Activity Report for the Period 5/15/2017 – 5/26/2017

East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District
Sections:
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
ACTIVITIES
Jay Udelhoven
Completed:
  • External Engagement: Attended Multnomah County Farm Bureau meeting.
  • Boards/Committees: Attended Land Legacy Committee meeting; prepped for June board meeting.
  • Policies/Planning/Budgeting: Continued revision of personnel policies; participated in TSCC budget hearing; reviewed and commented on draft Urban Lands Program 5-Year Plan; reviewed rural water quality information for five-year planning purposes.
  • Supervision/Leadership: Met with staff and management team during 1x1s, team meeting, and all staff meeting; worked with attorney to prep board and staff for depositions.
  • Program Implementation: Nothing completed.
Planned:
  • External Engagement: Nothing planned.
  • Boards/Committees: Host June board meeting.
  • Policies/Planning/Budgeting: Continue revision of personnel policies; review staff comments on position statements on policy issues.
  • Supervision/Leadership: Attend and testify at depositions; meet with staff and management team during 1x1s and team meeting.
  • Program Implementation: Nothing planned.
FINANCE & OPERATIONS
ACTIVITIES
Program Supervision / Finance & Budget Lissa Adams
Completed:
  • Organized and attended TSCC hearing and Headwaters Farm Tour. Rowan did a great job of providing background information and being a gracious tour guide, the TSCC Commissioners and staff enjoyed the tour and the hearing went well with lots of good questions asked and culminating in certification by the Commission!
  • Prepared April financial reports; organized recommended Fiscal Policy changes for board review and approval; prepared FY17-18 budget documents for review and approval at June board meeting.
  • Research various computer, printer and cell phone needs for the office; ordered equipment. Troubleshot and resolved various minor IT issues.
Planned:
  • Submit approved budget and requisite documents to various agencies per ORS guidelines.
  • Work with State Treasurer staff to prepare draft investment policy for board review and approval.
  • Continue equipment research and order replacement laptops for workshop presenters.
Office Management Jed Arnold
Completed:
  • I met with an additional vendor for managed IT services and put together a comparison overview. I'll be recommending management meet with representatives from the two top bids and hope to reach a decision by the end of next month.
  • I've been reviewing options and getting pricing information for performance management software EMSWCD might use to improve its employee performance review process.
  • Katie and I spent some time cleaning out years of clutter and unneeded supplies in the office copy room. I will be working with Scot to rearrange the shelving in order to make the space more usable.
Planned:
  • I will conducting some monitoring and testing on the office's network to see if I can track down the source of some persistent lag staff have reported.
  • I will be working to resolve an ongoing billing issue we have been having with Moda.
  • I will be doing some research and speaking with BOIL regarding some of the draft changes to EMSWCD's leave policies.
Facilities Management Scot Wood
Completed:
  • I helped Jed, in a very minor role, get Vann Room set up for use. I hauled several pieces of furniture to Habitat Restore.
  • I met with the Grange contractor to go over the initial drawings for the railing and the parking spaces.
  • The rain didn't allow me to start mowing but I was able to box scrape the roads in an effort to keep the grass and weeds for taking over the roadways.
Planned:
  • I will be going on a short vacation starting Thursday May 25th.
Marketing & Media Alex Woolery
Completed:
  • Spoke to four marketing/research companies about an upcoming survey, worked out details and background, and obtained four bids for the project.
  • Website support and updates for Yard Tour, Board and Committee meetings, event settings. Worked with Chelsea and Aaron on new Erosion Solutions page, and with Whitney on Urban Lands content and using the website editor.
  • Helped promote last remaining urban workshops and some partner/grantee events.
  • Created and reviewed first draft of Headwaters signage for the composting toilet facility.
  • Took two vacation days in this period.
Planned:
  • Finalize grants brochure first draft.
  • Work with Lissa to select a company or organization to work with on the survey project and initiate project.
  • Continue work on Branding and Identity guidelines.
  • Order some materials and obtain quotes for outdoor signage.
Information Technology Lissa Adams,
Jed Arnold,
Alex Woolery
Completed:
  • Jed and Lissa responded to staff IT issues and questions as needed; see notes in their individual reports above.
Planned:
  • Jed and Lissa will respond to staff IT issues and questions as needed.
RURAL LANDS
ACTIVITIES
Program Management Julie DiLeone
Completed:
  • Attending Willamette River Toxics Reduction Partnership meeting.
  • Met with Matt to discuss synergies between Land Legacy and Rural Lands.
  • Listened to a webinar about changes ODA made to the quarterly report forms.
Planned:
  • Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership Science to Policy summit- This year's focus is on communicating science.
  • Meeting with our ODA Water Quality Specialist, Brenda Sanchez, to discuss our scope of work for next fiscal year.
  • Draft Rural Lands Annual Work Plan prior to leaving for Peru on 6/16.
Rural Water Quality Aaron Guffey
Completed:
  • Attended the May partners meeting (IJC) for the Johnson Creek watershed.
  • In collaboration with Chelsea, presented takeaways from the nursery opinion study that gathered perspectives regarding soil erosion at the CONNECT conference (~15 in attendance).
  • Attended an Oregon Association of Nurseries member benefits fair with the goal of connecting more with this group and their constituents.
Planned:
  • Work with Jeremy and Clackamas SWCD to create an erosion control design for a nursery.
  • Finalize an article for Digger (the nursery industry trade magazine) that introduces what Districts are and what services they can provide.
StreamCare Lucas Nipp
Completed:
  • Chelsea and I deployed 10 continous stream temperature sensors in the four StreamCare Watersheds. They will monitor the stream temperature hourly and will be removed in October.
  • Vacation in Hawaii for most of reporting period.
  • I have been working on compiling numbers from StreamCare that show fiscal year expenditures verse acreage managed. This information will be included in a presentation given by a Metro employee at the Ecological Society of America Conference in Portland this summer. I am a co-author on the presentation though will not be presenting. The presentation aims to show the economy of riparian resoration efforts in the region.
Planned:
  • I will be leading a Columbia Gorge CWMA meeting next week at Menucha. The meeting will be focused on garlic mustard control in the gorge and Chris will be presenting on our efforts to contain garlic mustard in the gorge.
  • I plan to add an executive summary and a few other elements to the DPNA Site Conservation Plan.
  • I will be meeting with Rowan to talk about management of current pollinator areas at Headwaters and installation options for new areas.
Technical Assistance Jeremy Baker
Completed:
  • Assisted Jon Wagner with water quality sampling and bird surveys in DPNA.
  • Finalized CLIP grant for an individual. The drip system is installed and fully functional.
  • Made contact with Mt. Hood Chapter of the Oregon Equestrian Trail Riders to set up an introduction presentation for this Fall.
Planned:
  • Establishing connections with Oregon Equestrian Trials and Northwest Horse Fair and Expo.
  • Working with Aaron and Scott Eden (CSWCD) on potential erosion solutions for on an aerated compost facility in the Corbett area.
  • Working with landowners in Corbett on an aerated compost facility.
Weed Management Chris Aldassy
Completed:
  • Garlic Mustard control with Verde and Mosaic.
  • Creating short presentation to CGCWMA about our garlic mustard containment project.
  • Crews handpulling ivy on rainy days.
Planned:
  • Garlic mustard control continues.
Weed Management Jon Wagner
Completed:
  • Jeremy and I collected monthly water quality samples and conducted the monthy wildlife survey at headwaters.
  • Chelsea and I presented the "State of Beaver Creek" document at the Beaver Creek Partnership and we discussed final draft layout, text and illustrations for the document.
  • Chris, the crews and I are finishing the second pass of garlic mustard control at all control sites.
Planned:
  • Make rough draft for Beaver Creek illustrated map and make final draft of cover illustration.
  • Chris, the crews and I will begin second passes for garlic mustard control at all control sites.
  • Chris and I will begin first pass control of false brome.
Outreach & Education Chelsea White-Brainard
Completed:
  • Sent out Erosion Solutions mailer to nursery growers. Added Erosion Solutions web page to EMSWCD website. Wrote Erosion Solutions update for front page.
  • Designed Livestock mailer for Agricultural Water Quality Focus Area.
  • Presented draft of 'Beaver Creek, the Watershed Beneath Your Feet' water quality mailer at Beaver Creek Partnership meeting.
  • With Lucas, deployed in-stream temperature loggers at 10 sites throughout the district.
Planned:
  • Send Erosion Solutions email to nursery growers.
  • Send mailer to livestock owners in the Agricultural Water Quality Focus Area.
  • Begin planning for booth at FarWest Show.
  • Solicit comments on the Dianna Pope Natural Area 5-year Plan via mailer.
URBAN LANDS
ACTIVITIES
Program Management Kathy Shearin
Completed:
  • 2017 Yard Tour went fabulously.
  • Kathy met with Green Team.
  • Kathy met with Jonathan Bailey to discuss City Club Panel on water conservation.
  • Kathy met with Jordan Jordan, of Earth Advantage to discuss urban infill site certification standard that will address demolition impacts.
  • Kathy met with the Mt Hood Community College Retrofit projects primary funders along with OTAK, who has been selected to lead the Design and Construction oversight of the first three projects at the college.
  • Kathy attended the the Beavercreek partnership meeting where Katie Holzer (Gresham) gave a presentation on LID effectiveness monitoring.
  • Kathy and Whitney met with Matt Lee (Columbia Slough Watershed Council) about a potential project.
  • Attended EPA/DEQ's Willamette river toxics reduction kick-off meeting.
  • Kathy sat on City Club panel discussing 'Community Approaches to Urban Water Conservation'.
Technical Assistance Whitney Bailey
Completed:
  • Responded to nine landowner inquiries from earlier this spring, including questions about invasive removal, stormwater management, native plant phenology, and soil testing.
  • Met with Brentwood Community Gardens North to discuss installation of CLIP-funded drip irrigation system, and future potential for water conservation and pollinator habitat enhancement.
  • Attended Johnson Creek Watershed Council's monthly Interjurisdictional meeting and Beaver Creek Partnership monthly meeting.
  • Met with Columbia Slough Watershed Council to discuss mitigation funding options for local wetland restoration projects.
  • Updated website information re: Gresham Rain Garden Incentive program.
Outreach & Education Angela Previdelli
Completed:
  • Yard Tour Wrap Up - Picked up materials from host sites, processed paperwork, organized debrief meeting with Urban Lands team.
  • Went on vacation in the Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness.
  • Attend community gathering at Rosewood Initiative's reopening event.
Planned:
  • Review internship documents to provide feedback.
  • Develop one-pager to explore idea of doing a survey of urban property owners in our district who serve low-income residents.
  • Attend Science to Policy Summit.
Outreach & Education Katie Meckes
Completed:
  • Attended Yard Tour on May 13th. In my opinion, the best one we have held yet!
  • Preparations for opening the Outreach & Education Internship position: Sent final draft of positon description to Jay for approval. Established timeline for recruitment, reviewing candidates and interviewing. Spoke with community college staff regarding recruitment.
  • Continuing to coordinate with and provide information to Frank Granshaw, retired Geoscience professor who is creating a virtual tour of the EMSWCD demonstration site.
  • Out for wrist surgery 3.5 days last week.
Planned:
  • Enlist the help of the Equity team to help expand the list of groups to contact in order recruit for a diverse pool of internship applicants.
  • Begin internship recruitment in early June.
  • Database processes: Enter participant attendance, match participant registrations to contacts, run de-duplication processes.
  • Begin recruiting community hosts for fall workshops in first week of June.
CONSERVATION LEGACY
ACTIVITIES
Program Management Andrew Brown
Completed:
  • Work with Land Legacy Program manager on developing program work plan. Pursue closing arrangements for acquisition project.
  • Assisted with processing grants and addressing grants queries while Suzanne is on leave.
  • Worked on refining Headwaters GIS information, and maps for new developments.
  • Continued with preparations and data needs for 2017 strategic planning.
Planned:
  • Pursue closing arrangements on acquisition project. Undertake orientation tour of ag focal area with Matt (new Land Legacy Program Manager).
  • Participate in meeting of regional environmental education grantors and grantees. Assist with contracting the remaining 2017 PIC grants.
  • Work with Rowan on preparations for the Headwaters Board briefing.
  • Work on staff and district work plans for 2017-18 fiscal year. Continue with information needs and preparations for the 2017 strategic planning.
Grants Suzanne Easton
Completed:
  • Suzanne is on vacation from 5/19-5/29
Land Legacy Matt Shipkey
Completed:
  • Developed work plan for the period May – Oct and presented same to Land Legacy Committee.
  • Meetings and calls with multiple stakeholders, practitioners, support professionals and EMSWCD board members / staff.
  • Finalized draft of Farmland Program goal statement and techniques document.
  • Outreach to various priority landowners.
  • Analysis of foundational documents, commenced refinement of certain elements.
Planned:
  • Follow up meetings/conversations with priority landowners.
  • Meetings and calls with key stakeholders, practitioners, support professionals and EMSWCD board members / staff.
  • Development and refinement of foundational documents.
  • Continued orientation, including field visits and training/study.
  • Development of work plan and strategic plan elements.
Headwaters Farm Rowan Steele
Completed:
  • Provided tours and overviews of Headwaters Farm and the farm incubator program to the Tax Supervising and Conservation Commission, the Executive Director of Growing Gardens, and the new Land Legacy Program Manager.
  • Worked on an agricultural exemption for the planned auxiliary wash station and a permit to realign a road through the Dianna Pope Natural Area.
  • Farmwork: helped prep fields for planting, fixed the three-point disc, coordinated the pouring of a concrete apron in the front of the barn, facilitated mulching around the propagation house, and oversaw the installation of additional baseboards on the new hoop houses and fabric in the curing shed.
Planned:
  • Offering a workshop on irrigation management to a host of beginning farmers.
  • Providing a tour of Headwaters Farm to staff from the Leach Botanical Gardens.
  • Working on signage for Headwaters Farm.
Headwaters Farm Stuart Moeller
Completed:
  • Weed management around pollinator features and farm facilities.
  • Irrigation system improvements.
  • Installed a protective fabric over the insulation in the curing shed.
Planned:
  • Mowing, pruning, weeding, and string trimming.
  • Helping to tighten the plastic on one of the new hoop houses.
  • Additional improvements to the curing shed.