Wasco County SWCD Annual Report
General Overview

(for the current annual report in .pdf format - click here)  - updated 1/22/09 with 2007-2008 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.
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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.
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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.
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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.  For more detail please see our current annual report – click here.

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), Forest Service (467-2291), Oregon Dept. of Fish & Wildlife (296-8026), Bureau of Land Mgmt. (416-6700), Weed & Pest and Water Master (506-2650), Oregon Dept. of Forestry (296-4626), Oregon Dept. of Agriculture (541) 617-0017.

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.  In 2004, local voters gave the District authority to levy property taxes which now provides stable base funding.  Our audit was conducted by Onstott, Broehl, & Cyphers P.C. of The Dalles.
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