Activity Report for the Period 7/30/2017 – 8/11/2017

East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
ACTIVITIES
Jay Udelhoven
Completed:
  • External Engagement: Participated in/spoke at Colwood grand opening ceremony; attended Farm Bill event with Rep. Blumenauer at Zenger Farm.
  • Boards/Committees: Prepped for and participated in July Land Legacy Committee meeting; prepped for and hosted August board meeting.
  • Policies/Planning/Budgeting: Prepared final drafts of 13 new personnel policies for the Personnel Committee consideration in September.
  • Supervision/Leadership: Participated in interviews for Office Manager temp; drafted program supervisor performance evaluations; met with staff and management team during 1x1s and team meeting.
  • Program Implementation: Worked with staff on strategic planning briefings for the board.
Planned:
  • External Engagement: Nothing planned.
  • Boards/Committees: Meet with new associate board directors for on-boarding; prepare materials for September personnel committee meeting.
  • Policies/Planning/Budgeting: Review and finalize FY16-17 Annual Report.
  • Supervision/Leadership: Attend Center for Equity and Inclusion training; finalize program supervisors performance reviews; meet with staff and management team during 1x1s and team meeting.
  • Program Implementation: Conduct site visit in the field!
FINANCE & OPERATIONS
ACTIVITIES
Program Supervision / Finance & Budget Lissa Adams
Completed:
  • Out sick the week of 7/31.
  • Planning and preparing for hiring a temp office assistant to fill in until a permanent hire can be made for the Office Manager Position; Continuing to work on fiscal year end analysis and preparation for audit; met with CEI facilitator in preparation for Equity training next week.
Planned:
  • Attend equity training August 14th through 16th; select and hire a temporary office assistant.
  • Working with Jed to coordinate an IT assessment or our current systems.
Office Management Jed Arnold
Completed:
  • Scheduled an assessment with AlwaysOnIT to evaluate the quality of their service.
  • Confirmed availability of the Blue Lake facilities for strategic planning and starting the contracting process with both the facility and caterer.
  • Contacted two temp agencies and arranged interviews with candidates for my replacement. As of Thursday Jay, Lissa and I have interviewed three applicants and hope to meet with a few more next week.
Planned:
  • I will be working hard to get a temporary replacement hired and trained before my last day on September 1st.
  • I will be taking the week of September 14th off to make housing arrangements for myself in Clatsop County.
Facilities Management Scot Wood
Completed:
  • Lissa and I chose a painting contractor to do the needed painting around the exterior of the office building.
  • The exterior of the office building was pressure washed in prep for the painting.
  • The demo of the house and out buildings on the newly acquired property has begun and should be completed by Friday or Monday of next week.
  • I have been working on several projects including moving a pile of compost over to a farmer's plot, distributing silage tarps to various farmers and routine maintenance on the tractors.
Planned:
  • Hopefully the painter will be able to get to the needed painting within the next few weeks.
  • I hope to have the parking lot restriped within the next few weeks.
  • A hazardous waste removal company will be chosen hopefully within the next week and begin the process of removing all hazardous waste left behind as well as the toxic burn pile.
  • I will be continuing with routine mid-season maintenance.
Marketing & Media Alex Woolery
Completed:
  • Survey project: worked with contracted research firm to finalize report: data inclusion and presentation, imagery, formatting and final touches.
  • Tabled at the Willamette River Festival near West Multnomah SWCD; a fantastic event and turnout.
  • Worked on updating Marketing Plan and integrating recent results from the District survey project.
  • Continued Headwaters promotion. Two recent articles featuring Headwaters farmers and mentioning the Farm Incubator Program. Created two versions of a flier promoting upcoming tour.
  • Updated website post and page content, two new posts, promoted a lot of EMSWCD and/or partner events and content.
Planned:
  • Two and a half days of equity training.
  • Review feedback on Branding and Identity document and revise as necessary.
  • Continue edits and restructuring of the Marketing Plan.
  • Continue outreach campaign for Headwaters Farm Incubator Program, assist with fall workshop promotion, help roll out planned website updates and get materials printed.
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:
  • Compiling Rural Lands information for annual and ODA reports.
  • Completed my self review.
  • Developing Rural Lands update for September Board meeting.
Planned:
  • Attending 3 days of equity training next week.
  • Monitoring for Results monthly webinar.
  • Finalize presentation for Board meeting.
  • Finish update of job descriptions.
Rural Water Quality Aaron Guffey
Completed:
  • I will be leading a bus tour of nurseries as a part of the Oregon Association of Nurseries sponsored FarWest Show, so I went with one of their staff to meet the nurseries and discuss logistics.
  • Generated calculations, documentation, and maps for an alternatives analysis for an Erosion Solutions design for a nursery.
  • Attended an Economics of Conservation Planning course hosted by NRCS.
  • Worked on presentations I will give at the Oregon Association of Nurseries sponsored FarWest Show.
Planned:
  • Work with Jeremy and Clackamas SWCD to create an Erosion Solutions design for a nursery.
  • Present at the Oregon Association of Nurseries sponsored FarWest Show and connect with professionals in the industy to promote Erosion Solutions.
StreamCare Lucas Nipp
Completed:
  • Had a crew out mechanically clearing blackberry on two new StreamCare sites. Almost four acres cleared so far. One to go later this week.
  • Had a crew conducting maintenance spraying on StreamCare sites. 17 more acres. This included treatments at the DPNA.
  • Compiling information and numbers for the upcoming Rural Lands board briefing and strategic planning.
Planned:
  • I will complete initial site preparation on all of the new StreamCare sites and continue maintenance spraying as crews are available.
  • I will participate in the three day, all staff equity training next week.
Technical Assistance Jeremy Baker
Completed:
  • Out sick last week with a doozy of a flu.
  • Finalized Annual Work plan, duties and hours.
  • Attended OCEAN Board meeting.
Planned:
  • Drafting CLIP documents for a potential manure compost facility.
  • Working with OCEAN to create a regional training grant program.
Weed Management Chris Aldassy
Completed:
  • We've been controlling False Brome in Eagle and Tanner Creeks and are almost done for the year.
  • We surveyed several new properties for knotweed from calls that have come in from the flyer that Chelsea and I put together.
  • I've been co-ordinating with landowners and contractors for weed control treatments coming up in the next few weeks.
Planned:
  • We will be finishing false brome work for the year.
  • We will be starting knotweed work.
  • I'll be working on my presentation for the board briefing.
Weed Management <Jon Wagner
Completed:
  • Chris and I finished most of the second passes of false brome control at Eagle and Tanner Creeks. We completed an initial survey for false brome bellow in the gorge down slope of known false brome locations in Oneonta Creek.
  • Chris and I conducted follow-up outreach, surveys and site visits at new knotweed sites from the most recent outreach campaign.
  • I was the only attendee for a water quality monitoring question/answer webinar and got some good feedback on our program. I attended the 4-County CWMA (Cooperative Weed Management Area) meeting at our office and updated the group on our weed program efforts.
Planned:
  • Chris and I will help collect annual macroinvertebrate samples at three sites on Beaver Creek. We will also collect monthly water quality samples and conduct the monthly wildlife survey of the Diana Pope Natural Area.
  • Chris and I will finish annual control of false brome.
  • I will attend the office equity training.
Outreach & Education Chelsea White-Brainard
Completed:
  • Sent out Japanese knotweed mailer to landowners along creeks in the rural parts of the district. We have received 6 calls so far from people that have spotted knotweed along their stream.
  • Met with partners to plan FarWest show. Met with partners to edit the Beaver Creek water quality mailer.
  • Planned and hosted the 4-County CWMA General meeting, Steering Committee meeting. Began planning the Pull Together.
  • Wrote update on invasive tansy ragwort for the website.
Planned:
  • Serve on the interview committee for the Urban Lands intern.
  • Finish developing materials for FarWest Show. Set up and staff booth.
  • Work on getting boundary markers ordered for the Dianna Pope Natural Area.
URBAN LANDS
ACTIVITIES
Program Management Kathy Shearin
Completed:
  • Kathy is currently out on vacation.
Technical Assistance Whitney Bailey
Completed:
  • Attended Columbia Slough Watershed Council Technical Committee, Pollinator Conversation, and 4-County CWMA meetings.
  • Participated in meeting at OMSI to discuss future partnership opportunities.
  • Assisted with prep for Strategic Planning presentation to Board.
  • Provided technical assistance to a local HOA, MCDD, two local landowners, and an inquiry from Maryland on stormwater planter design.
Planned:
  • Quarterly EMSWCD Green Streets clean-up.
  • CEI Equity training.
  • Technical assistance catch up on items that were delayed due to strategic planning prep.
  • Conservation Corner review of current needs and future opportunities.
Outreach & Education Angela Previdelli
Completed:
  • Took a vacation!
  • I will table at the Nadaka Community Festival on Saturday.
  • Helped prep for the Urban Lands board presentation.
  • Picked up new plant label signs for the property.
  • Conducted interviews for Urban Lands intern.
  • Processed SPACE application after board approval.
Planned:
  • Table at Fairview on the Green event with Backyard Habitat Certification Program.
  • Attend CEI training.
  • Present to Mill Park Neighborhood Association.
Outreach & Education Katie Meckes
Completed:
  • Reviewed applications and scheduled interviews for the Urban Lands Outreach & Education Internship position.
  • Attended meeting with OMSI to discuss how EMSWCD can be involved with riparian habitat restoration along OMSI's 1/2-mile Willamette Riverbank property.
  • Collected data, created charts, and helped with overall content and formatting the Urban Lands Strategic Planning Board Briefing presentation.
  • Tabled at the Columbia Slough Regatta on August 6th.
Planned:
  • Send short workshop promotion articles and images to neighborhood associations, community newspapers and online calendars.
  • Prepare MailChimp announcement to our email list.
  • Conduct interviews for UL intern.
  • Attend Diversity & Equity training next week with CEI.
CONSERVATION LEGACY
ACTIVITIES
Program Management Andrew Brown
Completed:
  • Assisted Suzanne with board briefing presentation.
  • Worked on defining the scope and engaging a facilitator for the November strategic planning retreat.
  • Worked on EMSWCD annual report for 2016-17.
Planned:
  • Participate in EMSWCD equity training.
  • Continue strategic planning work and preparations for the November planning retreat.
  • I’ll be taking vacation for part of the next two weeks.
Grants Suzanne Easton
Completed:
  • Prepared for and delivered briefing to the Board on strategic plannning issues for the Grants Program.
  • Completed last of documents for PIC 2017 contracts.
  • Met with Tualatin SWCD staff to discuss their development of a grants program and to share information.
  • Attended Race Talks on Historic Black Williams Project.
Planned:
  • Participate in 3-day equity training with staff.
  • I will be on vacation the week of the 21st.
Land Legacy Matt Shipkey
Completed:
  • Secured conceptual agreement for acquisition project.
  • Developing round 2 of Strategic Planning content for Sept LLC meeting.
  • Developed additional foundational documents.
  • Pursued other land conservation opportunities.
Planned:
  • Advance acquisition project.
  • Further develop strategic planning materials.
  • Meetings with PDX area conservation entities regarding their land conservation priorities.
  • Pursue land conservation opportunities.
  • Begin to implement Landscape software program.
Headwaters Farm Rowan Steele
Completed:
  • Rowan is currently out on vacation.
Headwaters Farm Stuart Moeller
Completed:
  • Prepped site for 1,300ft hedgerow.
  • Replaced plastic on hoop house number 1.
  • Thistle and weed management; mowing.
Planned:
  • Weed management.
  • Mid-season tractor service.
  • Riser repair.