Category Archives: News

Free farm succession workshop on October 26th

sunset over distant hills and trees, and in the foreground are crops with a line of sprinklers running

Sunset over a field of crops

Have you secured your farm’s future? We can help! Join us for a free farm succession planning workshop and lunch Thursday, October 26^th, 2023 at the Multnomah Grange (30639 SE Bluff Road, Gresham, OR 97080). Check-in starts at 9:00 AM and the program runs from 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM.

RSVP here! RSVP required by October 18^th.

Questions? Contact Andrea Krahmer at (503) 789-2467 or Andrea@oregonagtrust.org

Brought to you by East Multnomah and Clackamas Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Oregon Agricultural Trust, and Oregon Small Business Development Center.

EMSWCD Board statement regarding Portland Water Bureau filtration plant project siting

Multnomah County Hearings Officer
Multnomah County Community Services, Land Use Planning
1600 SE 190 Avenue
Portland, OR 97233

Re: case # T3-2022-16220 – Proposed Portland Water Bureau Filtration Plant Project

The East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District (EMSWCD) is a nonregulatory government agency representing residents of Multnomah County east of the Willamette River to the far end of the county. The mission of EMSWCD is to help people care for soil and water.

EMSWCD understands that Portland Water Bureau (PWB) is obligated by US Environmental Protection Agency regulations and the terms of a compliance order entered into between the PWB and Oregon Health Authority to have a system operational no later than 2027 that is capable of removing Cryptosporidium and other potential contaminants.

While EMSWCD supports the provision of clean, safe drinking water for all PWB customers, we are concerned about the proposed location of the water filtration facility. The proposed location for the facility is on land designated as a Rural Reserve. Consistent with its Rural Reserve designation, this location represents some of the very best farmland remaining in EMSWCD’s service area. It has prime agricultural soils, favorable topography, legal water rights, and is sizeable enough to support commercial farming operations. Siting this facility on Rural Reserve-designated land not only equates to farmland loss, but it also sets a negative precedent of constructing facilities intended to serve a primarily urban population on land that is protected for agriculture. Read more →

Headwaters Farm Open House

Please join us at the Headwaters Farm Business Incubator open house!

Date: Tues, Oct 10th
Time: 4:00 pm – 6:30 pm
Location:
Headwaters Farm
28600 SE Orient Dr.
Gresham, Or 97080

We’re throwing open the barn doors to give our farm friends & agricultural community an inside look at the Headwaters property.

Tour the farm
See firsthand the resources Headwaters offers farmers
Meet past and present farmers and Headwaters staff
Enjoy refreshments on us

East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District (EMSWCD) has an exciting opportunity for an innovative, resourceful new Executive Director to continue to grow the current culture of trust and accountability while prioritizing the organization’s mission to help people care for land and water.

As the leader of EMSWCD, the Executive Director is responsible for the overall implementation of the strategic plan initiatives and annual goals. Prioritizing open and collaborative leadership with the elected board of directors and staff is key. A focus on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in conservation work, as well as a deep commitment to responding to the impacts of climate change on water, land and people are also key elements of success for this position.

Learn more about the Executive Director position and how to apply here!

Our board requirements have changed with passing of SB775

Governor Kotek has signed SB 775 so it is now official. Any registered voter living in a conservation district with at least 250,000 people can now run for all board positions. Previously, for the three zoned positions on our board, you had to own or manage 10 acres of land. This has changed!

The next opportunity to run for our board will be in the 2024 general election. Look for more information on that process when we get closer to the election cycle. Please let your networks know!

Link

Upcoming EMSWCD Board and Committee Meetings

The East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District (EMSWCD), serving all of Multnomah County east of the Willamette River, has scheduled Board and Committee meetings for the months of September 2023 through July 2024.

Visit this page to see a calendar of upcoming meetings.

EMSWCD invests $1 million in new Partners in Conservation grants

Grants supporting local efforts help us meet our mission and tackle some of today’s most pressing challenges. We’re investing $1,050,000 million into efforts led by non-profits and community-based organizations addressing key issues such as access to land, warming waterways, and the lack of trees in low-income and historically red-lined neighborhoods.

See the list of PIC 2023 grantees here.

In May our Board of Directors approved funding for 24 grant proposals recommended by our 13-member Grant Review Committee for sustainable agriculture and community gardens, habitat restoration, water quality improvements, and job opportunities for youth in the green workforce. Organizations are addressing community disparities and advancing equity by creating benefits for underserved communities through project design, partnerships, and organizational practices.

This year’s committee reviewed 42 grant applications requesting nearly $1.9 million in funding. Learn more about the committee members here.

Since 2007 we’ve invested more than $11 million in 150+ Partners in Conservation grants to organizations that help advance our mission.

Visit this page for the full list of 2023 Partners in Conservation Grant projects.

Garlic Mustard Dumpster

EMSWCD is once again providing a dumpster for disposing of pulled and bagged garlic mustard. The dumpster is located on the Historic Highway, in front of the ball field across the street from the Corbett Water District.

The dumpster is marked clearly as GARLIC MUSTARD DUMPSTER. A tracking sheet is located below the dumpster – please fill out all of the information requested on the sheet so we can track how much time was spent pulling garlic mustard and where it came from. A dumpster will be provided each spring to help the community dispose of garlic mustard.

We are also allowing residents to dispose of tansy ragwort in this dumpster. Please only use this dumpster to dispose of garlic mustard and tansy!

Have any questions? Send an email to Chris Learn more about pulling invasive garlic mustard

Remember: Re-visit pulled sites frequently to make sure no new garlic mustard plants grow and go to seed.

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