Our Yard Tour is going digital this year! Instead of our usual yard-visiting tour, we are offering you all a chance to show us what’s going on in your landscapes from the comfort of your home! Share what environmentally-friendly practices and projects you are working on. You might also see what others are doing in their space and get inspired to learn more.
EMSWCD Garlic Mustard control during Covid-19 pandemic:
Our staff and contractors will continue to implement our garlic mustard containment project to the best of our abilities during this crisis. However, our capacity to provide services has been greatly reduced in the last few weeks, and will be for the near future. We are currently working with State, Federal and local officials to gain access to lands with garlic mustard that are currently closed.
Because of our limitations we are encouraging anyone with a garlic mustard infestation on their property to take advantage of the extra time at home to pull and bag the plants located on your own property. You can dispose of bagged garlic mustard at the dumpster provided by EMSWCD, located at the old ball field at the top of Corbett Hill Road. Please be sure to sanitize your hands before and after touching the door to the dumpster.
We’ve made a lot of progress in the last ten years, and this year more than ever we need your help so that we don’t lose ground in our fight against garlic mustard.
EMSWCD will hold a telephonic public hearing on April 21st, 2020 at 1:00 PM in connection with the acquisition of a conservation easement to encumber property located at 29139 SE Stone Road, Boring, OR 97080. This easement will ensure the natural and agricultural resource values of the property are protected in perpetuity.
Interested persons may submit written testimony prior to the hearing to Matt Shipkey at matt@emswcd.org, or may appear in person by calling 1 (877) 309-2073 and using the access code 715-251-493.
Additional information on the conservation easement may be obtained by contacting Matt Shipkey, Land Legacy Program Manager at (503) 935 5374 or matt@emswcd.org.
The Land Legacy Committee meeting, originally scheduled for 4:00 PM Monday, March 30th, has been rescheduled and now begins at 5:00 PM. This will be a teleconference meeting. For more details on the meeting and how to attend please visit our Land Legacy Committee page.
Laura Masterson (left) presents Allison Hensey with a service award
At the February Board meeting, At-Large 2 Director Allison Hensey resigned from her position on the EMSWCD Board of Directors. We wish to extend our heartfelt thanks and gratitude to Allison for seven years of dedicated service to the East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District. Among her many valuable contributions, Allison has done terrific work helping advance diversity, equity and inclusion at EMSWCD, and serving as our Board Chair over the last year guiding the organization through a time of transition.
Carrie Sanneman, formerly our Associate Director, has been appointed to the At-Large 2 position. To learn more about our Board members, as well as view upcoming meetings and agendas, please visit our Board section.
updated January 15th, 2020
We have had a few questions about inclement weather, including possible snow on the horizon this week! Most EMSWCD workshops are currently set to remain open during inclement weather, unless otherwise noted. Update: the Farm Succession workshop set for today, January 15th has been postponed to March 11th. If any other workshops are cancelled or postponed, we will notify all registrants by email.
You can register for any of our workshops here!
“The farm succession planning workshop series helped us create an important road map for the future of our family farm.”
-The Sturm family, 2019 Farm Succession Planning Workshop participants.
EMSWCD is excited to once again offer a free farm succession planning workshop series for District farmers(the EMSWCD service area consists of all Multnomah County east of the Willamette River). Taught by a leading national expert, the workshop series will offer strategies to transition the farm and farm business, tax planning and so much more. One-on-one personalized counseling is also offered at no cost. The workshop will take place at the Multnomah Grange (30639 SE Bluff Road, Boring) on January 29th, February 12th and February 26th, and on March 11th from 1 – 4 pm, with a complimentary lunch at 12:30 PM.
Registration is required and space is limited – RSVP with Kathryn Nishimoto at (503) 594-0738 or kathykb@clackamas.edu.
EMSWCD has put a farm property currently in its ownership up for sale. The listing for the property can be found here. All interested parties should direct inquiries to EMSWCD’s broker, Chris Kelly of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices NW Real Estate at (503) 666-4616.
EMSWCD acquired the property in 2018, when it was listed for sale. At the time EMSWCD was concerned that a sale could result in the local farming community losing access to one of the more productive farms within our District. To help prevent this outcome, EMSWCD and the farmer/owner entered into a partnership whereby EMSWCD purchased the property to ensure it would remain forever available for agriculture. At the same time, the farmer also granted EMSWCD an option to permanently protect other property in their ownership. Read more