Activity Report for the Period 1/29/2018 – 2/9/2018

East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District
Sections:
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
ACTIVITIES
Jay Udelhoven
Completed:
  • External Engagement: Nothing completed.
  • Boards/Committees: Hosted February Board meeting.
  • Policies/Planning/Budgeting: Nothing completed.
  • Supervision/Leadership: Participated in equity meeting; met with staff 1x1 and management team; completed equity readings.
  • Program Implementation: Closed on agricultural protection transaction; approved SPACE grants; reviewed updates to the Dianna Pope Natural Area Plan; reviewed purchaser evaluation criteria for farm sale; reviewed easement criteria for farm sale.
Planned:
  • External Engagement: Attend Multnomah County Farm Bureau meeting; attend Levy Ready Columbia Project Team meeting; attend NRCS local work group meeting; attend Solid Ground open house; participate in OACD monthly call.
  • Boards/Committees: Nothing planned.
  • Policies/Planning/Budgeting: Work with supervisors to prepare FY18-19 draft budget; meet with CFO and TSCC to discuss FY18-19 budgeting.
  • Supervision/Leadership: Participate in equity meeting; meet with staff 1x1 and management team.
  • Program Implementation: Nothing planned.
FINANCE & OPERATIONS
ACTIVITIES
Program Supervision / Finance & Budget Lissa Adams
Completed:
  • Prepared and presented December financial reports to board.
  • Worked on FY18-19 budget.
  • Offboarded previous IT contractors and worked to onboard new IT contractors.
  • Met with equity team and working with CEI on scheduling and planning.
  • Ordered new computers for Aaron, Katie and Whitney.
Planned:
  • Continue work on FY18-19 budget.
Office Management Lindsay Nelson
Completed:
  • I was out of office for 3 days.
  • Started Equity homework on The New Jim Crow book.
  • Started to compile information from webinars in an Excel sheet. Researched and purchased some supplies for plant sale.
  • Spent several hours trying to figure out the teleconferencing system.
  • Ordered food for Board meeting. Prep, set up, tare down, and record minutes for the february Board of Directors meeting.
  • Trained with Alex on how to use audio editing software. Went through previous Board and Committee audios to separate executive sessions.
Planned:
  • Finish equity assignment. Watch Equity movie assigned.
  • Finish Board meeting minutes.
  • Arrange a meeting with new IT to discuss telecommunications system.
Facilities Management Scot Wood
Completed:
  • I built and installed the new information kiosk in the foyer.
  • I worked with Rowan to get the irrigation set up in the lower prop house, and replaced an solenoid in the upper prop house.
  • I met with Matt at the Mishima property to assess the items left behind.
Planned:
  • I will be doing what I can to help Urban Lands get ready for the plant sale pickup day as well as helping out on pickup day.
  • I will be helping Rowan finish up a few projects in anticipation of the rapidly approachiing growing season.
  • I will start the process to clean up the Mishima property.
Marketing & Media Alex Woolery
Completed:
  • Plant sale: closed plant sale, updated website, extensive order and stock checking, final refunds, answered customer questions, picklist creation, created other lists for Plant Sale team.
  • Assisted staff with mailer logistics and printing, material printing, advertisements, technical support, software, training on the website, updates, social media training and requests, conference room and projector support.
  • Worked with Katie and Angela on several other plant sale prep needs. Arranged for sound equipment for pick up day.
  • Trained Josie in using social media platforms and creating different sorts of posts. Continued training with Lindsay: audio software, and using and updating website; created an event creation step-by-step tutorial.
  • Coordinated printing and mailing of the Beaver Creek mailer with Chelsea and printer; proofing and minor edits; website analytics capture setup.
Planned:
  • Follow up on spring workshop advertising venues and opportunities.
  • Work with Plant Sale team to assist and prepare for pickup day. Take photos of volunteers. Assist with display materials, answering questions about orders, and other tasks as needed on Plant Sale pickup day.
  • Planning and budgeting.
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.
  • Alex assisted Lindsay and Angela with issues related to the projector and/or sound setup for various events.
  • Alex gave some brief information to new IT contractor on-site about setup and network.
Planned:
  • Lindsay, Alex and Lissa will respond to staff IT issues and questions as needed.
RURAL LANDS
ACTIVITIES
Program Management Julie DiLeone
Completed:
  • Attended a training on Emotional Intelligence.
  • Drafting Rural Lands 18-19 budget.
  • Found out the US Forest Service only has $15,000 for post fire weed control.
Planned:
  • Meeting with USGS to go over a literature review and data analysis of our sediment data and determine next steps.
  • Drafting Rural Lands 18-19 budget.
  • NRCS webinar on the latest version of their greenhouse gas inventory and analysis tool rescheduled for February 28th.
Rural Water Quality Aaron Guffey
Completed:
  • Completed an International Erosion Control Association online course to learn about sediment basin design.
  • Met with an engineering consultant and managers of a nursery to discuss Erosion Solutions.
  • Attended a meeting for chapter treasurers of the Oregon Association of Nurseries.
  • Attended and presented on a tour of restoration and water quality projects in upper Johnson Creek, which included the stream projects at Headwaters Farm.
Planned:
  • 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. Fulfill the responsibilities of treasurer on the Mt. Hood Chapter board.
  • Work with USGS as they provide consultation to develop tools to correlate conservation practice implementation to water quality.
StreamCare Lucas Nipp
Completed:
  • Chelsea and I, with help from Chris and Jon, received about 40,000 bare root plants for StreamCare, Weed Control sites, and the Plant Sale. We split off about 10,000 for the Plant Sale, about 10,000 for Weed Control Sites and the remaining 22,000 are scheduled for planting on StreamCare sites.
  • Two site visits with landowners interested in joining StreamCare. Both live along Big Creek.
  • Went on a site visit with Matt and Jeremy to Oxbow Farm to discuss finalizing of the easement zones and boundaries.
Planned:
  • I will work with a crew to install about 22,000 plants on seven StreamCare sites and in a 1,320 feet hedgerow at Oxbow Farm.
  • I have a site visit planned with a landowner and Kim Galland to look at some pre-commercial thinning that could potentially be funded under EQIP.
Technical Assistance Jeremy Baker
Completed:
  • Site visit with engineer to measure area for a heavy use area and aerated manure compost facility for miniature horse operation in Troutdale.
  • Site visit with engineer to plan for the size, location and management of a compost system for a horse operation in Corbett.
  • Attended joint Beginning Farmer & Rancher Needs Assessment Focus Group meeting. This workshop was put on by OSU Extention with assistance from Rogue Farm Corp and EMSWCD's Headwaters Farm Program.
Planned:
  • Creating conservation plan and drafting specifications for a heavy use area and planning dimentions and management of manure composter.
  • Sizing of another manure compost system for a horse operation in Corbett.
  • Compiling the planning documentation for a CLIP application on a rainwater harvesting system for irrigation of a small farm in Gresham.
Weed Management Chris Aldassy
Completed:
  • I had a crew out to hand pull small locations of ivy along big creek, and in the Gorge.
  • Jon and I took advantage of the nice weather and started controlling several locations of garlic mustard.
  • Jon and I surveyed several properties of folks interested in knowing what native species and what weed species are on their properties.
Planned:
  • I'll be having crews planting into our restoration sites.
  • I'll be a yes man at the plant sale.
  • I plan on finalizing every outstanding contract, IGA, and permit for the upcoming field season.
Weed Management Jon Wagner
Completed:
  • Lucas and I attended the Columbia Gorge CWMA meeting about using volunteers in the burn zone.
  • Chris and I sprayed 100 square meters of garlic mustard rosettes over 3.3 acres of private land. We conducted two weed site visits for landowners in Corbett and on Larch Mountain.
  • I created a rough draft for a Diana Pope Natural area plan sign. I entered and graded water quality data. I did my equity homework.
Planned:
  • Chris and I will collect monthly water quality samples and conduct monthly wildlife surveys.
  • I will finish art for the Diana Pope Natural Area Plan sign. I will prepare for a weeds presentation in Stevenson Washington. I will work on the water quality monitoring plan.
  • Chris and I will continue early season garlic mustard control and ivy control.
Outreach & Education Chelsea White-Brainard
Completed:
  • Finished the design and coordinated the printing of the water quality mailer, 'Beaver Creek: The Watershed Beneath Our Feet'. Created in partnership with Multnomah County, City of Gresham, City of Troutdale, and the Sandy River Watershed Council, the mailer went out to 13,000 homes in the Beaver Creek Watershed.
  • Received plant deliveries and began sorting out plants for the plant sale, StreamCare, and weeds projects.
  • Attended webinar on Community Based Social Marketing.
Planned:
  • Continue working with Jon and Lucas on interpretive signage for the Dianna Pope Natural Area.
  • Sort plants for StreamCare plantings. Help out at plant sale.
  • Plan and facilitate upcoming CWMA (Cooperative Weed Management Area) Outreach and Education meeting.
URBAN LANDS
ACTIVITIES
Program Management Kathy Shearin
Completed:
  • Attended: CSWC Board Meeting; IPM web tool (SolvePestProblems.org) advisory committee meeting; MHCC Steering Committee; Urban Ecocolgy Research Consortium annual symposium; and Adult Conservation Education workgroup.
  • Site visit for PIC application (NAYA).
Planned:
  • Budget planning.
Technical Assistance Whitney Bailey
Completed:
  • Assisted with Annual Native Plant Sale.
  • Gave rain garden presentation to realtors in Woodstock.
  • Conducted site visit to Ron Russell Middle School.
  • Participated in CSWC Tech Team meeting.
Planned:
  • Site visit to Clarendon Community Garden to discuss grant options for pollinator habitat and open space enhancement.
  • Site visit to MHCC regarding Alma Memorial Pollinator Garden.
  • Site visit to urban farm in SE Portland regarding weed management.
  • Helping with PCC Class tour of Conservation Corner.
Outreach & Education Angela Previdelli
Completed:
  • Attended NACD Conference in Nashville.
  • Final volunteer coordination and reminders to 85 volunteers registered for Plant Sale.
  • Final approval of three SPACE Grants.
  • Screened the documentary "13th" for staff as part of Equity homework.
Planned:
  • Plant Sale Sorting Week - work with 85 volunteers to assemble almost 900 customer orders.
  • Plant Sale Pickup Day on Feb 17th, YAY!
Outreach & Education Katie Meckes
Completed:
  • Most time has been spent on various plant sale tasks, planning and preparation for sorting week and day of event: Supply inventory, purchasing, organizing, site mapping, scheduling and outreach communications.
  • Attended a Community Based Social Marketing webinar with Chelsea.
  • Led a tour of20 PCC students on a tour of EMSWCD/Conservation Corner.
  • Presented at Irvington Neighborhood Association.
Planned:
  • Preparations for plant sale, email reminders, tent setup, volunteers.
  • Plant Sale pick up day!
Outreach & Education Josie Moberg
Completed:
  • Communicated with workshop hosts and continued with outreach (including getting trained on social media postings), prepped the supplies (printing handouts, organizing bins, etc.) for the Spring season, and responded to registration cancellations.
  • Continued working on scavenger hunts & self-guided tours (almost finalized).
  • Made flyer for Spanish workshop (in Spanish) and sent it to workshop host to be reviewed.
Planned:
  • Assisting with plant sale day-of operations!
CONSERVATION LEGACY
ACTIVITIES
Program Management Andrew Brown
Completed:
  • Worked on the draft of the 2018-2023 EMSWCD strategic plan, particularly the 5 year budget.
  • Worked on developing draft FY18-19 budget for Conservation Legacy.
  • Attended the NACD conference in Nashville.
Planned:
  • Finalize the draft FY18-19 budget for the Conservation Legacy programs.
  • Advance the 2018-2023 EMSWCD strategic plan.
  • Review the 2018 PIC grant applications.
Grants Suzanne Easton
Completed:
  • Sent out review packet to PIC Review Committee; continued internal review process.
  • Attended Equity Engagement at Intertwine - speaker from Latino Outdoors.
  • Two PIC 2018 site visits: Boise Eliot Native Grove; NAYA Gathering Garden with Kathy and Whitney.
  • Equity Team meeting held to go over second phase of planning/implementation training; also watched movie and completed assigned reading.
Planned:
  • Continue PIC 2018 review and prepare for Review Committee meeting.
  • CEI Follow-up Training #6; continue with assignments and meeting with staff team.
Land Legacy Matt Shipkey
Completed:
  • Closed on Ag property adjoining Headwaters, arranged for short-term stewardship work.
  • Advanced disposition of EMSWCD property.
  • Secured Letter of Intent for new conservation transactions.
  • Outreach meetings and outreach materials developed.
Planned:
  • Draft contract for new conservation transactions.
  • Finalized draft Oxbow working farmland easement terms, appraisal update in progress.
  • Advance outreach efforts.
  • Assist in budgetary planning.
  • File new acquisition documents.
Headwaters Farm Rowan Steele
Completed:
  • Offered a Headwaters Farm Orientation to the new farmers in the incubator program.
  • Launched a new cohort of eight incubator farmers in the Oregon Tilth/OSU Extension Service’s Record Keeping Program.
  • Hosted a farmer-led Headwaters Farm Clean Up event.
Planned:
  • Draft budget development.
  • Compiling and submitting the Special Environmental Resource permit for the road realignment in the Dianna Pope Natural Area.
  • Getting farm systems online for the 2018 growing season.
  • Placing the spring bulk order for fertilizer.