Activity Report for the Period 11/6/2017 – 11/17/2017

East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
ACTIVITIES
Jay Udelhoven
Completed:
  • External Engagement: Participated in the Lower Willamette Basin meeting of the Oregon Association of Conservation Districts (OACD) to discuss the use of the Oregon Wildlife Habitat Tax Incentive Program, recruitment for the OACD Executive Director, and OACD performance.
  • Boards/Committees: Prepared for and hosted November 2017 Board meeting.
  • Policies/Planning/Reporting/Budgeting: Prepared for, hosted, and presented at board-staff planning retreat.
  • Supervision/Leadership: Worked on a lawsuit; participated in Equity Team meeting with the Center for Equity and Inclusion; attended first aid and CPR training; met with staff 1x1 and management team.
  • Program Implementation: Attended ag property site visit to discuss pending purchase and future potential use.
Planned:
  • External Engagement: Potentially attend annual celebration of the Coalition of Oregon Land Trusts.
  • Boards/Committees: Attend Land Legacy Committee meeting; prepare for December Board meeting; determine need for and, depending on need, prepare for December Personnel Committee meeting.
  • Policies/Planning/Budgeting: Follow up from Board-staff retreat and begin drafting strategic plan with Andrew.
  • Supervision/Leadership: Participate in equity planning/training meeting; meet with staff 1x1 and management team.
  • Program Implementation: Participate in Oregon Agricultural Heritage Program workgroup planning regarding future rule-making and program implementation.
FINANCE & OPERATIONS
ACTIVITIES
Program Supervision / Finance & Budget Lissa Adams
Completed:
  • Attended the Strategic Planning sessions and presented on Finance & Operations goals, strategies and potential plans.
  • Attended all-day CPR training.
  • Attended second Equity meeting with CEI (Center for Equity and Inclusion).
  • Reviewing draft 2016-17 audited financial statements.
Planned:
  • Preparing financial summary for December board meeting.
  • Working out final details of new IT contract.
Office Management Lindsay Nelson
Completed:
  • Attended a CPR & First Aid training.
  • Processed bills for Accounts payable.
  • Completed transcribing the minutes from Board Meeting on November 6th and sent to Lissa for final review. Created LLC meeting Packet for upcoming committee meeting on November 27th and sent it to the Board.
  • Went through small file cabinet to make note of what documents were in it and to see what can be archived.
  • Reached out to our off site storage to see if Lissa and I could come by and see what's inside our current boxes.
  • Researched new companies that could make our branded gear.
Planned:
  • Continue researching postage meters.
Facilities Management Scot Wood
Completed:
  • I participated in Strategic Planning and CPR/First aid training.
  • I met with two contractors to get ballpark figures for some possible office remodels.
  • I worked with Stuart to build a bridge and steps on the west side of the barn for easier access from the barn to the hardening off table area.
  • I helped Stuart lay down fabric on three sides of the newest hoop house.
Planned:
  • I will be working with Lindsay and Matt to get Matt's office area set up to be more functional for him.
  • Time off for Thanksgiving!!
  • I will be continuing with ongoing winterization projects.
Marketing & Media Alex Woolery
Completed:
  • Attended Strategic Planning sessions. Prepared for and presented on Marketing Plan: goals, metrics, implementation. Took all-day CPR training.
  • Promotion/media: ran three ads, including two social media ads and one newspaper ad. Promoted last workshops of the season, partner events, conservation jobs. Worked with Suzanne to revise an article on PIC grants to be published in a community newspaper.
  • Plant sale preparations, development and meetings. Outreach planning, working to improve website efficiency.
  • Working with staff to send items to print and/or retrieve quotes for various materials.
Planned:
  • Continue plant sale development.
  • Continue PIC grant campaigning.
  • Update Marketing Plan: goal metrics, projections, program plans.
Information Technology Lissa Adams,
Lindsay Nelson,
Alex Woolery
Completed:
  • Lindsay, Alex and Lissa responded to staff IT issues and questions as needed; see notes in their individual reports above.
  • Lissa looked into and resolved network issues and addressed minor IT issues.
Planned:
  • Lindsay, Alex and Lissa will respond to staff IT issues and questions as needed.
RURAL LANDS
ACTIVITIES
Program Management Julie DiLeone
Completed:
  • Attended the OWEB Small Grant Team meeting. Three projects were funded; two in Columbia Slough and one in Johnson Creek.
  • Attended the Sandy Watershed Council meeting.
  • Coordinated the Sandy River Partners meeting.
Planned:
  • Bi-weekly check in meetings with Rural Lands staff.
  • Helping evaluate some land legacy projects.
Rural Water Quality Aaron Guffey
Completed:
  • Attended the Oregon Association of Nurseries Annual Convention where I was sworn in as treasurer of the Mt Hood Chapter board.
  • Attended the EMSWCD Strategic Planning Retreat.
  • Julie and I met with USGS to discuss possible methods to quantify the needs, results, and effectiveness of conservation practices through water quality sampling and analysis.
  • Completed the application process for a CLIP project to install erosion control BMPs at a nursery.
Planned:
  • Work with engineering consultants and Clackamas SWCD to create Erosion Solutions design for two nurseries.
  • Engage in the diversity, equity, and inclusion process EMSWCD staff are participating in.
  • Attend all Oregon Association of Nurseries Mt Hood Chapter meetings and events.
  • Work with USGS as they provide consultation to develop tools to correlate conservation practice implementation to water quality.
  • Work with CLIP cooperator to procure and install erosion control BMPs.
StreamCare Lucas Nipp
Completed:
  • Attended Strategic Planning.
  • I joined Suzanne for a site visit of a PIC plus project at Mirror Lake.
  • Chris and I installed around 350 bare root forbs in both the native and mixed pollinator meadows at Headwaters Farm.
Planned:
  • I will continue work on some maps and work to get two more interested landowners enrolled in StreamCare.
  • I will get more signs up on StreamCare sites.
  • I will continue work on options for natural resources at a prospective property.
Technical Assistance Jeremy Baker
Completed:
  • Attended Strategic Planning Retreat.
  • Participated in NRCS Planning Advisory Committee conference call on Tuesday morning focused on non-NRCS based conservation planning tools used by a variety of partners across the US. On the call we received a live demo of a conservation planning platform called "Practice Keeper," which is essentially a web-based version of NRCS Toolkit. From a planners perspective (mine), it was a quite an impressive system.
  • Presented Mud and Manure workshop at Columbia Grange on November 14th. 20 landowners were in attendence. Many CLIP brochures and business cards went out as well, and I've already received one request for a site visit to help a horse owner address their mud issues.
Planned:
  • Augementing water needs for landowner planning to convert from sprinkler irrigation over to irrigation from rainwater harvesting. Changes include considerations for adding a green house and determining potential increase in water requirement and therefore storage.
  • Currently drafting an ag considerations report to outline challenges, opportunities and potential costs associated with an ag. management plan for a potential easement.
Weed Management Chris Aldassy
Completed:
  • Assisted Senior Rural Lands staff with pollinator garden plantings at HIP.
  • I attended strategic planning and first aid & cpr trainings.
  • I've been catching up on some of the equity readings and videos.
Planned:
  • I'll be planning for winter work and co-ordinating with landowners for Spurge Laurel and Ivy control.
  • I'll be co-ordinating and planning project work with USFS
  • I'll be creating part of a native plants presentation that will be given to Corbett residents focused on the plants we will sell at the plant sale..
Weed Management Jon Wagner
Completed:
  • Jon was out of office and unable to submit a report.
Outreach & Education Chelsea White-Brainard
Completed:
  • Promoted Mud and Manure workshop through email, social media, and online calendars. Held the workshop at the Columbia Grange on November 14th. Jeremy presented to 20 livestock owners.
  • Attended Strategic Planning retreat. Attended first aid/CPR training. Attended 5 hour Equity Team session with the Center for Equity and Inclusion. Facilitated the 4-County CWMA (Cooperative Weed Management Area) Education and Outreach Committee meeting.
  • Worked with Katie to organize, rearrange, and plan out outreach areas of the basement.
Planned:
  • Format Spanish and Russian translations for the Beaver Creek mailer. Coordinate mailing with partners.
  • Coordinate translation of the 4-County CWMA (Cooperative Weed Management Area) invasive weed fact sheets into additional languages.
  • Order boundary markers for the Dianna Pope Natural Area at Headwaters Farm.
URBAN LANDS
ACTIVITIES
Program Management Kathy Shearin
Completed:
  • EMSWCD Strategic Planning.
  • First aid training.
Planned:
  • 2018 PIC idea Green Lents, Rose CDC.
  • Grant Butte.
  • Business & the Environment Series.
Technical Assistance Whitney Bailey
Completed:
  • Participated in Strategic Planning Retreat, First-Aid/CPR training, Johnson Creek IJC meeting.
  • Spoke with Multnomah County Drainage District about how EMSWCD can better offer technical assistance for stormwater management in the MCDD.
  • Conducted two site visits for RGI incentive and CLIP program participants
Planned:
  • Meeting with contacts in Troutdale, Wood Village, and Fairview to discuss coordination and partnerships on stormwater management.
  • Meeting with Portland Community Gardens to discuss partnership and pollinator ideas.
  • Green Streets clean-up.
Outreach & Education Angela Previdelli
Completed:
  • Held first two Plant Sale 2018 coordination meetings.
  • Attended and presented at board retreat.
  • Attended CPR and first aid training.
Planned:
  • Next Equity Team meeting with Center for Equity and Inclusion.
  • Thanksgiving holiday!
Outreach & Education Katie Meckes
Completed:
  • Ran database processes to keep contacts up to date and de-duplicated.
  • Plant Sale preparations are underway. Updated plant sale webpages, planning documents, & attended two meetings.
  • Attended Grant Butte meeting on November 15th.
  • Attended Greening Schoolyards Taskforce meeting November 13th.
  • Attended Stategic planning session.
Planned:
  • Research database options and get quotes for potential contractors to help assess current set up.
  • Continue plant sale planning and preparation tasks.
  • Meet with Backyard Habitat Certification Program, City of Gresham and Watershed Councils to collaborate on spring offerings and supporting each other's events and activities.
CONSERVATION LEGACY
ACTIVITIES
Program Management Andrew Brown
Completed:
  • Participated in Board-staff planning retreat, and worked on various follow-up activities resulting from the three days.
  • Assisted Suzanne with 2018 PIC cycle documentation and online application, as well as an outstanding 2017 contract amendment.
  • Assisted Matt with preparations and documentation for the November Land Legacy Committee meeting.
  • Participated in the HIP application review for the 2018 cohort.
Planned:
  • Follow up on strategic planning related issues that need resolution, including budget and priorities.
  • Assist Rowan with DPNA road realignment permit information requirements.
  • I will be taking vacation for a week.
Grants Suzanne Easton
Completed:
  • Attended Strategic Planning Retreat and presented on the Grants Program.
  • Participated in CEI follow up #2 with Equity Team, met with equity staff partner, continued with equity reading assignments.
  • Launched PIC 2018 grant cycle on November 1st; meetings and calls with prospective applicants.
  • Conducted site visits: Mirror Lake - PIC Plus 2015 restoration project; youth restoration projects with Wisdom of the Elders and Ecology in Classrooms & Outdoors.
Planned:
  • Continue meeting with prospective PIC applicants and answering phone calls and email inquiries.
  • Meet with other funders about Latinx youth involvement in environmental education.
  • Participate in CEI monthly meeting with Equity Team.
Land Legacy Matt Shipkey
Completed:
  • Conducted various due diligence activities on farm property in contract.
  • Made strategic planning presentation.
  • Advanced Ag conservation easement opportunity. Explored multiple conservation easement opportunities. Secured and analyzed Oxbow Conservation Easement appraisal.
  • Additional development of farmland program outreach materials. Development of program policies.
  • Met with interested farmland program participant.
  • Advanced IGA for Board approved project.
Planned:
  • Execute IGA for Board approved project. Continue due diligence on farm property in contract.
  • Appraisal awarded and conservation proposal in development for Ag conservation easement opportunity.
  • Assist in Oxbow lease renewal.
  • Prepare for and staff LLC meeting.
  • Advance various conservation opportunities.
Headwaters Farm Rowan Steele
Completed:
  • Facilitated new Headwaters incubator farmer applications for 2018 (10 received with a host of qualified individuals).
  • Attended the National Incubator Farm Training Initiative’s Field School in Monterey which included a visit to the ALBA farm.
  • Hosted the annual Regional Farmer Development Summit for all local beginning farmer efforts.
Planned:
  • Finishing interviews for the 2018 applications and making selections.
  • Updating the Farmer’s Manual for next year.
  • Working on follow up material from the Strategic Planning process including launching into the Headwaters Incubator Program Five-Year Plan.
Headwaters Farm Stuart Moeller
Completed:
  • Helped build stairs from the back of the barn up to the lower propagation house.
  • Plumbed the auxiliary wash station.
  • Mulched around the new hoophouse and other farm facilities.
Planned:
  • Stuart is off for the rest of the season now so we extend a huge “thank you!” for all of his hard work and for making the farm look and function at its best.