An Introduction from the District Manager
As we look back on the past year, we at the West Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District want to share some of our new initiatives, continued partnerships, and successes toward our mission to improve air and water quality, wildlife habitats, and soil health. This annual report is about celebrating our key programs and the…
Read MoreClimate-Conscious Conservation
by Kammy Kern-Korot, senior conservationist Have you seen a previously healthy tree or sapling seemingly fried to a crisp by days of stifling heat? Then you’ve already seen how extreme weather, made worse by climate change, is affecting nature in our district. Dangerously high temperatures and increased precipitation and some severe flooding are all well-studied…
Read MorePartner Funding
Below are the grantees of our Partner Funding and partner grant program, school and community garden grantees, project-specific grants, and recipients of other contributions for special events, from the Fiscal Year 2024. All funds were paid in FY24, on a modified cash basis accounting. Types of Funding Recipients and Awards Partner Grant Program Backyard Habitat…
Read More2023 Demographic Mapping Study and Analysis
Data analysis by Shahbaz Khan, GIS and conservation technician, Mary Logalbo, urban conservationist until May 2024, and article by Eleanor Greene, outreach and communications coordinator The West Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District (WMSWCD) is dedicated to understanding the community we serve. Our aim is to ensure that our programs and representation reflect the culturally…
Read MoreRemembering Kim Peterson, 1949-2024
In August, 2024, Kim Peterson, passed away after an illness at the age of 74. Kim spent her entire life on Sauvie Island, where her family managed a 250-acre dairy farm during her upbringing. Over the years, the farm evolved into a beef operation and now includes grass, food crops, and duck lakes. Kim had…
Read MoreMcCarthy Creek Headwaters Forest Restoration Project
by Laura Taylor, forest conservationist Over the past four years, West Multnomah SWCD has been partnering with Dieter Waiblinger to restore forest health along the headwaters of McCarthy Creek, which is on his property on McNamee Road, in northwest Multnomah County. McCarthy Creek is one of the largest year-round streams in our District and is…
Read MorePaddling Toward Progress: the Aquatic Invasive Species Program
by Eleanor Greene, outreach and communications coordinator, and Michelle Delepine, invasive species program specialist West Multnomah SWCD is constantly looking to remove highly impactful weedy plants throughout the district. Our invasive species program practices tracking, pulling, and treating with herbicides some of the most harmful weed species in our area. This includes weeds you may…
Read MoreCommunity Leadership Award
Dorinne Pedersen and Rachael Brake are being offered this award in recognition of all their work organizing their communities in preparation for our Community Wildfire Defense Grant application. Without their crucial legwork in reaching out to their communities, we would not have been able to develop a proposal or apply for this grant on such…
Read MoreFinancial Summary
We share these statements, as well as our full budget on our site, to reflect our commitment to transparency and responsible resource management. These insights are crucial as we continue supporting important conservation projects in our district. Every year, we welcome community members to our Budget Committee; please get in touch if you’d like to…
Read MoreBugs to Watch Out For
by Kammy Kern-Korot, senior conservationist Emerald Ash Borer The emerald ash borer and Mediterranean oak borer are insect pests that pose significant threats to Oregon’s native tree populations. Neither bug originates in North America and they are expected to have an outsized negative impact on tree species that are crucial to our ecosystems. Their arrivals…
Read MoreSauvie Island Strategic Implementation Area: Year One
by Scott Gall, farm and soil conservationist This year, Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) selected Sauvie Island and the surrounding watershed, including the area draining to Miller, McCarthy and Crabapple Creeks, as a Strategic Implementation Area (SIA). These SIAs, of which over 40 have already been completed around the state, are focused efforts of education,…
Read MoreRural Cooperator Award
Betsy Charlton Powell and Kelly Charlton Betsy Charlton Powell and Kelly Charlton are sisters and business partners who own and manage a 165+ acre farm on Sauvie Island that has been operating for 150 years. Their collaboration with the district began in earnest in 2020 to step up control of the weeds and increase native…
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