Activity Report for the Period 8/28/2017 – 9/8/2017

East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
ACTIVITIES
Jay Udelhoven
Completed:
  • External Engagement: Reached out to leaders of several local community organizations; set up a meeting time with Chair of the June Key Delta House.
  • Boards/Committees: Met with new associate board directors for on-boarding; prepared for and hosted September personnel committee meeting.
  • Policies/Planning/Reporting/Budgeting: Finalized drafts of 13 personnel directives.
  • Supervision/Leadership: Developed staff salary assessment; attended 3-day staff training and one-day board training at Center for Equity and Inclusion; completed drafts of program supervisors performance reviews; met with staff and management team during 1x1s and team meeting.
  • Program Implementation: Participated in Urban Lands Program site visit to OMSI center where they are planning for a shoreline restoration project among other green initiatives and we are evaluating the option of partnering with them as a demonstration project; attended the Gresham City Council meeting in support of the Mt. Hood Community College demonstration project; attended a farm finance workshop hosted by Rogue Farm Corps.
Planned:
  • External Engagement: Meet with Chair of June Key Delta House to discuss engagement opportunities; meet with Executive Director of The Intertwine Alliance to discuss a new initiative of theirs; attend Multnomah County Farm Bureau meeting.
  • Boards/Committees: Prepare for and host annual meeting and September board meeting; attend Grants Committee meeting.
  • Policies/Planning/Budgeting: Review and finalize FY16-17 Annual Report.
  • Supervision/Leadership: Meet with staff from Center for Equity and Inclusion to discuss next steps in our DEI training and planning; finalize program supervisors performance reviews; meet with staff and management team during 1x1s and team meeting.
  • Program Implementation: Participate in site visit to Headwaters Farm to look at progress at the Guerrero parcel and other infrastructure projects.
FINANCE & OPERATIONS
ACTIVITIES
Program Supervision / Finance & Budget Lissa Adams
Completed:
  • Worked with Jed and Lindsay on the Office Manager transition and training. Worked with CEI on equity planning and logistics for next steps in the process. Reviewed Personnel Committee materials and attended committee meeting.
  • August bank statement review; July financial report preparation; continued audit preparation; August payroll review and retirement contribution submission.
  • Troubleshot and resolved various minor IT issues. Repurposing an old desktop machine for the intern who will be starting later this month. Met with prospective IT contractor to review network evaluation and discuss changes to quote for services.
Planned:
  • Annual meeting and September board meeting planning and preparation.
  • Work with Alex on Marketing Program presentation at October board meeting.
Office Management Lindsay Nelson
Completed:
  • I have been shadowing Jed, learning all of my job responsibilities and learning various processes and procedure.
  • Went to the Multnomah Grange with Lissa to look at venue for the Annual Meeting.
  • Took a tour of Headwaters Farm with Lissa and Scot.
  • Attended the Personnel Committee meeting on 9/5/17 and took my first official minutes
  • Finalized details on catering and dinnerware for annual meeting.
  • Finished minutes from Board meeting on August 7th and sent them out for review
  • I spent some time switching over adminstrators on various accounts from Jed to myself (e.g. Office Depot, Colonial).
Planned:
  • Finalizing the details of catering, dinnerware, and set up for the Annual Meeting
  • Finalizing meeting minutes, adding minutes to the company drive.
  • Putting Annual Meeting Packet together.
Facilities Management Scot Wood
Completed:
  • The parking lot has been re-striped and looks great!
  • The demo of the house and out buildings has been completed. What a difference!!
  • I have been working on more routine maintenance tasks as well as lining up contractors for quotes on the upcoming storm water project.
Planned:
  • The exterior painting will take place on August 24th and should be completed that day.
  • WasteXpress will start removing the hazardous materials and burn pile the week of August 28th.
  • Rowan and I are to meet with excavation contractors Wednesday, August 30th, laying out the storm water project for them so everyone hears and quotes the same thing.
Marketing & Media Alex Woolery
Completed:
  • Revisions and additions to the Marketing Plan. Preparing a presentation on marketing for the Board.
  • Helped a lot of staff with minor support requests.
  • Preparation for the Annual Meeting. Created and revised award designs, sent out more invitations and promoted the event.
  • Website updates and new posts, worked with staff to share messaging and resources for the Eagle Creek Fire.
  • Continued Headwaters promotion, ran a new ad on Friday.
Planned:
  • Continue working on the marketing presentation and finalize a draft.
  • Work with Lindsay on Annual Meeting, and provide other related support as necessary.
  • Assist staff with design, printing, event promotion and other support as needed.
  • Continue promoting Headwaters and fall workshops.
Information Technology Lissa Adams,
Jed Arnold,
Alex Woolery
Completed:
  • Jed, Alex and Lissa responded to staff IT issues and questions as needed; see notes in their individual reports above.
  • Alex worked with Online Support to conduct quarterly maintenance.
  • Alex worked with a number of staff that were experiencing network issues following server upgrades and maintenance.
Planned:
  • Lissa and Alex will respond to staff IT issues and questions as needed.
RURAL LANDS
ACTIVITIES
Program Management Julie DiLeone
Completed:
  • Developing Rural Lands update for September Board meeting.
  • One-on-one meetings with Rural Lands staff.
  • Helping with planning for the Sandyversary on October 18th.
Planned:
  • Equity homework.
  • Job description update.
  • Monitoring for Results homework.
Rural Water Quality Aaron Guffey
Completed:
  • Led a bus tour of nurseries as a part of the Oregon Association of Nurseries sponsored FarWest Show.
  • Presented on Erosion Solutions (35 attendees) and irrigation scheduling (4 attendees) at the Oregon Association of Nurseries sponsored FarWest Show.
  • Attended the Center for Equity and Inclusion training.
  • Met with Chelsea to discuss fall outreach events for Erosion Solutions.
Planned:
  • Work with Chelsea to develop a listening session with nurseries and an erosion control training for nursery crews.
StreamCare Lucas Nipp
Completed:
  • I was on vacation for most of the reporting period.
  • A site visit with a landowner who was interested in joining StreamCare.
Planned:
  • Rowan and I will visit installed pollinator features at Headwaters Farm to talk about infill planting needs and future management strategies. We also will visit areas to be installed to discuss preparation and planting.
  • I will continue maintenance spraying on StreamCare sites as fires and evacuations allow.
Technical Assistance Jeremy Baker
Completed:
  • Attended Farwest Show
  • Participated in a webinar "Slugs and the Development of Novel Approaches for Their Control." This was put together by Oregon Soil Health Partners, was very well done, and provided excellent infromation on various innovative treatments of slug control.
  • Finalized site visit report and recommendations for the Oregon Food Bank garden, with a focus on addressing irrigation water ponding. Recommendations were focused on crop consumptive use, irrigation water management, building soil organic matter, and cover cropping.
Planned:
  • Working with Julie on ways to provide services to landowners impacted from the recent fires in the gorge. We are initially looking at ways to help with replanting and soil stabilization.
  • Taking a few days vacation. Be back next week Tuesday.
Weed Management Chris Aldassy
Completed:
  • Had crews out controlling knotweed and clematis along the Sandy River.
  • We've been working on smaller knotweed infestations that are too small to warrant the use of crew time.
  • Preparing for the board update regarding the weed control program.
Planned:
  • Potentially having crews continue weed control work if the fire subsides.
  • I'll be presenting to the board after the annual meeting.
  • Heading on vacation to northern Washington!
Weed Management Jon Wagner
Completed:
  • vacation with family.
  • I have been helping Chris prepare his weeds presentation, entering water quality data, responding to to emails from vacation and meetings.
  • I controlled 30 square meters of knotweed on 4 private properties in Bridal Veil.
Planned:
  • I will write up a report for the year of wildlife surveys at the Diana Pope Natural Area. I will help Chris finish his weeds presentation. I will plan fall field work. We will look into new monitoring techniques and think about strategies in light of the ongoing fire in the gorge.
  • Chris and I will continue to outreach for and control knotweed in the rural lands, outside of the fire evacuation areas.
Outreach & Education Chelsea White-Brainard
Completed:
  • Provided outreach support for Rural Lands strategic planning board presentations.
  • Provided feedback on draft personnel policies.
  • Began planning focus group with nurseries on erosion prevention.
Planned:
  • Plan fall workshops.
  • Prepare to table at Small Farm School.
  • Get abbreviated version of "Beaver Creek: the Watershed Beneath Our Feet" translated into Spanish to be included as an insert in a mailing that is going out.
URBAN LANDS
ACTIVITIES
Program Management Kathy Shearin
Completed:
  • Met with MHCC primary stakeholders to go over findings from soil borings and alternative designs created as a result of initial investigations of site suitability.
  • Attended Gresham City Council Meeting in support of the city's financial support for the MHCC project.
  • Kathy and Suzanne attended a NW Adult Conservation Education (NWACE) Meeting. Kathy gave update on both the Native Plant Web Tool and the IPM Web Tool projects. There was also a presentation by Metro about their community engagement efforts surrounding use of parks by underserved populations.
Planned:
  • Reviewing the draft Earth Advantage measures for the Demolition Impact Mitigation Standard.
  • Meet with and take a tour of OMSI properties to discuss long-term goals and partnership opportunities.
  • Tour of Stark st culvert replacement.
Technical Assistance Whitney Bailey
Completed:
  • Phone conference on the "Sensing the Urban Environment" project.
  • Researched and responded to several inquiries re: fall native plant sales and Backyard Habitat program.
  • Reviewed rain garden plans with prospective Rain Garden Incentive program applicant.
  • Met with OMSI to discuss riverfront restoration needs.
Planned:
  • Follow-ups regarding: inquiries about above-ground stormwater structures, blackberry and ivy removal, and rain water capture systems.
  • CLIP program work with five landowners: two initial conversations, one site visit, one new application, and one final visit for an existing project.
  • Conservation Corner review of current needs and future opportunities (rescheduled).
  • Work with foreign-language translation services to better assist District residents.
Outreach & Education Angela Previdelli
Completed:
  • Tabled at Fairview on the Green event, co-tabled with Backyard Habitat Certification Program.
  • Outreach to Urban East County community groups.
  • Equity Team: staff survey to capture feedback after three-day CEI training.
Planned:
  • Present to Mill Park Neighborhood Association.
  • Present to Powell Valley Garden Club.
  • Informational interview with college student.
Outreach & Education Katie Meckes
Completed:
  • Continued workshop outreach: Sent email announcment to approximately 8,000 contacts for first big round of fall workshop promotion. Sent October workshop details to community and neighborhood newspapers and community groups.
  • Continuing preparations for arrival of the intern: Clearing out space in office, assembling a training binder, developing a plan and schedule for on-ramping.
  • Ran Hood to Coast as a proud member of the Snail Blazers team.
Planned:
  • Attend meeting at OMSI for riverwalk & boat tour/ riparian habitat assessment.
  • Begin fall workshop supply preparation and back stock organization.
  • Continue preparations for intern start.
  • Attend Stark St. culvert project site visit on Beaver Creek.
CONSERVATION LEGACY
ACTIVITIES
Program Management Andrew Brown
Completed:
  • Compiled and finalized EMSWCD annual report for 2016-17 fiscal year.
  • Assisted Matt and Suzanne with preparations for the upcoming Grants and Land Legacy Committee meeting.
  • Attended farm finance meeting, convened by Rogue Farm Corps.
Planned:
  • Contract facilitators, and continue preparations for the November strategic planning retreat.
  • Work on planning content for Grants program, and preparations for the grants Committee meeting with Suzanne.
  • Work on Land Legacy planning content for natural areas and access to nature lands, including spatial analyses.
Grants Suzanne Easton
Completed:
  • Conducted site visits: Northwest Youth Corps at Ramsey Lake, Dig In/CSWC Heron Point - Fairview.
  • Prepared for upcoming Grants Committee meeting (September 19th).
  • Attended ACE (Adult Conservation Educators) meeting to hear Metro presentation - Connect with Nature, attended OMSI site visit with Urban Lands staff regarding possible demonstration project.
  • Contributed to FY16/17 annual report.
Planned:
  • Site visits planned: Depave - Ascension Catholic Chuch, Hands-on Greywater Workshop, Farm Feast - Janus Youth, Lynch Wood Community Garden.
  • Send Grants Committee meeting packet out and hold meeting.
  • Host Equity Grantmakers meeting at EMSWCD.
  • Work on Equity Team - training follow-up.
Land Legacy Matt Shipkey
Completed:
  • PSC for Valuation Assignment Executed.
  • Began implementation of data/project management software.
  • Development of foundational materials.
  • Further development of strategic planning materials.
  • Oxbow Term Sheet drafted.
Planned:
  • Strategic planning mailing and presentation finalized.
  • Acquisition in contract.
  • Additional development of Startegic Planning Materials.
  • Commence scoping of outreach strategy.
  • Meetings with conservation partners.
Headwaters Farm Rowan Steele
Completed:
  • Offered tour to Woodlawn Farmers Market community as part of a PIC grant, prospective incubator farmers, and a soon-to-be launching farm incubator program in Eugene.
  • Attended Rogue Farm Corps’ Land Access meeting.
  • Met with contractors who will be bidding the stormwater projects at Headwaters Farm.
Planned:
  • Providing tours: Zenger staff and interns, prospective incubator farmers, and hosting a Land Trust Conference field trip with farmer panel and mock site appraisal.
  • Visiting Clackamas County SWCD’s farm to prepare for a site assessment workshop as part of Small Farms School.
  • Continuing Headwaters Incubator Program outreach push for October application period.
Headwaters Farm Stuart Moeller
Completed:
  • Working to improve drainage on the farm through mechanical means.
  • Took the old plastic skin off the lower propagation house and removed adjacent vegetation to prepare for the new plastic application.
  • Weed management and mowing.
Planned:
  • Prepping sites and sowing cover crops.
  • General weed management and site upkeep.
  • Stretching new plastic over the lower propagation house.