed:
  • Landscape work has partially begun. It should be completed by the middle of October.
  • I helped Rowan and Stuart install the new waterlines across the new eastern culvert roadway. We were able to disconnect the temporary bypass and connect the new lines. All is running spendidly. No leaks!!!
  • I did some mowing and spreading of cover crop of Field 5 in preperation for the coming rains and winter.
Planned:
  • The new exterior board room door will be ready to pick up next week and installed the following week.
  • Along with Rowan and Stuart, we will be continuing work on the new prop house.
Marketing & Media Alex Woolery
Completed:
  • Headwaters Farm: press outreach to local and state media, article published in The Oregonian; worked with Rowan on a new postcard, social media ad, web and graphic update/overhaul on Headwaters portion of website.
  • Material updates and new materials including Grants and Headwaters postcards, Urban Lands brochure series, leasing farmland workshop flier.
  • Out three work days to complete a move; I am now officially an EMSWCD constituent again.
  • Met with Katie and Angela to review advertising and campaigning tools, and discuss how effective they have been.
Planned:
  • Plant sale review and testing - select final candidates for 2017 plant sale plugin and review with Urban Lands staff.
  • Create a spreadsheet review of Urban Lands advertising and campaigning efforts to gauge efficacy.
  • Continue promoting fall season workshops, Headwaters farmer recruitment, special events and workshops.
Information Technology Lissa Adams,
Jed Arnold,
Alex Woolery
Completed:
  • Lissa set Chris up with a temporary computer station until a new machine can be ordered and set up.
  • Troubleshooting Chris' account profile and migrating it to the new station.
Planned:
  • Jed and Lissa will respond to staff IT issues and questions as needed.
RURAL LANDS
ACTIVITIES
Program Management Julie DiLeone
Completed:
  • The culvert project is almost done. The in stream work is finished, and things look good. We'll show photos at the October Board meeting.
  • Catching up on office things that I neglected during construction oversight.
  • Reviewed Metro Capital Grants applications.
Planned:
  • Reviewing construction time lapse and other photos. Working with Aaron to complete post- construction reports and to capture lessons learned.
  • Getting back to working on Rural Lands planning.
  • Site visits for Metro Capital Grant applications.
Rural Water Quality Aaron Guffey
Completed:
  • Aaron is currently on parental leave until Mid-September.
StreamCare Lucas Nipp
Completed:
  • Completed maintenance spraying on non-first year StreamCare sites. 199.58 acres.
  • Second round of site preparation has begun on first year StreamCare sites. 3.88 acres so far.
Planned:
  • I will complete the second round of site preperation in the forested portion of Oxbow Farm. 14.65 acres.
  • I will complete the second round of site maintenance on first year StreamCare sites.
  • I will be on vacation for much of the next reporting period.
Technical Assistance Jeremy Baker
Completed:
  • Took comp-time leave on Friday to hike South Sister. 10,358ft above see level.
  • Prepped for 6 month review.
  • Site visit to Multnomah Grange (no. 71) to assist with percolation test needed to help determine the size of the planned raingarden to ensure that it will adequately take roof runoff.
Planned:
  • Working on irrigation ad highlighting benefits of drip for Digger magzine and corresponding article for our website.
  • Site visit to Multnomah County farm to provide some tech assistance regarding blackberry removal, seed bed prep, cover cropping, weed and erosion control.
  • Awaiting results of percolation test to finalize raingarden size and location on the property at the grange.
Weed Management Chris Aldassy
Completed:
  • Had crews out controlling ivy. We cut ivy off of about 65 trees, sprayed 6 net acres over 40 gross acres of ivy on new sites in Springdale. Along with re-treatment of about .5 acres net over around 30 acres gross in the Bridal Veil area.
  • Jon and I surveyed a 12 mile track for invasive weeds in the Columbia Gorge.
  • Spent a day in the office backing up my glitchy computer and co-ordinating with landowners on projects and administrative work.
Planned:
  • Jon, Ellen, and I hope to finish up Sandy River knotweed next week.
  • I'll have contractors out controlling ivy at both public and private sites.
  • I have several site visits planned to meet with new landowners, and I'll be doing outreach to reach several other landowners.
Weed Management Jon Wagner
Completed:
  • Ellen and I conducted monthly water quality sampling in Beaver and Johnson Creek.
  • Ellen, Chris and I controlled 535 square meters of knotweed at 19 locations. Ellen, Chris and I also surveyed 18 miles on public land and manually controlled 25 square meters of Ivy.
  • I conducted landowner outreach, data entry, planning and I made a monthly Waterwoman and Dirtman comic.
Planned:
  • I plan to outreach landowners for ivy, clematis and knotweed control. I will also meet with Chelsea about illustrations, outreach and water quality communication.
  • We will finish annual knotweed surveys and control.
  • We will conduct Ivy and Clematis outreach, surveys and control.
Outreach & Education Chelsea White-Brainard
Completed:
  • Presented the Equity Team's Self-Assessment for Racial Equity results at September board meeting.
  • Tabled and attended classes at OSU Extension's Small Farm School.
  • Attended 'Protecting Oregon from Invasive Species - Oregon Invasive Species Council Summit'. Provided feedback on their 10-year statewide strategic plan.
  • 4-County CWMA (Cooperative Weed Management Area): Facilitated Ed and Outreach Committee meeting. Attended Steering Committee meeting.
Planned:
  • Work with Alex and Jeremy to create a coordinated media push for irrigation efficiency, including an ad in Digger Magazine, web post, and social media content.
  • Plan Beneficial Insects workshop to be held in November at the Columbia Grange.
  • Professional Development: Attend webinar on Logic Models trhough Oregon Conservation Partnership. Begin 4-week course through PUGS (Portland Underground Graduate School), The Problem with Privilege: Bias, Fragility and Taking Action to End Racism.
  • 4-County CWMA (Cooperative Weed Management Area): Meet with planning committee to plan the 2017 Pull Together. Work on Annual Work Plan for Education and Outreach Committee and 5-year Outreach Plan.
URBAN LANDS
ACTIVITIES
Program Management Kathy Shearin
Completed:
  • Met with Green Team to chart course going forward.
  • Couple of days off to hang out with my folks - in town from Wyoming.
  • Participated in a Stormwater retrofit webinar.
Planned:
  • Working on staff reclassification documentation.
  • Presenting an urban Weed 45 min presentation at Savage Memorial church.
Technical Assistance Erik Carr
Completed:
  • Attended the Johnson Creek IJC meeting, including presentation by OTAK to discuss concept design of Centennial Pond removal and restoration on Mitchell Creek.
  • Met with Urban League of Portland to discuss water conservation and native hedgerow ideas at their urban garden.
  • Watched NACD urban conservation webinar about climate adpatation resources for conservation districts.
Planned:
  • Biannual maintenance of EMSWCD's assigned bioswales as part of the Green Street Stewards program.
  • Rain garden incentive site visit.
  • CLIP planning and outreach meeting.
Outreach & Education Angela Previdelli
Completed:
  • Presented in Gresham to Historic SE Neighborhood Assocation.
  • Attended meeting in East Portland - Hazelwood neighborhood association meeting to announce upcoming workshops.
  • Met with Alex to discuss new plugin options for Plant Sale.
  • Met with Katie and Alex to discuss strategy for Urban Lands advertising.
Planned:
  • Attend Making Visible Difference meeting - EPA meeting with community partners.
  • Presenting to Northwest Neighborhood Association in Gresham.
  • Attend East Portland Action Plan general meeting.
  • Attend Lents Neighborhood Association meeting to promote workshops.
Outreach & Education Katie Meckes
Completed:
  • Added Pollinator and Beneficial Insect workshop presentations to website so participants can review content after attending workshops.
  • Loaded fall season workshops to database, performed some clean-up tasks including removal of obsolete workshops.
  • Delivered Urban Lands outreach presentation to 25 attendees at Mt. Tabor Neighborhood Association on Wednesday night. Focus was on workshop promo and grant opportunities.
  • Set up a meeting with Angela and Alex to discuss a plan of action for Urban Lands advertising with the goal of reaching a wider audience in a more strategic manner.
  • Began tracking the number workshop cancellations we receive ahead of a workshop to inform maximum numbers we can set for future enrollment in order to increase overall attendance percentages.
Planned:
  • Problem solve out database glitch that is preventing me from successfully loading workshop registrations.
  • Present at Boise Neighborhood Association on 10/3 to promote upcoming workshops in the area, ask them to host spring workshops and let them know about grant opportunities.
  • Gather data from workshop registrations to inform next steps in advertising campaign planning.
  • Attend Trees & Health lecture on 9/28.
CONSERVATION LEGACY
ACTIVITIES
Program Management Andrew Brown
Completed:
  • Produced draft District Annual Report for FY15-16.
  • Finalized grant management software vendor selection, and began preparing for implementation.
  • Followed up of active Land Legacy agicultural lands projects.
Planned:
  • Work in staff recruitment for vacant position.
  • Follow up on active Land Legacy Program land projects.
  • Progress with implementation of grants management software, including building 2017 PIC application form.
Grants Suzanne Easton
Completed:
  • Grants Committee meeting held on 9/20.
  • Andrew and I, with Jay's approval, decided on ZoomGrants for our on-line PIC application and grants management system.
  • Attended Soul River, SPACE funded event at McCoy Park, Lents Youth Initiative celebration dinner.
  • Attended Greening Schoolyards meeting at Intertwine.
  • Site visit: Pleasant Valley School, PIC Grant.
  • Processed and reviewed new SPACE applications.
Planned:
  • Attend Environmental Education Association of Oregon annual conference 9/28-9/30.
  • Attend Eco-roof conference.
  • Equity Team meeting - plan for staff/board training.
  • Prepare materials for on-line PIC application.
  • Site-visit Columbia Riverkeeper - Hood River.
  • Meet with Grey Water SPACE recipients.
  • Begin outreach for PIC 2017.
Headwaters Farm Rowan Steele
Completed:
  • Presented on Nutrient Management and conducted outreach at Small Farms School.
  • Headwaters Farm tours (NRCS/WMSWCD, Multnomah County CROPS Farm representatives) and worked closely with Alex on various HIP outreach items (press release, application material update, new flier, social media posts/ad, website spruce-up).
  • Coordinated and conducted various farm projects: prophouse legs setting, water line realignment, and setting cover crops).
Planned:
  • Farm tour for possible incubator program applicants and other incubator program outreach.
  • Third quarter invoices for incubator farmers and final invasive "weed-walk" of the season.
  • Coordinating soils samples, cover crops, field cleaning with incubator farmers, and roadway improvements (for fire truck access) and grass waterway and swale install.
Headwaters Farm Stuart Moeller
Completed:
  • Set hoophouse legs and bows.
  • Weeded beetle bank and around pollinator habitat.
  • Laid waterline pipe and set valve boxes.
Planned:
  • Building the prophouse.
  • Planting grass plugs into beetle bank and spreading soil and seed into the reset pollinator habitat.
  • Back-filling water lines.