The Conservation Voice Promoting conservation & the wise use of natural resources
Winter 2014
Inside this issue: Salmon Watch
2
Claudia Chinook
2
Looking for Assistance
2
Salem Harvest
3
Keeping LocalTradition Alive
3
Soil Health
4
First Day Hike
4
Native Plant Sale
5-7
Oak Restoration
8
Pesticide Collection Event
9
Invasive Species Hotline
9
Upcoming Events
10
Director Elections
10
Associate Directors
10
Contact Info
11
Commercial Ag Needs Assessment The Polk SWCD and OSU Extension Service are partnering together to provide services to commercial agricultural operations in a more comprehensive manner than in the past. We need your help in identifying the top priority needs that we can provide this year and into the future. Our Goal – Identify and help prioritize applied research, technical assistance, educational events, and financial assistance needs of commercial agriculture operations in relation to soil and water conservation. We will be hosting four regional meetings in Polk County to discuss and gather your input. Meeting times are: December: 9th at Volunteer Hall in Monmouth from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. January: 13th @ the Polk Soil and Water Conservation District from 7:30 to 9 a.m., and on January 20th @ the Falls City Community Center from 11:30a.m. to 1 p.m. February: 10th from 7:30 to 9 a.m. @ the Dallas OSU Extension office. We are inviting growers, field reps, suppliers and other representatives of commercial agriculture operations in the region to attend. Each meeting will have a facilitator and recorders to gather input on the following three questions: 1.What farming practices are you currently using or could use that maintains or improves soil and water health? (Some examples could include using cover crops, planting with no-till drill, reduced tillage, reduced burning, vegetated buffer strips along waterways, improved irrigation scheduling/application, soil tests to reduce fertilizer applications, pest surveys to reduce pesticide applications, etc. ) 2.What barriers and/or challenges exist that limit your use of these practices? 3.What applied research, technical assistance, education events and financial assistance could be provided to remove these barriers and/or increase the potential of using these practices? If you are interested in attending one of these meetings, space is limited, so please contact the POLK SWCD manager by phone: (503) 623-9680 x110 or email: manager@polkswcd.com
This winter you can help improve our local water quality by helping clean up trash, properly storing your chemical containers, or keeping an eye out for future free pesticide collection events. This keeps the pollution out of our waterways and aquifers. Remember it all drains to the creek.
Marion SWCD Salmon Watch By Sawyer Finegan
This Dragonfly Nymph was one of many Macro invertebrates caught and studied at Salmon Watch
This last Fall Polk SWCD Staff assisted Marion SWCD with there annual Salmon Watch program. This program brings students from all over Marion County anywhere from grade school to college and gives them a outdoor, hands on learning experience. The lessons took place during prime spawning season to allow the students to not only learn about the salmon but see them as well. The students learned numerous topics about stream
health including these topics. Macro invertebrates, where the students got to get in the stream, get wet and learn how s t r ea m h e a lth c an be determined by these organisms. Salmon biology, where students learned the life cycle of a salmon, what hatcheries do, and how the other lessons effect the salmon. Riparian buffering, which let students learn how important it is to have these buffers and how they work. And Water Quality, where students get to be chemists for the afternoon, testing the
water for various chemicals. Polk SWCD attended this event to assist Marion SWCD as presenters, however we are looking into different options to get this program to Polk County students. It could take shape in various forms from classroom visits, to hosting a similar program, to even partnering with Marion SWCD for future years. We look forward to what this program has to offer to Polk County students.
Claudia Chinook needs your help Many of you are aware of our salmon Claudia, and hopefully most of you have had the chance to see her in person. However if any of you have seen her over the last year she is not looking as good as she used to. We want to fix this and restore her to her old glory. However this is will not be possible without assistance from you.
Go green for the holidays: Reduce waste, save energy, and more The US EPA website has lots of tips on how to be conservation minded this holiday season. You can find these tips at http://www.epa.gov/epahome/hiwinter.htm#reducewaste
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What can you do to help? She is in need of some structural repair as well as a fresh look. We’d like to give her a new coating of fiberglass and then a completely new paint job inside, outside, and on her trailer. The ways you can help with this vary. We have a private donor who is willing to match contributions up to $3,000. The total cost of
repairing and repainting Claudia is estimated to be 6 to 8 thousand dollars, and so far donated funds and rental fees aren’t covering the whole cost. We are also looking for a talented artist to creatively portray her natural beauty. If you would like to contribute please contact our District M a n a g e r a t : manager@polkswcd.com
Polk SWCD is looking for Assistance Polk SWCD is looking for assistance on future projects such as the plant sale. We are looking for both volunteers who would like to participate in various volunteer opportunities, as well as landowners who have venues for hosting events, such as workshops & meetings. If you are wanting to put your name on our volunteer or venue list, please contact Sawyer Finegan, Outreach Coordinator at the
Polk SWCD office 503-6239680 x113 or sawyer.finegan@polkswcd.com
There are no volunteer events currently scheduled, however there will be various opportunities coming in the next few months, especially February. If you have a venue, we are currently looking to create a list of venues for various workshops and meetings throughout the year.
Sawyer Finegan
Salem Harvest By Liz Graham If you’re a producer and believe that it is important not to let good food go to waste, then you should consider Salem Harvest for your unharvested produce. Salem Harvest is a non-profit organization that picks farmers’ unh arv es te d cr op s an d distributes them to the community via Marion-Polk Food Share and Oregon Food Bank. The harvest comes at no cost to the farmer; in fact, Oregon State Legislature passed a bill that gives farmers
a 15% tax credit on the wholesale price of their crop donation. Salem Harvest is a team effort, led by a board of directors with a cadre of volunteers who respectfu l ly ga ther the produce. Salem Harvest utilizes experienced crew leaders and has property and liability insurance making sure each harvest is as safe and productive as possible. Salem Harvest has had over 450 harvests that amounted to over 465,000 pounds of food since 2010, nearly 250,000
pounds of which was harvested this year alone. To date, Salem Harvest has picked: Strawberries, Cherries, Blueberries, Plums, Prunes, Apples, Figs, Kiwi, Pears, Green Beans, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Squash - all types, Pumpkins, Gourds, Grapes, Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Corn, Peppers, Onions, and Quince.
harvestable crops, pollinator trees, secondary growth, or backyard trees, don’t let good food go to waste. To make sure that not only your produce, but also your hard work, and the cost and energy spent growing your crop are appreciated by those who need it most, visit www.salemharvest.org .
If you have quality food that’s no longer commercially viable, was damaged by weather, produce from bypassed fields, non - m a c h i n e -
Keeping Local Traditions Alive By Karin Nembach The reviving rains of fall have returned and what was dormant grey and golden has now sprung green again as if to usher in a warm spring. But alas, it’s just a trick, like a mischievous child teasing us and beckoning we come outside to play, and once we get there, just blasts us in the face with cold and blustering wind and streaming rain, as we shake our heads in disappointment. As the maples take on the hues of autumn, turning colorful shades of red, orange, and yellow, I’m reminded that this beautiful display being put on before me is the last blast of color for the season before the land here goes into a long
winter’s sleep. Today, October 31, 2014, I am going to attend an annual Halloween tradition that has been going on for the last 50 years here in Polk County. Just south of Dallas, at Arlene Thorpe’s house, there begins a familiar happening. One filled with family, friends, over 30 individually carved pumpkins, and handmade, glazed donuts. As I pull up Arlene’s driveway a myriad of whimsical pumpkin faces and designs artfully line the road, tangle through the front yard, and are cleverly laid out on the porch by Arlene and her grandchildren. I park my car and meet Arlene on the porch as she yells out a crisp “Hello!” I’m invited inside to see the beginnings of what will soon be a kitchen filled with the sugary sweet smell of donuts baking and conversations brewing.
Arlene begins to tell me stories of how over time she has assembled a long line of helpers who actually fight over who gets to see the donut assembly to conclusion. Who will help roll out the dough, get to bake, and who gets to glaze? Fifty years brings a throng of stories about who has come and who has gone, and what has changed or remained the same here. The air is cool and breezy, clouds blanket the sky, people will chit chat and catchup on a years’ worth of stories and happenings. As I sit here and think about how fall moves into winter and watch the leaves falling from the trees, I am comforted in knowing that no matter how hard we try to fight it, the seasons will change, summer will turn to fall, fall to winter, winter to spring, spring to summer, and back again. But one thing will remain the same, the human need for tradition. Though some parts of traditions can fade and then be revived, in Polk
County, community and tradition are still a strong element of the culture here.
Karin Nembach
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Soil Health By Sue Reams (NRCS) P o l k C o u n t y h as j u st completed another bountiful harvest, due to our topsoil natural resource and the wise use of it by our local producers. Have you heard the term “Soil Health” or Healthy Soils” in recent years? This term is from a national movement led by the Natural Resources Conservation Service to promote productive and sustainable soils. Healthy topsoil has abundant organic matter, good soil structure, nutrients that release slowly, resilience to pests, good water holding capacity, is home to microbes, fungi, insects, worms, and provides clean water for fish and people. Here is the link to the national effort: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/ portal/nrcs/main/national/soils/ health/ In the Willamette Valley and Polk County, we are fortunate to have good silty topsoil on the hills and terraces below 400’. This topsoil was deposited by a catastrophic flood, or floods, a
long time ago originating from western Montana. The flood water scoured silt as it passed through eastern Washington and the Columbia River Gorge and settled here. The only soil that is younger is the sandy flood plains along the bigger streams. This silty deposit is fertile, but is also easily erodible and compacted. Since we won’t see another catastrophic flood event, our topsoil should continue to be used wisely. On cropland in general, topsoil is kept healthy by reduced tillage, diverse crop rotation, and by keeping the topsoil covered with growing plants all year long. However, these actions cause pest problems in some cropping systems here. Local Polk producers and OSU Ext Service have begun providing guidance to help create best management practices with a soil health emphasis, while keeping these pest problems in mind. On pasture land in general,
topsoil can be kept healthy by maintaining grazing height above 3”, and allowing the pasture to rest intermittently. On woodland in general, topsoil can be kept healthy by well timed forest operations and by allowing some slash to remain to break down to organic matter. In some parts of the US, cropping systems with an emphasis on soil health have been easily adopted. This link leads to short video testimonials from Midwest and Southeast farmers who have adopted minimum tillage and cov er cr oppin g : http :// www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/ n r c s / d e t a i l / n a t i on a l/ s o i ls / health/?cid=stelprdb1083183 As a Polk County resident who has dug thousands of holes in 5 western Oregon counties, this soil scientist believes the most important characteristic of healthy soil is - soil structure. FFA Soil Judging contestants know what I mean when I say that healthy topsoil should look crumbly like Grapenuts cereal, and
subsoil should look something like broken up cookies. Good soil structure is created over time by organic matter, roots, clay, worm holes, worm castes, and insect residue called chitin. Bad soil structure is caused by over preparing the seed bed, any operation when the soil is wet, and removing too much organic matter. Bad soil structure can be reversed in our climate. It will take you, the local producers of Polk County, along with OSU and other entities such as the Polk County Soil and Water Conservation District, to provide the local expertise to develop new systems that emphasize soil health. This is a big task, but this is a good time to work on this. We have many very capable professional producers who have been trying new ideas for the last 15 years. While they are still farming, we can make good progress toward adding new systems that emphasize soil health, which will benefit all citizens of Polk County, and provide many bountiful harvests in the future.
First Day Hike By Luckiamute Council
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Watershed
Join the Luckiamute Watershed Council on January 1 for America’s State Parks First Day Hike at Luckiamute State Natural Area. We will meet at LSNA North Parking Lot on January 1st at 10:00 a.m. Bring a water bottle and make sure to dress for the weather. Park ranger Steve DeGoey and LWC staff will lead a guided walk along the North Trail Loop, pointing out the unique ecosystems found here, and the ongoing restoration work that is steadily improving the park's fish and wildlife habitat.
Map to Luckiamute State Natural Area
Native Plant Sale After taking a one year hiatus from the Native Plant Sale, Polk SWCD is bringing it back in 2015!
Look forward to a few positive changes that will make this upcoming sale even better than ever! Why the changes? Past plant sales lacked the efficiency to be profitable to the district. This year’s sale has been retooled to provide native plants to Polk County residents without putting a financial strain on the district. Not to fear, plants are priced to move! We are, however, narrowing our scope to reduce excess plants and excess staff time. Our goal is to sell out of plants! This year’s inventory will not be limitless; when we sell out of a plant, Western Red Cedar even during ordering, additional plants will not be added to our availability. Order early and order online! Plants are available on a first come, first served basis, and online orders will be processed more quickly than paper orders. Only bare root, bulb, crown, and plugs are available for ordering. Native Plant Sale Orders are being accepted now through January 16th (http://www.polkswcd.org/native-plant-sale-2/). Liz Graham
Plant Pick-Up-Day: All orders will be ready to pick up at the Polk County Fair Grounds (Building C) on Friday, February 6th at a designated time (no additional sales will occur on that day).
Overstock Sale: Excess bare root stock, books, and limited container stock will be available for purchase the following day, Saturday, February 7th from 9am to 4pm at the Polk County Fair Grounds (Building C). If you’re comfortable taking your chances with the inventory that is left over, or just want to check out the container stock that is available, this is the sale Serviceberry for you! The Overstock Sale will feature container stock (less than or equal to 1 gallon) including Huckleberry, Salal, Ceanothus, and many more, but quantities are limited, so come early! Liz is happy to answer your questions about the Native Plant Sale, and if we aren’t selling a favorite of yours, let her know what plants you’d like to see in the 2016 sale! liz.graham@polkswcd.com
Tiger Lily
Plant Sale 2013
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Native Plant Sale - Stock Descriptions
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Oak Restoration By Marc Bell
What’s going on with Oregon White Oak in Polk County? Over the summer the Polk SWCD has been implementing on the ground conservation on several Oak Savanna and Oak Woodland restoration projects. Partnered with several agencies and funding groups like ODFW, USFWS, NRCS, and OWEB, the Polk SWCD has been able to improve habitat quality and conservation value of over 43 acres of land in the last few months. These acres of restoration were made possible through two small grants and one large restoration grant; the Polk SWCD has also partnered with the Yamhill SWCD to request more funding to be available to landowners for Oak restoration work through a new NRCS opportunity called the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) which is pending funding decisions at the national level.
What makes Oak habitat important?
Marc Bell
Oak Woodland and Savanna is a keystone habitat type within the Willamette Valley, Oregon White Oak is the predominant native oak species in Polk County. Oak trees are associated with a great deal of other vegetation, insect, mammal and avian species, and provide a large degree of the Valley’s biodiversity; more so than the intensely managed agricultural areas and conifer forests around them, making it a major conservation priority for many management agencies. Oak communities often are found with Serviceberry, Snowberry, Poison Oak and many others not found in conifer communities. Oaks are also often covered in many species of lichen and mosses that are not found on fir trees. Countless wildflowers are found in oak habitat as well, providing nectar for native pollinators such as bees, bats, and butterflies including the endangered Fender’s Blue Butterfly found in large populations in Polk County. In addition to vegetative biodiversity, many landowners can spot growths on oak tree branches, called galls, which unless they are extremely heavily covered, are not harmful to the Oaks. These galls are a response to wasp eggs from the family Cynipidae, of which there are 800 species in North America. These wasps are small, less than a centimeter usually, do not sting and have a very complex lifecycle which rely on Oak trees. Oaks provide nesting and resting places for migratory birds including species of concern like the Slender-billed Nuthatch and American Kestrel. Cavity seeking woodpeckers, grey squirrels and long-eared bats also make homes in Oaks. Fir trees do not respond well to cavity creation; often quickly becoming snags, whereas the Oak is able to endure and provide while maintaining good health.
Oaks in a Farmland Setting For those with grazing animals, a mature oak provides large amounts of shade to thankful animals, reducing stress which can translate to less meat, milk and wool. Unlike dense conifer, oaks in a savanna setting do not impact forage quantity while providing refuge during intense weather conditions. Oaks also provide perches for hawks and owls, which prey on voles, rats and other pasture and cropland pests without the need for expensive equipment or artificial perches.
Oak habitat is controlled by the county residents Fir covered the Oregon Valley until around 6,000 years ago when Oak species began to dominate the landscape. About 2,000 years later the climate began to shift towards wetter weather and native populations began to actively manage the landscape to ensure the Oak’s dominance on the landscape using tools like fire to keep species like Douglas Fir and Big Leaf Maple from succeeding the Oak as the dominant tree species. Since then, about 95% of the Oak Savanna and Oak Woodland has been converted and lost to residential and agricultural development or replanted as production forestry. The vast majority of remaining Oregon White Oak Habitat is in private ownership, less than 1% of oak-dominated habitat in Oregon is protected in parks, wilderness or other special management areas. The future of Oak Savanna and Woodlands depends upon the active participation of private landowners. If you have oak trees on your property and are interested in more active management, contact the Polk SWCD to get started.
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Pesticide Collection Event The Greater Yamhill Watershed Council (GYWC), Polk and Yamhill Soil & Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs), Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA), Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), Oregon State University Extension Service (OSU), Agri-Plas, and Wilco are partnering in an Agricultural Waste Pesticide and Container Collection Event on December 6, 2014. (TOMORROW if you get the electronic copy of this newsletter) at the Wilco Agronomy Center in Whiteson, 1400 S HWY 99W McMinnville, OR 97128. This service is FREE AND ANONYMOUS.
Pre-registration was needed to bring in chemicals, but you can drop off empty containers on December 6 t h without registering. For triple rinse procedures, see the Ag Container Recycling Council (ARC) website at
Tom Wilson www.acrecycle.org and select the link for Container Rinsing. All size containers up to 55gallon capacity plastic drums can be accepted. Containers need to be made from high density polyethylene (HDPE)
and be embossed with recycling symbol #2. These events provide a safe and legal method of disposing of unwanted pesticide containers ensuring their residue doesn’t find its way into our streams and rivers. These events strongly align with our mission to help local landowners make voluntary changes in practices to protect Yamhill and Polk Counties’ streams and rivers. If you missed the collection event this time and want to participate in the future, please call the Polk SWCD at 503-623-9680 x 5 and we will put you on our list for next time.
Oregon Invasive Species Hotline Think you’ve found an invader? Report it here:
http://oregoninvasiveshotline.org/ Hav e y o u s een s o m e suspicious animal roaming in your backyard or neighborhood? Are you having trouble identifying a plant or animal species you’ve found? Report what maybe a potential invasive species to the Online Hotline. Your submission will pro vide im por t ant and h e l p f u l e a r l y detection information to the
experts working to stop the next invasive plant or animal invasion before it starts.
There are three easy steps you can take to get involved : Learn – Familiarize yourself with the potential invasive species in the areas where you live or visit frequently. Get started with the Silent Invasion Quick Guide or the GardenSmart Oregon booklet.
Look – Wherever you are – hiking in the forest, on a fishing trip or digging in your garden – keep your eye out for unusual animals or plants that you have never seen before and be prepared to take a picture and document your find. Report – Use the Online Hotline to report your find. If you spot a potential invasive species in Oregon, use the online form to report it. Or call their toll-free number: 1-866INVADER.
Lucas Hunt
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Upcoming Events December 2014 6 - Pesticide Container Collection Event: Wilco Agronomy, Whiteson, OR 8am-2pm (see page 9) 9 - Ag Needs Assessment Meeting: 11:45am-1pm, Volunteer Hall, Monmouth (see page 1).
January 2015 1 - New Year’s Day: Office Closed 8 - Luckiamute WC Board Meeting: 7pm TBD call 503-837-0237 for more info
February 2015 13 - Ag Needs Assessment Meeting: 7:30-9am, OSU Extension Office (see page 1).
14 - Polk SWCD Board Meeting: 6pm, Polk SWCD, NRCS Meeting room
11 - Polk SWCD Board Meeting: 6pm Polk SWCD, NRCS Meeting room 12- Luckiamute WC Board Meeting: 7pm TBD call 503837-0237 for more info
15- Glen Gibson WC Board Meeting: 5pm Salem Electric Conference Room
15-3/1 - OWEB Small Grant Enrollment Window
15-FSA Crop Reporting Deadline
19 – Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Office Closed
18 - Glen Gibson WC Board Meeting: 5pm Salem Electric Conference Room
16 - Presidents Day: Office Closed
20 - Ag Needs Assessment Meeting: 11:30am-1pm, Falls City Community Center (see page 1).
25 – Christmas Day: Office Closed
19- Glen Gibson WC Board Meeting: 5pm Salem Electric Conference Room
22- Rickreall WC Board Meeting: 1pm Location TBD call 503-623-9680 x 104
26- Rickreall WC Board Meeting: 1pm Location TBD call 503-623-9680 x 104
10 - Polk SWCD Board Meeting: 6pm Polk SWCD, NRCS Meeting room 14-28 - OWEB Small Grant Enrollment Window
13 - Ag Needs Assessment Meeting: 7:30-9am, Polk SWCD (see page 1).
For more information on these events please contact Polk SWCD or the appropriate agency/council. Acronyms: PSWCD — Polk Soil & Water Conservation District GGWC — Glen-Gibson Watershed Council LWC — Luckiamute Watershed Council RWC — Rickreall Watershed Council GYWC — Greater Yamhill Watershed Council OWEB — Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board NOWC — Network of Oregon Watershed Councils SGE — Small Grant Enrollment
Upcoming Director Changes Now that the November 2014 general elections are over we know who you, the citizens of Polk County have chosen as our new board directors. Here are the results. Polk SWCD had 5 board director positions open, zones 2, 3, 4, 5, and at-large 2. The results are in and these are the changes that will be happening to our board of directors
coming January 1st 2015. Zone 2 had two people running for the position, David Simmons will retain the position. In Zone 3 Nathan Slaven stepped down and David McKibben won his seat. Zone 4 was vacant and remains vacant. In Zone 5 Jim Buckovic stepped down and no one else ran for the position, leaving it vacant. Finally for the at-large 2 position, Frank Pender ran unopposed and was
re-elected. The Polk SWCD would like to welcome our new board director as well as say goodbye to our departing board directors, and thank them for their volunteer service to Polk County. Remember to keep an eye out in our newsletter and on our website for more information about becoming a director for the Polk SWCD.
Become an Associate Director
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Polk SWCD is always looking for Associate Directors. We are hoping to get a few new Associate Directors who can provide insight into areas of land management expertise that are not covered by current Directors, and who have different career backgrounds. You can be a student, rural landowner, urban homeowner, business owner, or even just have an interest in the local environment.
What is Director?
an
Associate
Associate directors provide insight and assistance to the board of directors through their own personal experience. They have an outside view that differs from what the board of directors has and as such can offer better insight into specific topics.
An associate director may be appointed to a vacant position or elected to a position if they meet the statutory requirements for director eligibility, defined on our website. How do I Apply? If you would like to apply to become an Associate Director please contact Karin Nembach at 503-623-9680 x 110 or manager@polkswcd.com for information and/or the required paperwork.
Polk SWCD Board of Directors Polk SWCD is an Oregon Special District administered by seven locally elected directors, who serve without pay for four year terms. Five directors represent landowners from each of the geographic zones in the county and two at large directors represent the entire district. Directors meet monthly to administer the business of Polk SWCD. The Directors donate hundreds of hours on behalf of the residents of Polk County and its natural resources.
Chad Woods — At-Large / Vice Chair chad.woods@polkswcd.com
Vacant — Zone 4
Associate Directors Rachel Walker
Jim Buckovic — Zone 5 jim.buckovic@polkswcd.com
Judy Beebe Kelly Gordon
Nathan Slaven — Zone 3 nathan.slaven@polkswcd.com
Directors Emeriti
Frank Pender —
Claude White
At-Large / Secretary Linda Marquardt-Sutton
Tom Thomson
frank.pender@polkswcd.com
— Zone 1 / Treasurer linda.marquardt-sutton @polkswcd.com
David Simmons — Zone 2 / Chair
Jim Clawson Don Duhrkopf Brian Sparks Terry Lamers Alice Propes
david.simmons@polkswcd.com
Contact Us Polk SWCD Phone: 503-623-9680 ext 5 580 Main St. Suite A, Dallas, OR 97338 Karin Nembach— District Manager manager@polkswcd.com
Ext. 110
Marc Bell—Resource Conservationist marc.bell@polkswcd.com Ext. 103 Liz Graham—Resource Conservationist liz.graham@polkswcd.com Ext. 107 Lucas Hunt — Stewardship Forester lucas.hunt@polkswcd.com
Ext. 104
Sawyer Finegan—Outreach Coordinator sawyer.finegan@polkswcd.com Ext. 113 Tom Wilson — District Clerk clerk@polkswcd.com
Ext. 108
NRCS
Marion-Polk County FSA
Phone: 503-623-5534 Fax: 1-855-651-8930 580 Main St. Suite A, Dallas, OR 97338
Phone: 503-399-5741 Fax: 1-877-885-8382 650 Hawthorne Ave. SE, St 130, Salem, OR, 97301
Tom Finegan — District Conservationist tom.finegan@or.usda.gov Ext. 109 Sue Reams — Soil Conservationist sue.reams@or.usda.gov
Ext. 114
Billy Burr — Accounting Specialist billy.burr@wa.usda.gov
Ext. 112
Janelle Huserik— County Executive Director janelle.huserik@or.usda.gov Ext. 114 Debbie Pothetes — Program Technician debbie.pothetes@or.usda.gov Ext. 111
Beverly Schmidt — Program Technician beverly.schmidt@or.usda.gov Ext. 100 Scott Nieman — Farm Loan Manager Scott.nieman@or.usda.gov
Ext. 113
Stuart Butsch — Farm Loan Officer Stuart.butsch@or.usda.gov
Ext. 115
Lora Surmeyer — Farm Loan Program Tech. Lora.surmeyer@or.usda.gov Ext. 116
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Polk SWCD Phone: 503-623-9680 580 Main St. Suite A, Dallas, OR 97338
WE
ARE ON THE WEB!
WWW.POLKSWCD.ORG
Claudia Chinook assisting with youth education She asks that you stop by her article on page 2 and lend her a helping hand.
Polk SWCD Goals
Offer technical assistance and conservation planning to resource owners and communities directed towards the conservation & wise use of Polk County natural resources including Ag Water Quality.
Provide education and outreach related to natural resource issues within Polk County. District operations will be effective, economical, and efficient to meet legal and grantor requirements.
Polk SWCD is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
Dallas, OR 97338 580 Main St. Suite A Polk Soil & Water Conservation District