Activity Report for the Period 2/26/2018 – 3/9/2018

East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District
Sections:
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
ACTIVITIES
Jay Udelhoven
Completed:
  • Jay was out of office during this reporting period and unable to submit a report.
FINANCE & OPERATIONS
ACTIVITIES
Program Supervision / Finance & Budget Lissa Adams
Completed:
  • Prepared draft FY18-19 budget for first Budget Committee Meeting; prepared January financial reports for March board meeting.
  • Reviewed February payroll and payables.
  • Along with Jay, met with TSCC staff to go over initial budget draft and budgeting process.
Planned:
  • Prepare for April board and budget committee meetings.
  • Together with equity team and management team, meet with CEI to begin crafting equity statement and plan.
Office Management Lindsay Nelson
Completed:
  • Finished HR Software and Telecommunication System spreadsheets. Met with Lissa to discuss telecommunication systems.
  • Board and Committees: researched food for PIC Review Committee Meeting; updated EMSWCD website; created Board of Directors meeting packet for March; printed, labeled and sent packet to Dianna Pope; prepared, ordered food, set up and break down, recorded minutes for the March Board of Directors meeting; set up Pic Review Meeting; created a Personnel Committee Decision log.
  • Called a few embroidery companies about EMSWCD gear.
  • Attended the Columbia Slough Gala with Kathy.
  • Met with my equity team to discuss homework assignments.
  • I processed bills/invoices to be paid and sent out checks to various vendors.
Facilities Management Scot Wood
Completed:
  • I have been working a bit on some basement straightening up at the office.
  • I unloaded the farmers' annual amendment order ( 20,000+ pounds of it) and helped a bit with sorting it out for the various farmers.
  • I have started some general maintenance around the new property and met with a painter and roofer to address the rust on the overhead doors and the leaking roof.
Planned:
  • Hopefully I won't be shoveling any more snow!
  • I will continue to install the irrigation risers in anticipation of turning the irrigation system on soon.
  • Hopefully within the next week or so, the clean up of the barn and property will begin, removing the items left behind that are either recyclable, donatable or trash.
Marketing & Media Alex Woolery
Completed:
  • Materials: working with Matt and Jon to develop Farmland protection brochure. Fielding quotes on naturescaping workbook and follow-up. Checked Rural Lands design and sent to print. Looked up information on several older materials for staff.
  • Website: Board and Committee support with Lindsay, trained staff on using site, developing new post on Beaver Creek with Chelsea, new Grange Office hours post and contact form, additional changes for ADA accessibility, worked with Katie on workshops and events page language and formatting. Worked with Whitney to edit and publish first of her new Nature Notes series.
  • Developing and translating new conditional coding for Spanish-language format events, developed new code/template for ADA event access.
  • Outreach: promoted local events in English and Spanish, assisted with MailChimp graphics and lists, promoted workshops, new Nature Notes post, conservation jobs. Follow-up with a local company on listing advertising details.
Planned:
  • Finalize edits to Farmland brochure. Work with Urban Lands staff on material information and cataloging, and follow-up on quotes.
  • Promote events, workshops and EMSWCD services.
  • Marketing planning and Branding/Identity.
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 troubleshot a number of technology issues, continued new computer setup.
Planned:
  • Lindsay, Alex and Lissa will respond to staff IT issues and questions as needed.
  • Lissa will work with IT contractor to put together an estimate and specifications for a new server.
RURAL LANDS
ACTIVITIES
Program Management Julie DiLeone
Completed:
  • Attended a Lower Columbia Estruary Partnership Science meeting about "Integrating Climate Change into Habitat Coverage Targets." Take home was that it is no longer possible to restore floodplain sites to pre-1870's conditions because of shifting climate.
  • NRCS is adding a water quality evaluation tool to their CarbOn Management and Evaluation Tool (COMET) ~ June 2018.
  • Soil investigations at the Mishima property with Jeremy.
Planned:
  • Next equity team meeting with Center for Equity and Inclusion.
  • One on one meetings with Rural Lands staff.
Rural Water Quality Aaron Guffey
Completed:
  • Met with a nursery manager to discuss alternatives and limitations for an Erosion Solutions design concept.
  • Met with my equity team.
  • Met with USGS and an NRCS soil scientist in the field to show them typical erosion concerns from a nursery.
  • Attended the Oregon Society of Soil Scientists Winter Meeting.
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. Fulfill the responsibilities of treasurer on the Mt Hood Chapter board.
StreamCare Lucas Nipp
Completed:
  • Completed the installation of the all of the StreamCare plants for 2018. A little over 20,000 plants were installed on ten sites.
  • Did a short presentation at the Columbia Gorge CWMA at the upcoming Invasive Species and Exotic Pest Workshop in Stevenson.
  • I am working on a mailing list for StreamCare outreach. Chelsea and I will be sending a mailer to all unenrolled properties in Beaver and Johnson Creek.
Planned:
  • I will finalize mailing list for upcoming StreamCare outreach.
  • I will assist Jon in conducting monthly water quality sampling next week.
  • I will continue work on the StreamCare modeling along with Andrew.
Technical Assistance Jeremy Baker
Completed:
  • Attended OSU Small Farms Conference, including sessions: Raising Pastured Organic Hogs, Pasture Raised Poultry - Successes and Challenges, Biodynamics in Practices on Oregon Farms. I learned a great deal about pasture hog management.
  • Spent a day out at a property bordering Johnson Creek taking soil samples for further inventory of resources in order to do some soil mapping for better management of the property on the whole. The focus here is to identify ideal cropping areas while maintaing water quality for Johnson Creek.
  • Attended OCEAN meeting.
Planned:
  • Working on CLIP project for small acreage landowner looking to expand and enhance an exisitng rainwater harvesting system so that they can convert from sprinkler to drip irrigation.
  • Assisting Multnomah County C.R.O.P.S. farm to reestablish farming operations in new location. Currently focused on laying out the farm area to determine where and how irrigation system will be installed and managed.
  • Drafting a site visit report and recommendations from aforementioned soil sampling field day.
Weed Management Chris Aldassy
Completed:
  • Finished planting weedy sites for the year.
  • Jon and I continued controlling garlic mustard and worked on some patches of ivy near Latourell.
  • Coordinating contractors and landowners for garlic mustard work.
Planned:
  • I will be planning and implementing control project work.
  • Coordinating with partners to plan and potentially begin surveying in the burn area.
  • I hope to catch up on equity readings.
Weed Management Jon Wagner
Completed:
  • Chris and I sprayed early season garlic mustard rosettes at Lewis and Clark State Park, Rooster Rock State park and The Corbett Hill exit. We also finished planting plant sale leftovers at five private and public sites.
  • I presented EMSWCD's weed control program and Eagle Creek Fire response at the annual Invasive Species and Exotic Pests workshop.
  • I have been finishing the Diana Pope Natural Area sign drawing. I finished an illustration for the Land Legacy flier. I prepped for my weeds presentation.
Planned:
  • I will finish the Diana Pope Natural Area sign illustration. Chris and I will switch to a new weed point data base that Andrew has helped us with. We will outreach garlic mustard landowners.
  • Lucas and I will collect monthly water quality samples and wildlife surveys .
  • Chris and I will work with crews to continue early season garlic mustard control.
Outreach & Education Chelsea White-Brainard
Completed:
  • Worked with Jeremy to start planning a new outreach activity that we're calling "Office Hours at the Grange." He will spend two afternoons at the Columbia Grange and meet with folks in the area to provide technical assistance and answer questions. April 9th and 11th from 2 - 7pm.
  • Designed outreach flag for 4-County CWMA (Cooperative Weed Management Area). Wrote and edited content for website.
  • Worked with Lucas to develop outreach strategy for StreamCare and design an outreach mailer.
Planned:
  • Promote Grange Office hours via mailer, email, website and social media.
  • Post Beaver Creek mailer to the website with downloads in English, Spanish and Russian.
  • Send StreamCare outreach mailer to recruit new landowners. It will go out to streamside landowners in Johnson and Beaver Creek Watersheds not yet enrolled. We will also run a StreamCare video on Facebook that features a time-lapse drawing by Jon.
URBAN LANDS
ACTIVITIES
Program Management Kathy Shearin
Completed:
  • Attended EMSWCD Board meeting.
  • EMSWCD Yard Tour kick-off meeting.
  • IPM Web Tool Steering Committee meeting.
Planned:
  • Will give tour of MHCC Retrofit project to potential funders: Spirit Mountain Community Fund.
  • Plant Sale de-brief meeting.
  • CEI Follow-up meeting #7.
Technical Assistance Whitney Bailey
Completed:
  • Conducted Green Street facilities clean-up and reporting.
  • Site visit for a potential CLIP project in southern Gresham.
  • Reviewed Rockwood Rising's landscape plan and made recommendations for native plants to include.
  • Participated in Yard Tour 2018 kick-off meeting.
  • Site visit with Sabin CDC and City Repair to discuss native plantings and sustainable landscaping practices for a recent SPACE grant.
Planned:
  • Meeting with the City of Fairview to discuss collaboration opportunities.
  • Updating website: CLIP, Naturescaping, and Conservation Corner.
  • Developing Nature Notes, a new blog on naturalist observations and the Conservation Corner.
Outreach & Education Angela Previdelli
Completed:
  • Post Plant Sale wrap up. Please send feedback!
  • Kicked off Yard Tour 2018. The Yard Tour will be on Saturday, May 12th.
  • Hosting Plant Swap at Nadaka Nature Park on Saturday.
  • Approved four SPACE Grants.
Planned:
  • Volunteer outreach and coordination for Yard Tour.
  • Start reviewing applications of Yard Tour hosts.
Outreach & Education Katie Meckes
Completed:
  • Scheduled a career day visit, and recruited speakers for MESA students on April 12th.
  • Hosted Kindergarten students from Kairos PDX Charter School for a return visit to learn more about Rain Gardens and tour of EMSWCD landscape. (16 students, 4 parent helpers, 2 teacher staff)
  • ADA Accessibility research for special events.
  • Event Tasks included Plant Sale clean up. Yard Tour preparations included website updates, created and sent MailChimp announcement to recruit hosts and volunteers, attended first planning meeting.
Planned:
  • Attending Friends of Grant Butte meeting next Wednesday.
  • Meeting with Kairos PDX staff next Wednesday to discuss future opportunities for collaboration in environmental and outdoor education.
  • Incorporate ADA accessibility research findings into event planning processes.
  • Meet with outreach staff to continue discussing ideas for updates to outreach displays.
Outreach & Education Josie Moberg
Completed:
  • Continued communications with workshop hosts/attendees, database updating with new info, etc. to ensure smooth-running workshops
  • Outreach: emailing newspapers, posting to Facebook, etc.
  • Translated registration page on our website for the upcoming trial run Pollinators workshop (en Español).
  • Finalized rain garden kids activity.
  • Spent the morning with Kairos PDX kids for a Rain Garden day!
  • Tabling.
CONSERVATION LEGACY
ACTIVITIES
Program Management Andrew Brown
Completed:
  • Finalized the FY18-19 budget for the Conservation Legacy programs.
  • With Matt, modeled expenditure and revenue projections for the Land Conservation Fund for different Land Legacy Program progress scenarios.
  • Reviewed the 2018 PIC grant applications and participated in PIC Review Committee meeting.
Planned:
  • Advance the 2018-2023 EMSWCD strategic plan draft.
  • Assist Suzanne with preparing 2018 PIC award recommendations for the Board.
  • Assist Rural Lands staff with various GIS projects.
Grants Suzanne Easton
Completed:
  • Attended Equity Grantmakers Network meeting.
  • Prepared for and held all-day 2018 PIC Review Committee meeting, resulting in the merit-based ranking of 31 PIC applications.
  • Met with Equity staff small group to discuss recent reading and movie assignments.
  • Attended March board and budget committee meetings.
Planned:
  • PIC 2018: Complete final analysis and recommended funding allocations. Prepare recommendations and presentation for April board meeting.
  • Equity: Attend CEI follow-up training #7; meet with EMSWCD Equity Team; complete next assignments.
Land Legacy Matt Shipkey
Completed:
  • Broker Request for proposals for Oxbow circulated.
  • Purchase and Sale Agreement/Option drafted and shared with Seller's Counsel for review.
  • Participated in workshops on farm finance and farm protection.
  • Equity homework/discussions completed.
  • New farmland outreach brochure drafting commenced.
  • Land Conservation Fund scenario modeling.
  • Discussion with key Ag sector participants.
Planned:
  • Oxbow broker selected, agreement drafted.
  • Finalize agenda and materials for March LLC meeting.
  • Substantially finalize new farmland outreach brochure.
  • Purchase and Sale Agreement/Option executed.
  • Recent transaction press release and social media announcement.
Headwaters Farm Rowan Steele
Completed:
  • Hosted an all-day training for HIP farmers covering bookkeeping, farm finance, and co-op development.
  • Compiled materials for the Dianna Pope Natural Area Road re-alignment permit and submitted to the County.
  • Facilitated a follow-up record keeping training for farmers just beginning the Cost Study program.
Planned:
  • Beginning to compile bids for the Headwaters Farm compost facility.
  • Working with Stuart to mark out the corners of the new fields.
  • Attending Equity Training #7 and providing a draft Equity Statement.
Headwaters Farm Stuart Moeller
Completed:
  • Repairing plastic mulches around facilities that were damaged by high winds.
  • Installing irrigation risers.
  • General clean up and preparation for spring tillage.
Planned:
  • Supporting Scot in a wash station project to enclose one gable end.
  • Building three new irrigation risers for plots that have yet to come into production.
  • Weed management in areas of the farm that will be fallow this season.