Activity Report for the Period 3/11/2016 – 4/22/2016

East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
ACTIVITIES
Jay Udelhoven
Completed:
  • Boards/Committees: Nothing planned for this period.
  • External Engagement: Drafted Strategic Partnership Agreement for the watershed councils; met with watershed councils to discuss the partnership.
  • Program Implementation: Completed final review and approval of the Cooperative Landowner Incentive Program materials; completed first review of the Marketing 5-Year Plan.
  • Vacation: Successfully road-tripped with my parents from Florida to Wisconsin.
Planned:
  • Boards/Committees: Prepare for and attend May board meeting.
  • External Engagement: Attend Intertwine's Quarterly Conservation Forum and East Multnomah County Summit; answer questions and update the Strategic Partnership Agreement with the watershed councils following up on the board's input.
  • Policies: Continue revision of personnel policies; update the performance review process and form.
  • Program Implementation: Continue review of the Urban Lands 5-Year Plan; attend Portland Harbor Superfund tour; meet with Ben Kaiser from Carbon Twelve to discuss his green development plans.
FINANCE & OPERATIONS
ACTIVITIES
Program Supervision / Finance & Budget Lissa Adams
Completed:
  • Met with Rural Lands staff to plan for Culvert Replacement Project at Dianna Pope Natural area and posted public notice on the Oregon Procurement Network.
  • Worked with TSCC staff to answer budget questions.
  • Reviewed payroll, accounts payable and plant sale reconciliations.
Planned:
  • Prepare 3rd quarter budget to actual reports.
  • Plan trip to Vancouver, BC to meet with vendor and look at possible room divider solution.
  • Begin developing an investment policy.
Office Management Jed Arnold
Completed:
  • Attended the CONNECT conference.
  • Distributed the temporary Weed Technician job posting.
  • Took delivery of the "test drive" color copier and began evaluation of its suitability.
Planned:
  • File paperwork to renew employee health benefits for FY16/17 with insurers.
  • Finish reviewing/updating Board meeting action items to reflect in-progress items from the last six months.
  • Write up benefits comparison survey results.
Facilities Management Scot Wood
Completed:
  • I met with SL Green Construction and we are moving forward with the south board room door and porch and board room hardwood floor restoration.
  • We ordered welcome signage to be placed at four entrance points to the District office grounds.
  • Rowan and I finished up the mowing along the roadways and between the farmers plots.
  • I have been spreading pelletized lime on the farmers plots with the help of the tractor and broadcast spreader attachment.
  • I have been working on repairing the rain runoff damage to the main driveway into the farm.
Planned:
  • I will be scheduling the with Michael (SL Green's Site Superintendent) to have the board room porch done as soon as possible and the floors to start after the June board meeting.
  • I will be installing the welcome signage at the front steps, by the bike shed and the two south entrances on either side of the south basement door retaining walls.
  • I will be continuing with the barn clean up and organization.
  • I will be spreading out woodchips along the beetle bank to help curb weed growth.
  • I will finish up the rain runoff damage to the main driveway as time will allow.
Marketing & Media Alex Woolery
Completed:
  • Reviewed Yard Tour locations and photos - worked on selecting and retouching photos for website galleries and tour guide, tour guide design, website changes and newspaper ad.
  • Met with Green Team to review progress, actions, team purpose, goals and messaging. Researched alternative commute barriers and created a quick survey for staff to take.
  • Website: Posted and promoted temp Invasive Weed technician position, posted Board meeting updates and sent press releases, worked with Erik to implement Conservation Directory improvements and updated listings, general post cleanup, Wordpress version update, plugin updates and testing.
Planned:
  • Next week is Native Plant Appreciation Week. I will promote some NPAW activities from Native Plant Society of Oregon and others, and highlight our yard, workshops, Yard Tour. NPS-Portland will also highlight what EMSWCD offers.
  • Review and finalize Yard Tour galleries, text, email campaign and Yard Tour guide with Urban Lands team. Prepare website and outreach; email/social campaign beginning May 2nd.
  • Continue work and improvements on outreach material templates; work with program managers on topics to create materials for.
Information Technology Alex Woolery
Completed:
  • Rerouted and tested wireless from central stairwell location. Seems to work in all the "trouble" corners of the building.
  • Erik had issue accessing Google Groups from EMSWCD office - attempted to resolve, issue persists - will follow up with Online Support.
  • Helped Jed set up new Minolta printer, set up network and admin, tested out print functions.
Planned:
  • Assist staff with network, software, printing etc. issues as necessary.
  • Move wireless network to stairwell location and rewire. Work with Scot to route connection through Jeremy and Chelsea's office.
RURAL LANDS
ACTIVITIES
Program Management Julie DiLeone
Completed:
  • After our lawyer's review, finalized the Invitation to Bid for the Headwaters culvert replacement project.
  • Met onsite with Aaron, Scot, Rowan, and Jeremy to review designs for culvert replacement project.
  • Completed ODA and EMSWCD quarterly reports.
Planned:
  • Set up property line survey near culvert work at Headwaters.
  • Temporary position hire.
  • Program planning.
Rural Water Quality Aaron Guffey
Completed:
  • Aaron is currently on parental leave until Mid-September.
StreamCare Lucas Nipp
Completed:
  • Continued spraying in with a crew on StreamCare sites. Water conservation sprays and reed canary grass sprays were conducted as needed on StreamCare sites comprising 135.45 acres.
  • Attended the 4-County CWMA General Meeting. It was held at Tualatin Hill Nature Park. Clean Water Services presented on their closed container herbicide system that they have been piloting.
  • Met with a number of Rural Lands and Land Legacy and Grants employees to go over landowners in the ag focal area.
Planned:
  • I will be in Jamaica for the next two weeks.
  • I will be setting up exit site visits with landowners who will be graduating from the StreamCare program this summer.
  • I will be procuring materials for and deploying water temperature sensors in Beaver, Big, Smith, and Johnson Creek.
Technical Assistance Jeremy Baker
Completed:
  • Participated in onsite review of Culvert Removal Project at Headwaters Farms.
  • Two site visits.
  • Attended Connect Conference and OCEAN Strategic Planning Session.
Planned:
  • Transferred one client to UL for further assistance. Working with the other on a planting plan to expand existing forested area.
Weed Management Chris Aldassy
Completed:
  • Chris was out of the office on family leave at the time of this report.
Weed Management Jon Wagner
Completed:
  • Water Quality sampling with Chelsea.
  • Lead crews in control of garlic mustard over two days and 14 sites. Garlic mustard, outreach and control with Chris.
  • Data entry and outreach.
Planned:
  • Garlic Mustard second passes with crews.
  • Garlic mustard in house small sites and surveys.
  • Data management, outreach and new position check in.
Outreach & Education Chelsea White-Brainard
Completed:
  • Attended OCEAN's (Oregon Conservation Education and Assistance Network) CONNECT conference and CWMA (4 county Cooperative Weed Management Area) general meeting.
  • Did water quality sampling in Beaver and Johnson Creeks with Jon.
  • Created flier for Manure Connection and Conservation Directory.
Planned:
  • Begin planning for the erosion prevention campaign.
  • Begin planning for Ag water quality focus area outreach.
  • Prepare for 6 month review.
URBAN LANDS
ACTIVITIES
Program Management Kathy Shearin
Completed:
  • Met with EMSWCD Green Team Committee.
  • Attended CONNECT - conference for SWCD and Watershed Council employees.
Planned:
  • Attending Columbia Slough Watershed Council Board Meeting.
  • Meeting with Metro employee about their sustainable procurement policies.
  • Meeting with Beavercreek Partnership.
Technical Assistance Erik Carr
Completed:
  • 8 site visits, including several rain garden incentive inquiries and a meeting with Riverhouse HOA conservation committee.
  • Attended meeting of Greening Rockwood working group to discuss next steps of community tree inventory.
  • Provided tour of EMSWCD facilities for PCC environmental sciences class.
  • Researching iTree software program as tool for urban forestry analysis and benefits assessments.
Planned:
  • Meeting with Gresham and Backyard Habitat program to discuss neighborhood certifcation proposal.
  • Attending Intertwine Corridors and Connectivity forum.
Outreach & Education Angela Previdelli
Completed:
  • Attended CONNECT. I helped to organize the Urban Conservation track and was champion for those sessions.
  • Attended meeting with Backyard Habitat and City of Gresham to discuss neighborhood-scale certifications.
  • Yard Tour Coordination - I have recruited over 50 volunteers. I wrote yard descriptions for the 9 hosts. Working with Alex to review/edit the YT Guide.
Planned:
  • Part 3 in Equity Assessment with the Equity Team.
  • Yard Tour Coordination - Set schedules for volunteer placement. Figure out logistics for sign placements for the 9 host yards. Order supplies and materials to prep for the day of the event on May 14th.
Outreach & Education Katie Meckes
Completed:
  • Attended Connect 2016 Conference. Great sessions! Connected with great people!
  • Host attendance & outreach updates. Final outreach pushes for next month of workshops. More than usual wait list management this spring. Special directions and maps to difficult to find workshop locations.
  • Prepared draft of MailChimp Announcement. Created draft of event in EM on website. Updated Yard Tour webpage.
  • Attended CPR, 1st Aid, AED training on 4/11.
Planned:
  • Spring maintenance, communications, documenting, recordkeeping, database processes. Initial FALL workshop planning and scheduling processes have begun!
  • Reviewing Yard Tour Guide text for Angela. Final preparations before opening registration and sending announcement on 5/2.
CONSERVATION LEGACY
ACTIVITIES
Program Management Andrew Brown
Completed:
  • Pursued various due diligence activities related to the ag acquisition property.
  • Collated content for and produced the draft 3rd quarter quarterly report.
  • Presented on the EMSWCD Grants program to the Intertwine Project leaders meeting.
  • Attended CONNECT conference.
  • Finished organising the RLIS GIS data and associated layer files for the EMSWCD GIS.
Planned:
  • Pursue due dilligence activities on agricultural property acquisition, and follow up with natural area land acquisition opportunities.
  • Work on the Headwaters 5 year plan, and Headwaters related GIS data.
  • Working on capturing and formalizing various proceedures for the Land Legacy Program.
Land Legacy Rick McMonagle
Completed:
  • Continued due diligence for farm acquisition project.
  • Met with landowners of forested property.
  • Reviewed & commented on appraisal for Access to Nature project.
  • Prepared quarterly report.
  • Completed mandatory trainings.
Planned:
  • Continuing due diligence for farm acquisition project.
  • Attending all day easement class.
  • Vacation: 5/2 through 5/6.
  • Applying for Oxbow Farm sign permits (if needed).
Grants Suzanne Easton
Completed:
  • Notified PIC applicants of awards and declines.
  • Processed new SPACE applications for review.
  • Attended CONNECT conference.
  • One week vacation.
Planned:
  • Begin preparing contract documents for PIC grantees.
  • Complete recommendations for SPACE applications.
  • Meet with Principal from Kairos PDX, SPACE grantee, to discuss future opportunities.
  • Meet with Equity Team to complete organizational assessment exercise.
  • Attend Greening Schoolyards Intertwine meeting.
Headwaters Farm Rowan Steele
Completed:
  • Had trees along the main driveway into Headwaters Farm taken down as per Gresham Fire Department code requirements.
  • Toured a group from the Salem area (Chemeketa Community College, OSU Extension, Polk Foodshare, and others) looking to explore developing a farm incubator.
  • Met with Aaron, Scot, Jeremy, and Julie to discuss the culvert project and roles and responsibilities while Aaron is on paternity leave.
  • Obtained permits for farm improvements this fiscal year.
Planned:
  • Spring clean up of the beetle bank and pollinator habitat.
  • Getting paperwork finalized from Multnomah County for remaining capital projects for this fiscal year.
  • Equity team meeting.