Activity Report for the Period 3/14/2016 – 3/25/2016

East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
ACTIVITIES
Jay Udelhoven
Completed:
  • Jay was on vacation for most of this reporting period. - Jed
FINANCE & OPERATIONS
ACTIVITIES
Program Supervision / Finance & Budget Lissa Adams
Completed:
  • Made changes to FY16-17 Draft budget per budget committee direction. Prepared minutes and materials for the next Budget Committee meeting to be held March 28th at 6pm.
  • Attended Lower Willamette Basin meeting at Tualatin SWCD office. A representative from each district gave a brief update, then discussion ensued around progress on OACD website and how communication can be improved between OACD and districts. A monthly conference call will be initiated to give districts a forum to voice needs and ideas.
  • Worked with Special Districts Insurance to provide necessary certification to the State regarding leased vehicles.
Planned:
  • Preparing materials for April board meeting including February financial reports and possible supplemental FY15-16 budget.
  • Reviewing draft Emergency Action Plan prepared by the Safety Committee.
Office Management Jed Arnold
Completed:
  • On-boarded new employee Jeremy Baker on 3/15 and helped him get settled.
  • Registered staff for upcoming CONNECT conference.
  • Began surveying other local organizations regarding their employee benefits for reporting to the board.
Planned:
  • Complete comparable benefit survey and report findings.
  • Busier than normal board and committee schedule.
  • Make arrangements for delivery of copy machine replacement "test drive" unit.
Facilities Management Scot Wood
Completed:
  • The Safety Committee submitted our final draft of the Emergency Action Plan to the management team for their input. Many, many thanks to Angela, Jon, Lucas and Rick for their input and a huge thank you to Katie for pulling all of the suggestions, ideas and comments together into a organized format!
  • I finished building the additional irrigation risers.
  • Rowan and I installed and started the organization process of the new pallet racking in the NW corner of the barn.
Planned:
  • Hopefully (if we have some warm dry weather) I will be putting the District logo decals on the state vehicles to replace the magnetic ones that did not do so well in staying on the vehicles.
  • We will be installing the newly configured and built irrigation risers in the fields.
  • I will be working with Rowan on designing a pump house to enclose all of the well components.
Marketing & Media Alex Woolery
Completed:
  • Created two draft rounds of new content-ready half-page booklet template, which will facilitate the production of program outreach materials.
  • Assisted with Farm Succession: final outreach, event logistics and setup, photo and video of event, post-event campaign analytics. Event was very well-attended with a very engaged audience!
  • Worked with Rural Lands staff on garlic mustard postcard (photo finishing, printing, mailing), and updating pages on website with new text, photos and formatting.
  • Assisted program outreach staff with campaign email list management, exporting, segmentation and email design.
  • Tabled CSA Share Fair with Suzanne. Great attendance, high interest in our programs and great questions; we spoke to roughly 100 people and distributed many, many materials!
Planned:
  • Finalize half-page booklet template and review with Urban Lands staff and program supervisors.
  • Begin work on related display panel template, which will adapt content from the half-page materials for event displays.
  • Continue promoting Spring workshops and special workshops such as the Rural Native Plant and Urban Wildlife Habitat workshops.
  • Continue work on planning and scope of 2016 District survey project.
Information Technology Alex Woolery
Completed:
  • Set up Jeremy's user account; set up his computer station with Online Support. Assisted Jeremy with software, setting up calendar.
  • Assisted staff with Surface tablets, software questions, email settings, printers, board room IT setup.
  • Conducted quarterly server maintenance with Chris from Online Support; updated several tablets and a laptop, installed hardware monitoring software and Symantec updates as needed.
  • Worked with staff to reduce backup size through email cleanup, removing files that did not need to be backed up. Daily company drive backups are no longer timing out.
Planned:
  • Continue looking into issue with Jed's Outlook tasks disappearing.
  • Assist staff with software, tablet, network questions or issues.
RURAL LANDS
ACTIVITIES
Program Management Julie DiLeone
Completed:
  • Worked with Erik and Suzanne to get CLIP up and running under the new guidelines.
  • Provided Multnomah County the additional information they requested us to add to our permit application for the culverts at Headwaters.
  • Welcoming and showing the ropes to our new Senior Conservationist, Jeremy Baker.
Planned:
  • Update CLIP content on web site.
  • 5 year plan for Rural Water Quality Improvement.
Rural Water Quality Aaron Guffey
Completed:
  • Attended the March IJC meeting.
  • Continued working through the CLIP application process for an irrigation project.
Planned:
  • Work with our design consultant and permitting authorities to acquire permitting for the Diana Pope Natural Area culvert replacement project, and then put the construction out for bid.
  • Present a CLIP application at April board meeting.
StreamCare Lucas Nipp
Completed:
  • Got one day of spraying in with a crew on StreamCare sites. Water conservation sprays and reed canary grass sprays were conducted as needed on StreamCare sites comprising 86.44 acres.
  • Chelsea and I went on eight site visits for landowners interested in StreamCare. They all heard about StreamCare through a Facebook post that a happy StreamCare landowner posted. Five were eligible and interested and I am working on maps and agreements for them.
  • Chelsea, Alex, and I worked on getting out a customer satisfaction survey out to the first two years of graduated StreamCare landowners. It was emailed to fifteen folks who we had email addresses for. It asks their general satisfaction and also whether they liked their level of involvement in the program and also guages their interest in long term protection of the area in the form of an easement or tax incentive program. Four responses so far.
Planned:
  • I will be continuing work with a crew that will be carrying out water conservatoin sprays around plants planted on grassy StreamCare sites and also spraying reed canary grass on StreamCare sites.
  • I will be presenting at our Native Plants workshop next Friday at the Corbett Grange.
  • I will be working on StreamCare site visits, maps, and agreements for interested landowners.
Weed Management Chris Aldassy
Completed:
  • Epic rafting trip on the Bruneau River.
  • Garlic Mustard control begins with crews and in house control.
  • Crews out controlling ivy.
Planned:
  • Native Plants Workshop presentation.
  • Garlic mustard control, outreach, and survey with crews and in house.
  • Couple more days of ivy control before it wraps up for the season.
Weed Management Jon Wagner
Completed:
  • Garlic Mustard outreach and surveys at 7 new private properties in Corbett and Troutdale.
  • Lead Garlic mustard Crews at five different sites, covering 40 acres and controlling 1,620 sqm of GM.
  • Created garlic mustard mailing list for Corbett, editting fliers, data entry, and outreach.
Planned:
  • Water Quality sampling and data entry.
  • Garlic mustard surveys, outreach and control in house and with crews.
Outreach & Education Chelsea White-Brainard
Completed:
  • Sent postcard to promote Rural Native Plant Workshop.
  • Worked with Chris and Jon to design garlic mustard mailer and send to people living inside the containment zone.
  • With Lucas, sent out customer satisfaction survey to StreamCare graduates.
  • Attended StreamCare site visits with Lucas and garlic mustard outreach with Jon.
Planned:
  • Promote Manure Connection.
  • Prep for and coordinate Rural Native Plant Workshop on March 31st.
  • Update Rural Lands web pages.
URBAN LANDS
ACTIVITIES
Program Management Kathy Shearin
Completed:
  • Presented a Weeds Workshop - SE Uplift.
  • Attended Beavercreek Partnership meeting.
  • Reviewed Yard Tour Applications and decided which ones to do a site visit with.
  • Wrote a letter of support for the update and reprinting of the Urbanizing Flora of Portland publication.
  • Reviewed two SPACE grants.
Planned:
  • Budget Meeting #2.
  • Erik and I will be meeting with Corrina Chase (CSWC Executive Director) to discuss partnership opportunities.
  • Erik and I will be attending the steering committee for the Mt Hood Campus assessment.
  • Erik and I will be meeting with Andrew to discuss data and tracking needs of the Urban Lands Program.
Technical Assistance Erik Carr
Completed:
  • Gave presentation on stormwater facility maintenance to Portland Community College's facilities staff.
  • Followed up on landowner inquiries about rain gardens, drainage issues, and water conservation; provided comments on three SPACE applications.
  • Attended Johnson Creek Watershed Council board meeting and Greenroof Information Think-tank monthly meeting.
  • Organized a new workshop on creating wildlife trees in the urban landscape.
Planned:
  • Site visit scheduled with PTA of George Middle School.
  • Meeting scheduled with Columbia Slough Watershed Council.
  • Planning to attend kick off meeting for Mt Hood Community College stormwater retrofit assessment.
  • Site visit planned for Multnomah County's CROPS community garden in Troutdale.
Outreach & Education Angela Previdelli
Completed:
  • Reviewed 39 Yard Tour applications. Worked with Kathy to create short list of 19 applicants.
  • Email coordination with potential Yard Tour hosts.
  • Volutneer coordination/recruitment for Yard Tour.
  • Reviewed final draft of outreach material template with Alex and UL team.
Planned:
  • Schedule yard visits with 19 short listed Yard Tour applicants.
  • Final coordination for CONNECT Urban Track speakers.
  • Collect information/images/data for UL outreach materials.
Outreach & Education Katie Meckes
Completed:
  • Joined Safety Committee. Assisted with edits and formatting of EAP draft.
  • Met with UL team re: MHCC Demo project updates.
  • Prepped workshop task coverage for week that I am on vacation.
Planned:
  • Will be attending Greening Schoolyards Task Force meetings beginning 3/31.
  • Content creation for Urban Lands outreach materials overhaul.
  • Editing surveys before sending to spring workshop participants. Will send surveys to Spring 2015 workshop participants after vacation.
  • Vacation 3/21-3/25.
CONSERVATION LEGACY
ACTIVITIES
Program Management Andrew Brown
Completed:
  • Completed draft operational plan for the future use of Oxbow Farm.
  • Held the farm succession workshop.
  • Assited with pursuing agricultural land acquisition offortunity and submitting offer to purchase.
  • Pursued natural area / access to nature aqusition opportnity with partners.
Planned:
  • Formulate third quarter of FY 2015-16 quarterly report.
  • Follow up with, and continue pursuing, natural area and agricultural land acquisition oppertunities.
  • Progress on ALE project management plan and BMP's.
  • Work on the Headwaters 5 year plan.
Land Legacy Rick McMonagle
Completed:
  • Researched comps for potential land acquisition.
  • Visited potential new Access to Nature site.
  • Met with ALE project landowners.
  • Conducted follow-up activities re: farm succession workshop.
Planned:
  • Working w/partners & seller on Access to Nature site.
  • Conducting due dilligence on farm acquisition project.
  • Contacting landowners in Ag priority area.
  • Conducting due dilligence on potential parcel acquisition.
Grants Suzanne Easton
Completed:
  • Hosted Grant-Makers Equity Group.
  • Continued follow-up on PIC applicants.
  • Finalizing PIC materials for April Board meeting.
  • Reviewed CLIP grant and attended review meeting.
  • Reviewed SPACE grants - consult with staff.
  • Tabled at CSA Share Fair with Alex.
Planned:
  • Finalize PIC materials for Board packet.
  • Prepare SPACE apps for Board packet.
  • PIC approval at April Board meeting.
  • Attend Green Schoolyards meeting #2.
  • Attend Project YESS presentation at Zenger Farm.
Headwaters Farm Rowan Steele
Completed:
  • Worked on Oxbow Farm materials for upcoming Land Legacy meeting.
  • Continue to engage with Multnomah County planners and Gresham Fire Department regarding upcoming farm improvements.
  • Facilitated propagation-house committee meeting.
  • Various farm projects: slab poured for cooler, set gate on west entrance, conducted tractor tests with HIP farmers, organizing and cleaning barn, receiving farmers' bulk purchase order (~14 tons of product), and fixing the hydraulic tank on the D4E.
Planned:
  • Co-teaching nutrient management with Nick Andrews of OSU Extension.
  • Creating and submitting quarterly invoices for HIP farmers.
  • Updating equipment operational sheets.