Wasco County SWCD Annual Report
General Overview

(for the current annual report in .pdf format - click here)  - updated 7/17/07 with 2006-2007 Annual Report
Note: you need an up-to-date version of Adobe Acrobat Reader to read it.



Contents
Organization, Responsibilities, Planning, District Activities, Technical Support, Funding

Organization
The Conservation District is a subdivision of state government, and is governed by a locally elected board of directors. They serve without pay and have four years terms. The current Board of Directors is composed of seven positions: five zone directors and two at-large directors.

Board Eligibility

(1) A Director must: own or manage more than 10 acres of land in the district, be actively involved in the management of the property, reside within the boundaries of the district, and be a registered voter. Zone directors must either reside within the zone represented, or own or manage more than 10 acres within that zone and be actively involved in the management of the property. An individual may also serve as a zone director when the individual, in lieu of the other requirements, resides within the zone that is represented and indicates an interest in natural resource conservation as demonstrated by serving at least one year as a director or associate director of the district and having a conservation plan that is approved by the district. (2) At-large directors must live within the boundaries of the district and be registered voters.

Associate Directors  Jon Justesen, Elizabeth Turner, Dan Carver, and Van Conklin were appointed by the chair.

Board meetings are held the first Wednesday of each month. All board meetings are open to the public. Board meetings are held in the conference room at the District Office in The Dalles at 1:00 p.m. The District's Annual Meeting is held during winter and provides a good opportunity for the public to meet the District officials and to give feedback to the district on their conservation concerns.
Return to Top

Responsibilities
Organized under Oregon statute ORS 568.210-801, the conservation district is responsible to protect and promote any natural resources within Wasco County. The state legislature set forth the reason for formation of the conservation districts and outlined district responsibilities in ORS 568.225. The legislature has authorized districts to cooperate with land owners, land occupiers, other natural resource agencies, local government units, and with state and federal agencies in projects, programs and activities aimed at conservation of renewable resources. As required by state law, Districts participate in efforts to conserve and develop natural resources, control and prevent soil erosion, control floods, conserve and develop water resources and water quality, prevent impairment of dams and reservoirs, assist in maintaining the navigability of streams and harbors, preserve wildlife, conserve natural beauty, promote recreational development, protect the tax base, protect public lands, and protect and promote the health, safety, and general welfare of the people of Oregon.
Return to Top

Planning
The board develops an annual plan of work encompassing a broad range of concerns each year with input from supporting organizations. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, OSU Extension Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service, committees, associate directors and other local partners figured prominently in carrying out the plan of work. The District's long range plan is reviewed as part of the annual planning process. Priorities in the annual work plan are derived from the long range plan and are based on current natural resource inventories and concerns. All available media, including the district newsletter, GROUNDWORK, local radio stations and newspapers were used to get the word out on meetings and activities. Available staff time was augmented through active use of committees, associate directors, youth groups, and other volunteers.
Return to Top

District Activities
As part of their responsibility for protecting and promoting renewable natural resources within the district, our directors use their powers chiefly to attack the most serious resource problems. The directors must obtain public interest, agency participation, political support, and frequently funding in order to arrive at successful solutions. In fulfilling these responsibilities, the Conservation District was involved in a wide variety of projects and activities during the year.

Buck Hollow Watershed Enhancement Project
This project seeks to restore desirable characteristics to the watershed, enabling it to capture, store, and safely release water over an extended period of time. Using a "top-down" approach, the project is developing conservation plans, grazing management plans, improving range condition through fencing, seeding, management, brush & juniper control, stabilizing stream banks and head cuts, and using terraces and dams to control runoffs and reduce peak flows. The Buck Hollow Project is a ten year effort to treat the 126,000 acre watershed including over 30 miles of stream (mainstem) and about 15 miles of tributary streams. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife are key partners in the effort along with 52 landowners, BLM, Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon, and several other agencies and private organizations, as well as schools in both Sherman and Wasco Counties. NRCS Moro and The Dalles are providing technical support. Substantial funding for the project is provided by NRCS Small Watershed Program (PL-566). Engineering support is also being provided by NRCS Staff. Project fact sheets are available in the District Office.

H.A. Miller Demonstration Nursery- This nursery was planned as a demonstration nursery and is located at the Boyd Triangle, six miles south of The Dalles. The upland habitat planting demonstration begun in 1993 continues to flourish with virtually no supplemental water and minimal maintenance. The tree fiber demonstration project at the Nursery, assisted by James River Corporation, while a success thus far is beginning to suffer from girdling by mice. Following the recommendations of James River, we sprayed out the grass in the 6 tree rows with assistance from the county Weedmaster.  Detailed information on these demonstrations is available in the district office. Our vision for the nursery is: A small corner in the heart of Wasco County's farm land where active projects are always underway to demonstrate successful plant materials and methods or to test new methods or technologies, and where the public can rest or enjoy a self-guided tour. With the exception of the public rest and self-guided tour, we have achieved our vision.

GROUNDWORK, the district's award winning newsletter, is published bimonthly and is self supporting through sponsorships ($75/yr.). The current mailing list exceeds 1,000. The newsletter continued to draw positive comments from readers.
Return to Top

Technical Support. Existence of a Conservation District has enabled the US Department of Agriculture to assign Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) personnel to provide technical assistance to the County in soil and water conservation. NRCS supports the District as well as the Farm Services Agency (FSA) in various programs.

Accomplishments through NRCS Technical Assistance
The district maintains cooperative agreements with many natural resource agencies. This ready access to various resource specialists enables the District to respond quickly and effectively to a wide variety of natural resource problems. Organizations working with the district for local delivery of conservation programs included:
Natural Resources Conservation Service (296-6178), OSU Cooperative Extension (296-5494), Farm Services Agency (298-8559), WSU Coop. Extension (509 427-5141), Forest Service (467-2291), Oregon Dept. of Fish & Wildlife (296-8026), Bureau of Land Mgmt. (416-6700), Weed & Pest and Watermaster (298-4110), Oregon Dept. of Forestry (296-4626).
Return to Top

Funding
The Conservation District receives funding from a wide variety of sources, primarily grants. Grant funds are normally tied to specific projects and contain very little or no administrative funding for personnel. The district expends considerable time and effort gathering resources to accomplish conservation goals. Our audit was conducted by Onstott, Broehl, & Cyphers P.C. of The Dalles.
Return to Top

Back to Main Page