Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for November 18, 2009

• Watershed Updates:
• Watershed Updates Amanda will be setting up the annual meeting of the Sherman County Area Watershed Council for sometime in January. There was nothing new to report for the South Sherman County, Grass Valley Canyon and North Sherman County watersheds. Amanda is working on a plan for signs that can be put up near projects that can be seen from the road. The signs would list partners involved on the projects.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: The Channel Habitat Chapter for the assessment has been completed. It is being reviewed by Amanda and Brian. Jessa is working on quarterly reports for BPA. There are still projects to be completed and there is also still a lot of cost share money available for new projects.
• Grant Updates: All large grant reports are up to date. Amanda is working on the infiltration and residue checks for OWEB grant 206-123. Two grants were submitted for OWEB Fall grant cycle. One application was for watershed restoration and one was for education.
  Small Grants: Amanda is still waiting for the signed grant agreement with OWEB in order to go ahead with small grants. All monitoring reports are up to date. One project was completed on the Lower John Day side. Two small grant applications for the Lower John Day side were presented to the board. The first application will be rewritten because of an error on the cost share portion of the budget. The other application was approved by a motion made by Bill and seconded by Gary. The motion carried unanimously.
  Range Drill: Brian reported that the range drill should be completed by the end of the year. He has talked with the Sherman Development League and is updating the budget with them showing that we are only purchasing one drill. They will still only pay a 50% cost share. Brian will also develop a lease agreement. Krista will develop an invoicing system for the drill.
• John Day River & Deschutes River Updates: Krista is working with Tom Straughan and Ellen Hammond from ODA to set up a joint meeting between the Lower John Day and Lower Deschutes Local Advisory Committees. The meeting will probably be in January at the Senior Center in Moro.
  Lower John Day Conservation Work Group: Brian reported on the meeting he attended with Ken Bierly (OWEB), Sue Greer (OWEB),Walter Powell (Gilliam SWCD) and Ted Molinari (Wheeler SWCD). They are the group that is focusing on Conservation issues and opportunities. OWEB is working with them to develop an outline for development of a Special Investment Partnership agreement with all three county SWCD’s. Brian has recommended the Grass Valley Watershed as the focus area for Sherman County. At this time a project is being designed by SWCD personnel in the lower seven miles of Grass Valley canyon. The initial funding provided by OWEB will be for planning so it was suggested that a different area be considered or that the planning be expanded to cover more than the lower seven miles. This will be discussed further. Brian said that this group plans to meet quarterly. Gary reported on the Education group that he is working with as part of the Lower John Day Work Group. They are planning a meeting for February at the Library in Moro.
• OACD Convention: Krista attended sessions on Wednesday and Thursday. She attended the board of districts meeting. Jessa attended sessions on Thursday and Friday. Krista asked what changes the board would like to see happen for OACD convention planning that would make it more inviting for them to attend. There were no suggestions at this time.
• Network of Oregon Watershed Councils Conference: Amanda attended the conference in Klamath Falls. She learned more about working with Foundations, got information about carbon trading using rangeland acres, and attended the Network’s annual meeting where legislative issues and strategic planning were discussed. She also attended project tours. There may be an Eastern Oregon watershed council meeting some time next year that Amanda will be helping plan.
• Annual Meeting: The board would like to hold the meeting in February again this year. No decision was made about the time of day. A breakfast meeting was suggested as another option. Some speakers that were suggested were Ron Alvarado, NRCS State Conservationist, speakers that Sandy Macnab had heard who spoke about the Missoula Floods, a student presentation, or the Hood River watershed council is having a speaker about glaciers and their effects on river flows. Further planning will be done at the December board meeting.
• NRCS Report: NRCS: Kristie reported that she is making EQIP payments on existing contracts. There are currently 45 signups that need ranking for the Conservation Stewardship Program. Kristie invited board and staff to meet the interim Basin Team Leader next Monday the 23rd of November here at the office. New ranking pools for EQIP have to be completed by December 1st. One pool will be for range restoration and probably two more pools will be developed. Kristie will get the information out to directors for their review before the 1st of December. The board was asked to consider what they think the highest priority area of interest for Sherman County Conservation should be.
• Poster Contest: The poster contest winners for 1st grade were first place Violet Wilson and second place Zackery Leffler; for 4th grade the winners were first place Paige McLeod and second place Zachery Fluhr; for 6th grade the winners were first place Wyatt Stutzman and second place Alex Fields. Prizes were awarded to the first and second place students and each classroom was given a party to show the districts appreciation of their participation in the poster contest.
• Conservation After Hours: The staff would like to continue the “After Hours” program this winter. The board agreed and would like to include MCP, NRCS, FSA and Extension in the programs. Scheduling will probably be in February and early March.
• FSA Report: FSA: Kyle Carnine reported that FSA is still waiting for guidance on the SUR program so that sign-ups can begin. They are currently working on getting DCP and CRP payments out.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for October 13, 2009

• Watershed Updates:
• Watershed Updates Amanda gave updates about watershed activities to all landowners that attended the three CSP informational meetings that were co-sponsored by the SWCD and NRCS.
  North Sherman: Nothing new to report.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: Jessa is working on quarterly reports for BPA. There is a lot of funding available for projects using BPA cost share. Landowners will be encouraged to participate. The chapter on Channel habitat classification for the assessment is nearly complete.
  Grass Valley: Nothing new to report.
  South Sherman: Nothing new to report.
• Grant Updates: An extension for OWEB Grant 208-4016 was approved. The new completion date is December 31, 2010. Council Support grant (OWEB 210-046) funding has been received. All monitoring reports are up to date. A grant agreement has been signed for the new OWEB Grant 210-6004, Grass Valley Watershed Sediment Control and participants have been notified. Amanda has nearly completed two grants for the OWEB Fall grant cycle. One is a restoration grant for cropland structures involving six landowners with a total project cost of $37,567 with the OWEB request of $28,275. The other grant is an Education Grant called Sherman County Conservation Awareness Program. It will involve all County students from grades 5 through 10. It will include a “conservation awareness month”, classroom lessons and field trips. The total project cost is for $19,000 with the OWEB request of $11,862.
  Small Grants: Amanda has completed 1 monitoring report for the Lower John Day side and 2 for the Lower Deschutes side. She has received correspondence saying that we will be receiving $33,330 per “side” again this year. Agreements with the Gilliam County SWCD and the Wasco County SWCD are being prepared.
  Range Drill: Brian reported that Wasco County SWCD has secured funding for 1 range drill, a trailer to haul one drill and for the cost of half of the hitch for both drills. Our drill has been ordered but Brian is not sure how long it will take to get it. Brian will talk to the Sherman Development League about the cost share for the drill.
• Education Incentive Grant: Sandy Macnab turned in a bill for the Extension Tour grant. There are currently no other active grants or applications.
• Riparian Workshop: Amanda and Kristie are still working on coordinating a workshop for late February or early March. Ellen Hammond, ODA, has volunteered to participate in the workshop.
• John Day River & Deschutes River Updates: The Lower John Day Conservation Work Group met on October 1st. Brian, Jessa and Amanda attended. There is still a possibility that funding may be available from OWEB for the group. The question of who will be the fiscal agent is still being discussed. The Sherman SWCD may be asked to be the fiscal agent. Another possibility would be asking the Columbia-Blue Mountain RC&D to act as fiscal agent. The board asked the staff to talk about how it would affect our time and efficiency. Wally and Brian will be meeting with OWEB in early November. They will update the board at the next meeting. The next meeting of the Lower John Day Conservation Work Group will be held in Moro in February. Gary, Jessa and Amanda are working on time, place and agenda for the meeting which will focus on education. Gary presented a draft letter that he plans to send out to all teachers in the County. The letter explains the basic direction of the LJDC Work Group and asks for the teachers input and participation in the education component of the Work Group. The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs representative, Linda Brown, asked Wally if the local conservation districts would be interested in funding that would be specifically for an engineer. Wally did not think that Gilliam County could keep a full time person busy. It was suggested that Wally see if the CTWS would be willing to have a “funding pool” for districts to have access to for hiring contract engineering services. He will approach Linda Brown with this idea and get back to us.
• OACD Convention: Krista plans to attend on the 4th & 5th and Jessa will attend on the 5th & 6th. No board members plan to attend.
• Practice Cost List & Hold Down Rates: Brian presented an updated version of both documents for the boards review. He suggested removing the Animal Trails & Walkways and Stream bank & Shoreline Protection because they have not been used in years. He added Water Harvesting Catchment (guzzlers). Brian will look in to the costs for Juniper Cutting and suggested just one unit cost at a medium level. Other changes would include changing Filter Strips Contour to “non-native” and Riparian to “native”, and Range Planting costs will include seed with more allowed for native seed. Changes will include changing “burn/drill” to “spray/drill”, adding “broadcast with Harrow” and “aerial seeding”. A motion was made by Bill and seconded by Gary to accept the changes to the cost list and the Miscellaneous Equipment list. Motion carried unanimously.
• NRCS Report: NRCS: Kristie is Acting Deschutes Basin Team Leader at this time. She is attending Basin Team Leader meetings in Astoria this week. Mary Beth is acting District Conservationist for Jefferson and Deschutes Counties until the middle of November. Three meetings were held in order to get information out about the new CSP (Conservation Stewardship Program).
• OSU Extension: Sandy reported on the National tour for extension agents that was recently held with some support provided by the SWCD Education Incentive grant program. He said that the tour was ranked very highly by the attendees.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for September 9, 2009

• Watershed Updates:
• Watershed Updates
  North Sherman: Monitoring photos were taken for OWEB Grant 205-056.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: An extension for work funded by BPA has been received. Projects must be completed by March 31, 2010. The new contract was approved and signed by Kyle. Staff will be getting more information out to landowners in the Pine Hollow/Jackknife watershed letting them know that there is funding available through BPA.
  Grass Valley: Site visits for the installation of two guzzlers were done. Monitoring photos for OWEB Grant 205-057 were taken.
  South Sherman: Nothing new to report.
• Grant Updates: OWEB Grant 206-123 was completed as of June 30. The completion report and final fund request has been submitted. Final Report and fund request were submitted for the 2007-2009 OWEB Council Support Grant (208-046). OWEB Grant 208-4016 has a completion deadline of Dec. 31, 2009. Amanda will request an extension and will try to reallocate funds that were made available by projects that came in under budget and a project cancellation. A request for EQIP funding from the 25% allocated to the Deschutes Basin was submitted. The request is for range restoration with herbicide treatment and re-seeding. Kristie and Amanda attended the Basin Work Group meeting where the ranking was done. Our request was approved for approximately $38,000. Landowners involved must now come in to apply through NRCS by October 1st. They have been notified. Amanda is preparing the application for the OWEB Fall grant. There are currently five landowners interested in applying. She is also working on an OWEB Education grant for the fall grant cycle. She is working with Liz Cranston at the elementary school. She would also like to include funding opportunities for adult educational activities such as tours and workshops.
  Small Grants: The OWEB Small Grant 2007-2009 biennium completion report has been sent. The final funding is being used for the Canada Thistle grant. Bugs have been ordered and should be received this fall. Funding for the next biennium should be confirmed at the OWEB meeting being held Sept. 16th. Amanda presented draft Small OWEB Grant Operating Procedures/Bylaws and Priority Watershed Concerns & Eligible Project Types for review. A motion was made by Brad and seconded by Gary to approve the drafts as written. Motion carried unanimously.
  Range Drill: The application for funds from National Fish & Wildlife Foundation to fund 50% of the cost of two range drills was not approved. The SDAO Flex Loan option was discussed. A 50% match is required by the Sherman Development League grant. After discussion a motion was made by Brad and seconded by Gary to purchase one range drill. Brian will approach Wasco County SWCD about purchasing a second range drill and going halves on a hitch so that 2 drills could be used by either county. Brian will also talk to SDL about raising the cost share percentage since we are only spending half of the money but will have access to a second drill.
• Fair Display: The Fair Booth consisted of the Stream Simulator that was borrowed from Benton County SWCD and a display of past education projects. Several compliments were received from observers.
• John Day River & Deschutes River Updates: The Lower John Day Conservation Work Group will be meeting and touring on October 1st. Gary, Jessa, Brian and Amanda plan to attend. The “direction” of the group continues to be a concern.
• Conservation After Hours: The board would like to have several get-togethers again in February or early March. Guest speaker suggestion was Jeremy Thompson, ODFW, to talk about upland management & restoration.
• Riparian Workshop: Amanda has contacted the presenter for the workshop and is looking at dates in January or February. It has also been suggested that Ron Alvarado, NRCS State Conservationist, be invited to speak at the workshop.
• Temperature Monitoring in Deschutes and John Day Rivers: Brian suggested that temperature monitoring on public lands on both the Deschutes & John Day Rivers would be valuable information for future projects. The board agreed and asked him to look in to costs. It was also suggested the access to the IFP monitoring system used in Wasco County would be beneficial.
• Poster Contest: Information is being made available to the elementary school teachers. Art is not being offered at the Junior/Senior High School so no materials about the contest have been distributed at this time. The board will discuss prizes at the next meeting.
• OACD Convention: The OACD Convention will be held at the Red Lion Hotel in Pendleton November 4 through 7 this year. More information will be sent out soon.
• NRCS Report: NRCS: The board was reminded about the CSP (Stewardship) information sessions being held tomorrow, Sept. 10th, in Grass Valley, Moro, and Wasco. Volunteer hours were submitted. The Contribution Agreement has been signed by the State Office so funds are now available.
• Network of Oregon Watershed Council Gathering: Amanda would like to attend this conference being held in Klamath Falls October 27-30. The Board agreed that she should attend the conference.
• Driver Safety Training: Staff will be attending a training provided by SDAO in The Dalles on Sept. 22 from 9 to 11 am.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for June 9, 2009

• Budget Updates: The budget hearing was held this morning at 8:00 am. The committee passed the resolution to adopt the budget, make appropriations and request tax dollars. Krista will file the proper paperwork with the county and the assessor by July 15th.
• Watershed Updates:
• Watershed Updates
  North Sherman: There is nothing new to report at this time.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: Amanda completed another site visit for the assessment. She also requested an extension for the OWEB assessment grant. Jessa has been working with landowners who have BPA cost shared projects. If they have a project planned for completion in 2009 there may be extensions available. There is also a good chance that more funds will be available in the next fiscal year. Landowners need to get requests in as soon as possible so that cultural resource surveys can be completed.
  Grass Valley: OWEB Review team members were taken on a tour of project sites for the new grant. Amanda assisted Kristie with a Rangeland Inventory for a Small Grant application.
  South Sherman: Buck Hollow monitoring photos were taken and sent off to the Wasco County SWCD for reporting.
• CCRP/CREP Update: Jessa reported that she has completed four plan modifications and six status reviews. She sent out cancellation letters to landowners who have been on the waiting list for CREP but have not moved forward in enrolling. They will be encouraged to sign up again or initiate plan design and layout process. There is still no information on when new CREP contracts will be able to enroll.
• Grant Updates: Amanda attended a two day workshop in Bend and found it very informative. She was able to bring back a lot of information about Foundation funding. All monitoring and completion reports are up to date. OWEB Council Support Grant was awarded for $73,500 for two years. This was the amount that the board budgeted for 09-10 fiscal year. All projects in OWEB Grant 206-123 have been completed and Amanda is working on the completion report and final fund request.
  Small Grants: All monitoring reports on the Deschutes side are complete. Amanda completed two monitoring reports on the John Day side and is working on two more. She is also working on several completion reports. Landowners have been contacted about using the final funding on both the John Day and Deschutes sides. The board reviewed a small grant application. A motion was made by Brad and seconded by Gary to approve the application. Motion was approved unanimously. All funds must be allocated by June 20, 2009.
• John Day River & Deschutes River Updates: The memorandum of understanding that had been presented by the Lower John Day Conservation Work Group was not agreed upon by all partners. Therefore a Declaration of Cooperation has been drafted and is being reviewed by partners at this time. Brian and Gary will continue to monitor progress and action involving the work group. Walter Powell of the Gilliam County SWCD would like to discuss the possibility of hiring an engineer who would be shared between Gilliam, Morrow and Sherman counties. He is discussing possible grant funding through the Confederated Tribes and will get back to us if we are interested. The board would like to hear more about it.
• 2009 Annual Work Plan & Workload Analysis – ODA Statement of Work & Budget: A motion was made by Bill and seconded by Gary to approve the 2010 Annual Work Plan, Workload Analysis, and ODA Statement of work and budget. Motion carried unanimously.
• County Fair Display: The board gave permission for employees to put a display up at the Fair. Suggestions were to focus on the Education Projects that have been funded by the District. Jessa also suggested a Stream Simulator that Benton County SWCD has.
• Education Incentive Grants: No fund requests have been received to date. There have been no other applications for grant funding. Information will be included in the summer newsletter.
• NRCS Report: NRCS: Kristie reminded everyone about the Experiment Station Field Day coming up on June 11th. Earth Team volunteer hours were reported. Applications for funding from the EQIP pool of 25% of Basin funding were discussed at the Basin Work Group Meeting. The Basin Work Group selected Water Quality-Temperature, Plant Condition and Energy Conservation as the top resource concerns for this Basin. Proposals for this funding will need to provide targeted assistance to producers for enhancing conservation of priority resource concerns. Areas of assistance will be selected competitively through applications of eligible partners. Eligible partners include state, local and tribal governments, producer associations and cooperatives, institutions of higher education and nongovernmental organizations. The office staff will develop a survey to be sent to Sherman County landowners requesting there input on projects that they would like to have emphasized for funding. This survey will go out as soon as possible.
• Riparian Workshop: Amanda, Kristie and Jessa attended the Riparian Workshop that was sponsored by the Extension Service. The attendance was low at the workshop but the information was very good. They suggested that the SWCD and NRCS try to put on another workshop with the same speakers. The board agreed that they should look in to it and get back to them.
• New Cooperative Operational Agreement: NRCS is requiring that new agreements be developed between them and the SWCD’s. The new format will resemble the current Contribution Agreements. Quarterly progress reporting will be part of the new agreement. Kristie will be getting that information to the SWCD as soon as she receives it.
• FSA Report: FSA: Sheri reported that the CED position for FSA can not be filled at this time because of a hiring freeze. DCP sign ups have been extended to August 15th. Letters for the CRP contracts that expire in 2009 have been sent out.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for May 12, 2009

• Budget Updates: Draft budget documents were reviewed. The amounts to transfer into the Watershed Education Reserve Fund and the General Operating Reserve Fund were discussed. A budget meeting has been set for Wednesday, May 20th at 7:30 pm here at the office.
• Watershed Updates:
• Watershed Updates Amanda has been assisting with the review of project proposals for the Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative (CCPI) for NRCS. She attended a New Coordinator Workshop sponsored by the Network of Oregon Watershed Councils.
  North Sherman: Deschutes River monitoring photos were taken. Kristie and Amanda completed another SVAP in this watershed.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: Amanda assisted Kristie with a Stream Visual Assessment Protocol (SVAP). Jessa is working with landowners on BPA projects.
  Grass Valley: A site visit and completion report were done for a small OWEB grant project.
  South Sherman: Amanda has been releasing Canada Thistle bugs for landowners in the area.
• CCRP/CREP Update: Jessa has been working with landowners completing range seeding, designing and laying out conservation practices and doing Status Reviews. She has also completed some plan modifications for deadline extensions and acreage changes. She reported that there is still no word on when new CREP contracts will be able to enroll.
• Grant Updates: Sue Greer, OWEB Region 6, has requested site visits to projects applied for in the spring grant cycle. Amanda has set these up for May 20th. An extension for OWEB Grant 207-323 until March 31, 2010 has been approved. OWEB Grant 206-123 projects must be completed by June 30, 2009. There are only three projects left to be completed. All monitoring and completion reports are up to date. Amanda had received word that the OWEB Council Support funding may be reduced. The board asked Krista to revise budget documents to reflect this reduction. Amanda is working on an ODA Weed Grant for the July 2009 deadline.
  Small Grants: Monitoring reports are complete for both the Lower John Day and Lower Deschutes small grant areas. There is $4,351.78 still available on the Lower John Day side and $1,676.51 available on the Lower Deschutes side. The Small Grant funds for the 2009-2010 biennium will not be announced until September.
• Education Projects: A spreadsheet showing the income and expenditures of the Education Reserve Fund was presented. Three projects are pending at this time and no bills have been submitted.
• John Day River & Deschutes River Updates: The board read correspondence from Walter Powell and Bill Marlett of Oregon Natural Desert Association regarding the goals and progress of the Lower John Day Working group. The next meeting of the group is May 14th in Fossil.
• Annual Work Plan & Workload Analysis: Tracy and Kyle suggested checking the county population figure and would like Krista to add specific information about the Education Incentive Reserve Fund under the goal for Education. Krista will make changes and present both the Annual Work Plan and the Workload Analysis to the board at the June meeting.
• Education Incentive Grants: One application was reviewed and discussed. The application involves North Sherman Elementary students in grades 3 through 6 travelling to the High Desert Museum and requested $482.50. A motion was made by Tracy and seconded by Gary to fund the request. Motion was approved unanimously.
• NRCS Report: NRCS: Kristie reminded everyone that there will be a Range & Riparian Workshop on Wednesday the 13th at the Rebekah Hall in Grass Valley. She has been working on EQIP payments, preparing RMS Plans for all 2009 EQIP applicants and attending Basin Work Group sessions to review Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative (CCPI) program applications. She has been selected to serve on the Audit Team for CSP contract reviews. The team will have approximately 300 contracts to review for Gilliam, Umatilla and Morrow counties. NRCS is currently taking applications for the Grassland Reserve Program (GRP).
• FSA Report: FSA: Martin reported that he will be leaving to take a position in the Salem FSA office. May 22nd will be his last day here. Elections for County Committee will be held this fall. Letters about CRP contracts that expire in 2009 will be coming out soon. He has scheduled an Informational meeting at the Senior Center in Moro on May 19th at 9:00am.
• County Update: Steve reported that the County Court is discussing the feasibility of hiring a trapper for the county as a contracted employee. He asked for input from the district board. They felt that a trapper could probably stay busy in the county. The county currently shares a trapper with Gilliam County. He is only able to be in Sherman County one day per week.
• Buffer/Green Belt: Several people in the city of Moro have requested that landowners around the city limits assist with the installation of a buffer that would help with problems of blowing dust, weeds, fire danger, and noise. The SWCD board is willing to provide technical assistance for this project if an agreement is reached between the city and the landowners and if assistance is requested.
• OACD Meeting: None of the directors will be able to attend the meetings that are scheduled for May 14, 15 and 16 in Prineville.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for April 15, 2009

• Watershed Updates:
• Watershed Updates Amanda delivered Canada Thistle biological controls to several landowners who had requested assistance.
  North Sherman: Nothing new to report.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: Amanda participated in the Redd Survey today. No Redds were found on the portion of Pine Hollow creek that she walked. ODFW will report back to us about the portion they walked. Jessa has also been assisting landowners with plans for BPA projects and has completed quarterly reports.
  Grass Valley: Amanda visited sites and took pictures for the restoration grant that she is currently working on.
  South Sherman: Nothing new to report.
• CCRP/CREP Update: Jessa has taken GPS points and flagged proposed fence boundaries for CREP projects. She has worked with contractors and Landowners on seven projects. One project in Buck Hollow utilized a machine called a “stinger” to plant trees in rocky areas. Representatives from NRCS, FSA, OSU Extension and the landowner where present to watch the planting. There are no new CREP enrollments at this time. Jessa attended cultural resource training in Corvallis.
• Grant Updates: The application for the OWEB spring grant cycle has been completed. The total project cost is estimated to be $122,444. A motion was made by Gary and seconded by Bill to approve the application for submittal. Motion carried unanimously. There are six landowners participating in the project. All OWEB monitoring and completion reports are up to date. OWEB grants 206-123 and 207-323 must have all projects completed by June 30, 2009. Amanda has notified all landowners involved. The grant agreement for the Range Improvement grant was signed and returned to OWEB. Amanda has notified the participants that they can begin their projects.
  OWEB Small Grants: A motion was made by Bill and seconded by Gary to approve two applications for funding. One was for a terrace and the other was for brush clearing and seeding. Motion carried unanimously. There will be no funds left for disbursement on the John Day side. There is still $1,671 left to be allocated on the Deschutes side.
• John Day River & Deschutes River Updates: Walter reported that Gilliam and Wheeler SWCD have not signed the MOU with the Lower John Day Conservation Work Group.
• Education Projects: Students from North Sherman Elementary took a field trip and released fish fry in to Burnet’s pond. This was part of the Salmon & Trout Enhancement Project. Gary asked that the Education Incentive Grants be featured in the next District newsletter.
• Basin Work Group Update: The Basin Work Group met on March 19th in Madras. Kristie, Brad and Krista attended. The next meeting has not been scheduled. Kristie would like to have a Local Work Group meeting prior to the District board meeting in May. This was approved by the board.
• Education Incentive Grant Application: The board reviewed two applications for grant funds. Sandy Macnab applied for funding for a tour that will be held in September. The tour is for extension agents from across the nation. A motion was made by Gary and seconded by Bill to approve this request for funding. Motion carried unanimously. A South Sherman Elementary group called the “South Sherman Seedlings” submitted a request for funding for assistance with their plant project. They requested assistance with the purchase of supplies and plants. The board asked Krista to consult with the applicant about what specifically the funds would be used for and where the plants will be planted. Krista will get back to board members with the answers and the project will be funded if board members are in agreement.
• 2010 Annual Work Plan & Workload Analysis: Krista is preparing draft plans that will be reviewed by Kyle and Tracy before the next meeting.
• Connect 2009: Jessa attended the Connect 2009 sessions and reported that it was interesting and informative.
• Workshops: Amanda requested to be allowed to attend a “New Coordinator Workshop” in Eugene on May 7 & 8 and a Grant Writing Workshop in Bend on May 28 & 29.
• Budget Discussion: The board reviewed draft of the budget for the General Fund and the Watershed Improvement Fund. Increases in personnel will be discussed at a later date. Plans need to be made to set a date for the first meeting of the budget committee.
• Employee Evaluations: A date will be set for employee evaluations before the next meeting.
• NRCS Report: NRCS: Kristie reminded everyone that there will be a Range & Riparian Workshop on Wednesday the 13th at the Rebekah Hall in Grass Valley. She has been working on EQIP payments, preparing RMS Plans for all 2009 EQIP applicants and attending Basin Work Group sessions to review Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative (CCPI) program applications. She has been selected to serve on the Audit Team for CSP contract reviews. The team will have approximately 300 contracts to review for Gilliam, Umatilla and Morrow counties. NRCS is currently taking applications for the Grassland Reserve Program (GRP).
• FSA Report: FSA: Martin handed out information about farm programs, sign up dates and deadlines.
• OWEB: Sue reminded the board about upcoming grant deadlines and discussed plans for the first Region 6 review team meeting. It will be held in John Day. She is also hoping for a project tour for the team in May.
• OSU Extension: Sandy reported that he is working on plans for a Riparian Workshop.
• Next Meeting: The next meeting will be held on May 12, 2009 at 8:30am. A Local Work Group meeting may be scheduled for one hour before the District meeting.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for March 10, 2009

• Watershed Updates:
• Watershed Updates
  North Sherman: Information about upcoming activities & grants was presented to landowners at the Conservation After Hours session. Amanda planned to take monitoring photos in the watershed but the weather has been too bad. She hopes to take them in the next week or two.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: Amanda & Brian prepared an update about what parts of the Assessment have been completed. Jessa is working with BPA and landowners on projects and possible increased funding for more projects. Jessa is keeping the reporting for BPA up to date.
  Grass Valley: Information about upcoming activities & grants was presented to landowners at the Conservation After Hours sessions held at the Senior Center. Brian gave an update on progress on the lower Grass Valley Canyon project. He is putting together information for a grant and also plans to develop a presentation for landowners and other partners showing detail of what the project will involve. NRCS is going to assist him with the imagery of the project area.
  South Sherman: Information about upcoming activities & grants was presented to landowners at the Conservation After Hours session.
• CCRP/CREP Update: Jessa is working with Wild Lands on plantings for several landowners. They hope to begin planting soon. There are still two landowners on the waiting list. Jessa has contacted them.
• Grant Updates: Amanda is working on the application for the OWEB spring grant. So far she has five landowners signed up. OWEB is having a meeting on March 18-19 to make final decisions on funding allocations for the fall grant cycle. This includes our application for range restoration. Small OWEB Grants – There are some funds left for this biennium. The Lower John Day side has approximately $5600 and the Lower Deschutes side has approximately $1600. These funds need to be allocated before June 30, 2009 or they will be lost.
• John Day River & Deschutes River Updates: The Lower John Day Conservation Work Group meeting that was scheduled for today was cancelled. The board reviewed the Memorandum of Understanding that Gary had distributed to them. Brad made a motion to sign the MOU. Tracy seconded the motion. Motion was approved unanimously. Kyle signed for the SWCD and Amanda signed for the Watershed Council. There is nothing new to report for the Lower Deschutes.
• Education Projects: Jessa reported that fish eggs were delivered to four classes (two classrooms) at North Sherman Elementary for the STEP program. The fish will be released into a pond on the Steve Burnet property.
• Basin Work Group Update: The board reviewed the minutes of the Basin Work Group meeting held on February 19th and discussed the outcomes of that meeting. Gary, Kyle, Kristie and Krista attended. The three scenarios presented at the meeting were discussed by the board. The board feels that the previous practice of splitting the 25% between the seven areas in the basin worked well and think that may be the best way to manage the funds in the future. The board plans to send representation to the next BWG meeting which is scheduled for March 19th. Kristie and Amanda attended the BWG meeting held on March 5th in Madras in order to review Ag. Water Enhancement Program applications.
• Annual Meeting Review: Attendance was down, probably because of the snow storm. The speaker, Dave Olsyk, talked about possible changes in cropping that could occur because of global warming. It was a very interesting talk. The board plans to discuss the possibility of subsidizing less of the cost of the annual meeting when planning for next year.
• Conservation After Hours: A total of five sessions where held this winter. Two public meetings were held, one in Moro and one in Kent. Three landowner’s invited neighbors to their shops for sessions. Presenters were NRCS, FSA, Extension, SWCD, MCP, and the Watershed Council. Attendance was very good and the board would like to continue with the After Hours sessions next winter.
• Education Incentive Grant Application: The request from the Sherman County School District was reviewed. A motion was made by Tracy and seconded by Brad to approve the application. Motion carried unanimously. Staff will develop an appropriate contract (grant agreement) to be signed by the school district before funds are expended.
• NRCS Report: NRCS: Kristie reported that she worked with the SWCD staff on development of a request for Contribution Agreement funds. Kristie also complimented Sandy on the quality of the recent grower’s meeting that Extension put on. Volunteer hours were reported. Buck Hollow project participants may be receiving letters reminding them of the requirements in their Operations and Maintenance Agreements. There is still a possibility that NRCS might contract with someone to do a survey of Buck Hollow projects. She will keep the board updated.
• FSA Report: FSA: Martin sent some information with Jessa for the board. He said that DCP payments are on the way. He also asked that everyone be reminded about upcoming deadlines and also the requirements for insurance.
• ODA "Spring Training": ODA is holding a training session in The Dalles for Directors and staff on March 11th. No directors are able to attend, but the staff will all try to attend.
• Next Meeting: The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 15, 2009 at 6:00pm.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for February 10, 2009

• Watershed Updates:
• Watershed Updates
  North Sherman: Amanda & Brian will be taking monitoring photos this week for Fulton/Gordon Canyon and Lower Deschutes.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: Work is continuing on the assessment. Amanda informed members of upcoming watershed and grant information at Kent “After Hours” session. Jessa reported that BPA may have additional funding for projects in the Pine Hollow/Jackknife watershed. She has gotten the word out to landowners in the watershed.
  Grass Valley: No new updates.
  South Sherman: Work is being done on the Action Plan.
• CCRP/CREP Update: Jessa reported that she is working on two CREP modifications. She has been using the GPS to mark boundaries for CREP fencing.
• Grant Updates: Amanda submitted the final monitoring report for OWEB grant 203-067 which was the first direct seed grant. She is working on the spring OWEB grant application. Four landowners have signed up so far. The application deadline is April 20th. Brian is applying for additional funding for the range drill from Oregon Hunter’s Association.
• John Day River & Deschutes River Updates: The Lower John Day Ag. Water Quality Management Area Plan biennial review was held on January 28th at the Senior Center in Moro. Reports about soil & water conservation projects were given by both Gilliam and Sherman County SWCD’s. Only three LAC members were present so no formal business was conducted. No changes to the plan were suggested. The TMDL for the John Day River may be completed in the next year. If so, there will be some updates needed in the plan. A joint meeting with the Lower Deschutes LAC will be planned for next December or January. Gary gave a brief update on the Lower John Day Conservation Work Group. Brian is attending their meeting today. Gary asked if the district would want to be involved with getting information out about how homeowner’s and landowner’s can protect their property from wildfires. Some information could be put in future newsletters. Steve said that this information will also be going out in the county publications
• Annual Meeting: The agenda for the annual meeting was reviewed and approved.
• After Hours Meetings: The first After Hours session was held on Feb. 9th at the Kent Church. An additional meeting is scheduled for February 19th at 1:30pm at the Senior Center in Moro.
• Basin Work Group: Gina Kerzman, NRCS Basin Team Leader for the Deschutes Basin, presented the board with background information about the Oregon Technical Advisory Committee (OTAC), Basin Work Group (BWG) and Local Work Group (LWG). Basin Work Groups oversee the distribution of 25% of the basin’s EQIP funding. Other responsibility will be the review of Agricultural Water Enhancement Program (AWEP), Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG), and Cooperative Partnership Initiative proposals. She presented her plan to ask Wy’east RC&D to serve as the facilitator of the Basin Work Group for the Deschutes Basin. The board is very concerned about this plan since they are not members of the RC&D. Some of the other concerns about the RC&D handling the BWG responsibility include whether the staff at RC&D can handle the increased work load, how their budget will cover increased time, and insuring that BWG decisions are made by a group that represents all of the basin. The first BWG meeting will be held preceding the Wy’east RC&D meeting on February 19th at City Park in Maupin.
• NRCS Report: NRCS: Kristie reported that she is making payments on existing EQIP contracts and sent out the first series of letters to remind producers of upcoming practices due in 2009. CSP meetings have been completed and an CSP Audit Process was due January 20th. She also helped with the audit in other counties in the Descutes Basin. The board turned in their volunteer hours to Kristie. A request for Contribution Agreement will be submitted as soon as possible. The President’s Stimulus package will include funding for NRCS which may be put in to the PL-566 program. Kristie also reminded everyone about the Grower’s meeting sponsored by Extension that will be held on Feb. 24th.
• County Update: Steve Burnet reported that the County is considering hiring a full time Wildlife Damage Specialist. They currently have a person for one day a week but with the influx of feral swine in the south end of the County the work load will be greatly increased. The County Weed District has hired Tom Macnab to assist Rod Asher. The reporting of Canada Thistle infestation to ODA was discussed. Our last weed grant was turned down because ODA did not feel that Canada Thistle was a priority. The board and staff feel that treatment of this weed is a priority in Sherman County, particularly from Grass Valley south. Amanda will talk to Rod Asher about how we can get ODA to consider funding our next request.
• ODA Update: Tom Straughan reported that ODA will be cutting one position on the east side of the state in the Water Quality division. Other program cuts may also be coming.
• Next Meeting: The next regular meeting will be held on March 10, 2009 at 6:00pm at the Moro Service Center.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for January 13, 2009

• Watershed Updates:
• Watershed Updates The first meeting of the Sherman County Area Watershed Council was held on January 8, 2009. Nine board members and 5 members were present. Officers were elected as follows: Chair, Tom McCoy; Vice Chair, Ron Mobley; Secretary, Jamie Wilson; Treasurer, Joe Sharp. The By-Laws were reviewed. Amanda gave a presentation which included information about current funding for watershed projects. Youth education projects were discussed. Brian Stradley, Gary Irzyk and Link Shadley gave an update on goals and activities of the Lower John Day Conservation Work Group.
  North Sherman: Direct seed payments for OWEB have been sent.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: Jessa has submitted quarterly reports to BPA and will be reminding landowners to get projects completed for BPA cost share funds.
  Grass Valley: Brian and Adam Haarberg have completed the survey of the lower seven miles of Grass Valley Canyon and will be developing a restoration plan.
  South Sherman: There is nothing new to report.
• CCRP/CREP Update: Jessa reported that she completed one CREP contract that was approved by County Committee. She also completed two CREP modifications. She continues to work on designs and plan folders for a CCRP grassed waterway and two CREP herbaceous buffer contracts. There are three contracts left on the waiting list.
• Grant Updates: Amanda has started taking sign ups for projects to be included in the OWEB spring grant cycle. She has completed the OWEB Watershed Council Support Grant application. Brian reported that the Improved Rangeland Ecosystems grant submitted to OWEB in the Fall was recommended for funding at the Regional Review Team meeting. The ranking for funds will be announced in the next few weeks. The application submitted to the Sherman Development League asking for revision of our previous funding grant was approved for one half of the requested amount contingent upon the district securing the 50% match funding. This grant is for the purchase of two range drills. Brian has applied for some funding from ODFW and will seek additional funds. Tracy agreed to contact a PGE representative to see if they might possibly contribute. The board asked if Amanda had gotten any requests for another Direct Seed grant. She has had one person show interest.
• Small Grant Updates: All monitoring and completion reports are up to date.
• John Day River & Deschutes River Updates: The Lower John Day Local Advisory Committee has scheduled a meeting on January 28, 2009, from 1 to 3 pm at the Senior Center in Moro. This meeting is to do the Biennial Review of the Ag. Water Quality Management Area Plan. The Lower John Day Conservation Work Group has asked the SWCD for a letter of participation to submit with the request for OWEB funding. Brad moved and Bill seconded a motion to allow Brian to write and send a letter. Motion carried unanimously.
• Annual Meeting: The Annual Meeting will be held on Tuesday February 10th, 5:00 pm, at the Senior Center in Moro. A caterer has not been secured at this time. A motion was made by Kyle and seconded by Bill to pay at least 50% of the cost of the meals so that guests will not have to pay as much. Motion carried unanimously. Krista will get back to them about the cost per meal. Beer and wine will be sold during the social hour prior to dinner which will be at 6:00 pm. Brian volunteered to take care of the social hour details. Annual financial reports will be at each place setting.
• Conservation After Hours: The public information sessions have been set for 1:30 pm, February 9th at the Kent Church and 1:30 pm, February 19th at the Senior Center in Moro. Agenda items will include information from FSA, NRCS, Extension, SWCD and possibly MCP.
• NRCS Report: NRCS: Kristie reported she made EQIP payments on existing contracts and sent out the first series of letters to remind producers of practices due in 2009. The CSP audit process was due January 20, 2009 and she helped Hood River and Wasco counties with their audits as well. The board submitted their volunteer hours and discussed upcoming Civil Rights trainings. SWCD compliance with civil rights issues was also discussed.
• FSA Report: FSA: Martin reported that DCP sign ups for 2009 are in progress. The deadline for sign ups is June 1st. He is encouraging all operators to get in to the FSA office. Also, operators need to come in to update 2008 acreage reports so that all of the rangeland acres can be added in. Operators also need to provide updated leases, be aware of new payment limitations and update all eligibility requirements. FSA will no longer write any checks in the local offices.
• OSU Extension: Sandy asked Kristie to remind everyone about the Winter Grower’s Workshop to be held Feb. 12 at the Fair Grounds.
• Education Projects: South Sherman Elementary has requested assistance with the greenhouse and city beautification project. Jessa says there is $1070 left in Gas Transmission funds for education or they could apply for funds from the Watershed Education Incentive fund. Jessa has also received requests to participate in the STEP program this spring from two teachers at North Sherman Elementary.
• Youth Conservation Corps: Dee Lieuallen is working on the Youth Conservation Corp application for this year. She asked for possible projects from the SWCD. One suggestion was flagging noxious weeds on State Park ground on the Deschutes.
• Next Meeting: The next meeting will be held on February 10, 2009 at 8:30 am at the office in Moro. The Annual Meeting will be held from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm at the Senior Center in Moro on February 10th.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for December 9, 2008

• Watershed Updates:
• Watershed Updates The first meeting of the Sherman County Area Watershed Council will be held on Monday, December 15th at 1:00 PM at the Senior Center in Moro.
  North Sherman: The Hobo temperature gauge was recovered from the Lower Deschutes and average monthly temperatures were recorded. Direct Seed grant monitoring was completed for this year.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: Jessa is currently working with a landowner on a watering facility that is being cost shared by BPA.
  Grass Valley: Amanda has completed the Direct Seed grant monitoring for this year.
  South Sherman: Brian and Amanda reported the average monthly temperatures for Macks Canyon.
• CCRP/CREP Update: Jessa reported that she is currently working on two contracts and just completed one new contract. She has been working with fence contactors, landowners and BLM on fencing for two contracts.
• Grant Updates: Final payments are being processed for Direct Seed Grant 206-336. Two Small Grant monitoring reports were completed. A completion report is being done on another small grant. Amanda attended a workshop on how to complete the application for the 2009-2011 Watershed Council Support Grant. That grant application is due January 30th.
• John Day River & Deschutes River Updates: Krista handed out a copy of the draft report from the Lower Deschutes Ag. Water Quality Management Area. The Lower John Day LAC will meet on January 28, 2009 at the Senior Center in Moro. The Lower John Day Conservation Working group has a meeting scheduled for December 19th at the Senior Center.
• Annual Meeting: An evening meeting on February 10th was chosen for the Annual Meeting. Krista has reserved the Senior Center in Moro and will check to see if Paradise Rose Chuck Wagon (Rod McGuire) can cater. The board asked that staff contact Dave Olzyk of EPA and OSU to speak. They would plan to at least cover the speaker’s expenses. Staff will get back to the board about estimated costs for the dinner and the speaker.
• NRCS Report: NRCS: Kristie reported that Bob Graham, NRCS State Conservationist, has retired. Ron Alvarado has already started work as State Conservationist. Kristie and Mary Beth are both busy working on the audit of EQIP contracts which is currently happening through-out the nation. They will both be working at The Dalles office for the next couple of weeks. There will also be an audit of CSP contracts soon.
• FSA Report: FSA: The new CED for FSA, Martin Nguyen, introduced himself to the board and talked with them about his background.
• Take Care of oregon Days: Amanda received information about this program and asked the board to consider possible projects that could be done.
• Education Incentive Grant Program: Amanda was asked if one source, for example the School District, could apply for more than one project. The board agreed that they could apply for specific projects separately. Each project will be considered on its individual merit.
• STEP Program: Jessa reported that Oak Springs Hatchery may not have fish eggs for the school projects this year. She will be checking with them again to see if there are any other options. Jessa will also check again with the schools to see who is interested in the “Fish Eggs to Fry” project.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for November 12, 2008

• Watershed Updates:
• Watershed Updates Amanda reported that the first meeting of the Sherman County Area Watershed Council needs to be set.
  North Sherman: No activities were reported.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: An amendment extending the Pine Hollow/Jackknife Watershed Assessment completion to December 31, 2009 has been signed by OWEB. Jessa has completed cost share input reports for the BPA funding.
  Grass Valley: No activities were reported.
  South Sherman (Buck Hollow/Macks Canyon): Amanda and Brian retrieved the HOBO temperature monitor from Mack's Canyon. Data has been downloaded and is being recorded.
• CCRP/CREP Update: Jessa is working with two new CREP contracts taking inventory and conducting design and layout. She is also performing contract modifications on two other CREP contracts. She is still working with landowners, fencing contractors and BLM on several miles of CREP fence.
• Grant Updates:
  OWEB Application: A restoration grant was submitted to OWEB for the fall grant cycle. The name of the project grant is “Upland Management Practices for Improved Rangeland Ecosystems”. Practices requested include grass seeding for burned areas, both aerial and range drill, fence rebuilding, spring developments and guzzlers. A response is expected by the end of March 2009.
  Small Grants: There is nothing new to report at this time.
• John Day Update: Brian, Gary, Amanda and Jessa all plan to attend the Lower John Day Working Group meeting being held on Novemeber 13th in Condon.
• Deschutes Update: The Lower Deschutes Ag. Water Quality Management Area biennial review will be held on November 13th at 1:00pm in Dufur. Krista and Tom McCoy plan on attending.
• OACD Conference Report: Krista attended on Friday afternoon and Saturday. She attended a board of districts meeting. The next board of districts meeting will be held in May in Prineville.
• OWEB Conference Report: Amanda and Brian attended the conderence. They reported on several interesting sessions that they attended.
• Bulk Tree Orders: The district will again make trees available to the public in bulk orders; this means at least ten or more trees per species. Sandy suggested to check with Extension agent Lynn Long to ensure we don’t order any species that may be detrimental to orchards in the area.
• Annual Meeting: The board would like to hold an evening meeting in February at the Senior & Community Center; will ask Rod McGuire to cater. A date has yet to be set. A suggestion for a speaker was Dave Olzyk of Oregon State University and the Environmental Protection Agency.
• Lower John Day Biennial Review: A meeting needs to be set for either December or January.
• NRCS Report: NRCS: Kristie reported that she is making payments for existing EQIP contract and cleaning up all FY08 payments. She also sent letters out for those who still have practices that need to be certified. She is making payments CSP payments for the Mid-Columbia Hood Watershed and certifying guzzlers signed up under CSP. HEL spot checks are completed for the Food Security Act. A Spot check was performed here by the Snake River Basin. Kristie attended a Bat and Owl Workshop and a Pond Aeration Pilot Workshop.
• Poster Contest: The poster contest “Water Is Life” has been completed. The winners were: K-1st 1st place- Alyssa Hill 2nd place- Reanna Bourgeois. 2nd-3rd 1st place- Leslie Blakely 2nd place- Luke Martin. 4th-6th Hollee Kaseberg was the winner. All entries received were from North Sherman Elementary.
• Education Incentive Grants: Liz Cranston has expressed interest in applying for project funds; she has some questions about grant guidelines.
• OWEB: Sue Greer reported on the OWEB conference; she reminded the board that watershed council support grants are due in January. There will be a workshop for watershed coordinators before the grant deadline that she suggests Amanda attend.
• OSU Extension: Sandy reported that the new office building for extension is not coming along as planned. He has been busy with Wind Energy meetings.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for October 14, 2008

• Watershed Updates:
• Watershed Updates Letters were sent out by the Sherman County Court notifying the newly appointed Sherman County Area Watershed Council board members of their appointment. Amanda will be sending out more information to these people about the duties and expectations.
  North Sherman: No activities were reported.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: Jessa gave an update of BPA Pine Hollow/Jackknife activities. She is working with several landowners and BPA to finalize planning for projects. She also turned in a quarterly report to BPA. Amanda has been meeting with landowners for the Pine Hollow/Jackknife assessment. She has been gathering information about projects and history of the area. A time extension will be requested from OWEB for this grant.
  Grass Valley: No activities were reported.
  South Sherman (Buck Hollow/Macks Canyon): No activities were reported.
• Grant Updates:
  ODA Weed Grant: A completion report was submitted. The remaining balance of funding ($318.84) was released to the SWCD for unrestricted use.
  OWEB Application: The application for the Upland Management Practices for Improved Rangeland Ecosystem is nearly completed. It includes rangeland reseeding, fence reconstruction related to the wild fire damage over the summer. Also included are wildlife watering facilities and spring developments. Nine landowners are involved in this grant.
  Small Grants: A small grant for the Lower Deschutes area was presented. The project is a wildlife watering facility. Motion was made by Gary and seconded by Brad to approve the application. Motion carried unanimously.
• OACD Convention Oct. 31 – Nov. 3 in Newport: Krista will be attending. Gary will try to make time to attend.
• OWEB Conference Nov. 5-7 in Eugene: Amanda and Brian plan to attend.
• Lower John Day Conservation Work Group Update: Brian reported that he and Gary both attended the meeting on Sept. 26th. There may be funding available for projects within the Sherman County SWCD boundaries. There would be a short turn around time for completing any project with the funds. Therefore a project requiring very little design work and minimal survey for threatened and endangered species or cultural would be necessary. Brian’s suggestion was a project involving rocking roads with in the county in order to minimize erosion. The Sherman County Court and Road Department would both like to be involved. This project would include cost shared projects for landowners. The board requested that Brian follow up on this proposal with the working group.
• Biennial Review for Lower John Day AgWQMA Plan: Tom Straughan asked that the LAC members be reminded of the need for review and let him know preferences for date and location for a meeting. An activity report will also be required from the SWCD.
• NRCS Report: NRCS: Earth Team hours were reported by the board. Kristie updated the board on the computer replacements. A motion was made by Brad and seconded by Gary to send a letter requesting that NRCS supply the computers for us because they were not budgeted for purchase this year. Jessa’s was just replaced by NRCS. Kristie had requested a replacement for Amanda’s that should be arriving by the end of October. Brian and Krista’s would also need to be replaced. The motion carried unanimously.
• CREP Report: Jessa reported that she has done two CREP contract modifications. She is working with fencing contractors and landowners laying out several miles of CREP fence. Two new CREP plans need to be developed. She worked with a landowner and NRCS to design a prescribed burn plan.
• Poster COntest: One poster has been received so far. The deadline for entries is October 24th. Amanda will be working with the 1st & 2nd grades at North Sherman Elementary on Thursday.
• OSU Extension: Sandy submitted a written report. Planning for a pesticide short course is in the works. A growers meeting will be held in late January. A range-oriented workshop will be held in May, possibly as part of the Crop Hop.
• OWEB: The new OWEB Region 6 Program Representative, Sue Greer, introduced herself to the board. She reported that she currently has the existing contracts for Sherman County that were previously handled by Rick Craiger. Her office is in Condon. Region 6 includes Gilliam, Wheeler, Umatilla, Morrow, Grant and Sherman Counties. The official start date for Region 6 is January 2009. Sue asked Brian to participate on the Review Team for the new region. He accepted her offer. The October grants will be reviewed by the existing review team.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for September 9, 2008

• Watershed Updates:
• Watershed Updates
  Umbrella Council: Amanda presented information about the development of the umbrella council that was approved by the County Court. The new council structure is called the Sherman County Area Watershed Council. All of the previous councils will serve as advisory groups and each group is represented by at least two members on the Area Council. The representatives are as follows: South Sherman County, Jamie Wilson and Joe Sharp; Pine Hollow/Jackknife, Ron Mobley and Jon Justesen; Grass Valley Canyon, Pat Bird and Marvin Thompson; North Sherman County, Tom McCoy and Bryan Peters. The SWCD will be represented by Brad Eakin and Gary Irzyk. Terms will be staggered over a five year period. A motion was made by Gary and seconded by Brad to adopt the By-laws for the Sherman County Area Watershed Council. Motion was carried unanimously.
  North Sherman: No activities were reported.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: Amanda has been working on the assessment. She will be making landowner visits soon. Jessa has taken on the BPA contract management from Jason. Projects have been planned to allocate funding and cultural resources requirements are being completed.
  Grass Valley: Brian has been working with Oregon Raceway Park on erosion control measures. He has assisted them with the installation of seven water & sediment control basins. The project in Lower Grass Valley Canyon is progressing well. The longitudinal profile has been completed except for the last mile which will be done this fall. The aerial photographs have been received.
  South Sherman (Buck Hollow/Macks Canyon): Kristie and Brian reported that they had taken several NRCS state office personnel on a tour of some Buck Hollow Projects. There was concern expressed by those on the tour that vegetation is being allowed to grow on several of the water and sediment control basins. There are also some that are being kept full by pumping from wells. The Operations & Management (O&M) agreements for these projects are being reviewed and landowners will be contacted.
• Grant Updates: OWEB Grant 205-057 was completed in July and all reports submitted. The ODA Weed Grant for Yellow Starthisle and Knapweed is nearly complete. Some invoices have not been turned in. The application for treatment of Canada Thistle was turned down. The reason given was that Canada Thistle is not a high priority weed for the state. Unused funds in Grant 206-123 have been reallocated. The board was asked to review these project agreements. There has not been much interest yet in applications for the Fall OWEB grant cycle. Flyers have been posted reminding landowners that the grant deadline is coming up. The lack of projects may be caused by the ability to reallocate funds and the extra EQIP contracts that have been made available through NRCS. There are still a lot of conservation projects planned for the next year. Brian would like to put together a grant request for the purchase of a range drill. It was suggested that he work with Gilliam and Wasco County SWCD’s on this grant. Gary also suggested talking with the Lower John Day Conservation Working Group.
  Small Grants: Four Small Grants from the 05-06 biennium were canceled. Unfortunately those funds could not be reallocated. The board discussed how the cancellation of projects can be avoided. The Small Grant Team reviewed one small grant application and approved it for funding. The motion to approve was made by Kyle and seconded by Brad. Motion carried unanimously.
• John Day & Deschutes Updates: Gary is planning to attend the next meeting of the Lower John Day Conservation Working group which will be held on September 26th. Brian is also a part of this group and asked how much time the board would like him to dedicate to this organization. They asked that he attend the meetings and keep current on activities. There was nothing new to report from the Deschutes side.
• Conservation After Hours: The board would like to hold the sessions in February. They would like to involve information from SWCD, NRCS, FSA, Extension and MCP. Tracy and Gary both volunteered their shops. These will cover the north and middle part of the county. We are hoping for a least one more shop in the south end of the county. There will also be at least one public session.
• NRCS Report: NRCS: Kristie reported that a Riparian Workshop similar to the one held last spring in Wheeler County is being planned for Sherman County area. She is also working with extension on a workshop for orchardists and wheat growers in Sherman County. NRCS will be helping the SWCD with purchase of new computers. The IT service for each computer is $3000 annually. The purchase and IT costs will need to be covered by the SWCD but NRCS will try to work out a way to make this less of financial burden for the SWCD’s.
• CREP Report: Jessa completed 4 new CREP contracts totaling 482 acres. She also completed 5 CREP contract modifications, completed 9 status reviews on 415 acres and is working on one new CREP contract. There are five remaining on the waiting list.
• ODA: Tom Straughan reported that the Lower John Day LAC will be meeting again this winter for the biennial review of the Management Plan. He has also visited with Sue Greer who is the Regional Manager of the new OWEB Region 6. A review team will be chosen by the spring grant cycle. He also reported that the CREP Technical assistance grant agreement should be arriving soon.

No Board Meetings Held in July or August.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for June 10, 2008

• Budget Update: The Watershed Education Reserve Fund was discussed. A motion was made and approved for the following criteria for the Long Range Plan and Project Application Procedure. Grantees may apply for no more than $2,000 annually and will be asked to provide a 25% match, either in-kind or cash. Gary asked the staff to work with schools as soon as possible to get the word out about the funding opportunity.
• Watershed Updates:
• Watershed Updates
• Amanda Whitman, the new Watershed Coordinator began work on Monday June 9th.
  North Sherman: There is nothing new to report at this time.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: Jason is working on the budget and planning for projects using BPA funding.
  Grass Valley: Brian continues working with the people from the raceway. He is advising on erosion control measures that will prevent them from creating new water quality issues. The survey of the Lower Grass Valley Canyon has begun and the aerial flight will be done as soon as weather permits.
  South Sherman (Buck Hollow/Macks Canyon): There is nothing new to report.
• Grant Updates:
  ODA Weed Grant: Biological Control Insects have been ordered. Landowners have been contacted and reminded to get spraying done and bills turned in to the SWCD office.
  BPA Technical Assistance Funding: Jason reported that the contracting is nearly complete for the technical assistance funding grant.
  OWEB Applications: A request for projects from landowners will be included in the summer newsletter. Interested landowners can contact one of the technicians by September 2nd in order to complete an estimate.
  2009 Annual Work Plan & Workload Analysis: A motion was made to approve the 2009 Annual Work Plan, Workload Analysis, and ODA Statement of Work and Budget. Motion carried unanimously.
• Display Booth for County Fair: The Board asked the employees to develop ideas for a display booth at the fair. They would like to include the South Sherman Elementary greenhouse project. NRCS will share the booth.
• NRCS Report: NRCS: Kristie reported there is a second EQIP sign up is in progress with a deadline of June 20th. Dana Higgins, a student trainee, will be arriving for work June 23rd; she will be here for three months. The new Farm Bill has passed, but information about programs is still coming. Kristie reminded everyone about the Experiment Station Field Day coming up on June 11th.
• FSA Report: FSA: Sheri reported that changes will be coming for payment limitations. The procedures have not been set yet. CRP grazing or haying sign ups are open; there is a $75 fee and a revised plan is required. Sign up for new farm programs will start in July.
• OACD: Information from the OACD committee was reviewed. A motion was made to pay the dues beginning in 2009. Any increase in payments will need to be authorized by the Board. Motion passed unanimously.
• Lower John Day "Working Group": Gary will be attending meetings of this working group. Gary asked the board for approval to form an educational partnership with Gilliam and Wheeler County SWCDs. A motion was made for Gary to write a letter of explanation to the three SWCDs and return with information about possible proposals. Motion passed unanimously.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for May 6, 2008

• Budget Update: A Budget Committee meeting was held on April 30th at 6:00pm. The board reviewed the documents developed and agreed to meet with the budget committee again on May 13th if publication notices can be completed by then. The Budget Hearing is tentatively set for June 10th at 7:30am before the District Board meeting. The Watershed Education Reserve Fund was discussed. A long-range plan for the fund will be developed. A modified grant application format will be made available for educational project funding. Outdoor School for county sixth graders and transportation costs for natural resource related field trips were the priority projects for funding that the Board discussed.
• Watershed Updates:
• Watershed Updates
• Watershed Coordinator Position: The Board reviewed the three applications that have been received and one from the file. The Board would like to keep the job open at this point; they also discussed the possibility of interviewing the candidates. Other options were offering the job with a six month probation period or looking for a college student as a temporary employee for the summer while keeping the job open.
  North Sherman: Projects are being completed using OWEB and EQIP funds. Jason and Brian continue to consult with landowners about conservation practice repairs needed due to wind tower construction.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: Jason is still working on the BPA contract; he has several landowners requesting an assortment of projects.
  Grass Valley: Projects are being completed using OWEB and EQIP funds. Brian will be working with Bankfull Solutions from Jefferson County on the data gathering and planning stage of the Lower Grass Valley Canyon project.
  South Sherman Watershed (Buck Hollow/Macks Canyon): Brian completed the monitoring photos for OWEB Phase 8 of the Buck Hollow project.
• Grant Updates:
  OWEB Grant: The OWEB grant for Precision Ag was submitted in April.
  Small Grants: Brian and Jason are working with landowners to complete projects.
• John Day River Update: Gilliam County SWCD and the Mid-Columbia Economic Development District are sponsoring a two day Watershed Partnership meeting in Gilliam and Wheeler Counties on May 13th and 14th. Brian and Jason both plan to attend.
• Deschutes River Update: Nothing new to report.
• Education Projects: Krista reported that some teachers requested that we postpone our poster contest until fall. This will work fine for staff; information will go out to teachers in September. The South Sherman Elementary plant project is going very well. Plants will be ready soon for local planting and up for sale to the public.
• OACD Meeting: None of the directors were able to attend. Patricia Gainsforth called to say that she will get information to the Board about what happened at the meeting. She also asked Board members to consider someone to take her position as Deschutes/Hood River Basin Chair.
• New Business: The annual steak & oyster feed was discussed and the decision was made to cancel it for this year.
• NRCS Report: NRCS: Kristie reported that NRCS is working with the Extension Service, ODA and the Weed District to put on a Riparian Grazing Management Workshop. She asked for volunteers or suggestions for a location for the workshop for a site visit. Kristie is still working with Sandy Macnab and Paul Jepson on Integrated Pest Management. The Experiment Field Station Long Term Plot Field Day will be May 13th; she is doing Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE2) runs on the plots. She will be a presenter at the Field Day. The Moro and Redmond offices will be sharing a NRCS trainee this summer. Kristie would like to have her write a range plan while she is here.
• FSA Report: FSA: Sheri Carlson, acting CED, reported that the Farm Bill extensions allowed two more producers to complete their sign up for CREP. Kevin MacIntyre had reported to her that he had attended recent meetings in Washington DC and the new Farm Bill should be done by Friday of this week.
• Tree Plot: Kyle offered to arrange several volunteers from the high school to clean up the Bill Todd Memorial Tree Plot. Students are required to donate volunteer hours to the community. He will get the paperwork to Krista as soon as the job is completed.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for April 8, 2008

• Watershed Coordinator Position: Krista reported that in the 2 months that the job has been advertised three applications have been received.
• Stewardship Week: North Sherman Elementary and Sherman Junior/Senior High School have ordered educational materials for Stewardship Week. Jessa and Krista will deliver the materials when they arrive.
• Newsletter: Jessa has nearly completed the Spring newsletter.
• Watershed Updates:
• Watershed Updates SWCD has been assisting with a large number of EQIP and OWEB projects in all of the watershed areas.
  South Sherman: Brian is working on Buck Hollow Phase 8 monitoring photos.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: Jason participated in the Redd survey today; he noted four Redd sites on the portion he walked. ODFW will report back to us regarding the portion they surveyed. Jason has been assisting landowners with plans for BPA projects. Requests have been received for projects including spring developments, solar/wind hybrid water developments, water and sediment control basins, and a well.
  Grass Valley: Brian presented information about the Technical Assistance grant for the lower reach of Grass Valley Canyon. The aerial flight for photos has been arranged and should come in under budget. Jefferson County program manager, Adam Haarberg has proposed that his LLC called Bankfull Solutions do the data gathering for the project. Motion carried unanimously.
  North Sherman Watershed: Brian continues to work with the tower companies and landowners to repair any effects of tower construction.
• Grant Updates:
  OWEB Grant: The reallocation of OWEB funds is working well. Many projects are being completed. Jason is preparing the Precision Ag OWEB application for the April 21st deadline. All participants in the Weed Grant have contacted the office and will be treating weeds this spring. No new OWEB small grants have been applied for, there is a waiting list if more funds come available.
• John Day River & Deschutes River Updates: Link Shadley of Mid Columbia Economic Development District presented the Lower John Day Basin Conservation Project list that has been developed by local landowners, farmers and government agencies over the last year. There are twenty projects that are proposed for economic support. On May 13th-14th there will be a Watershed Conference in Condon to bring together foundations and conservation organizations to see the work that is being done in Gilliam, Wheeler and Sherman Counties.
• 2008 Annual Work Plan & Workload Analysis: Krista has begun revising and updating both. The board agreed that Bill will review both for the June meeting.
• NRCS Report: NRCS: Kristie reported the EQIP sign-up deadline has been set for October 3, 2008. NRCS is being audited on EQIP fund expenditures especially if the contracts aren't completed in a timely manner. A Quality Assurance Review will happen here on May 15th. The Local Work Group meeting date was set for May 6th at 7:00 am here at the office. There has been landowner interest in a program that might assist with pasture/crop rotation alternatives. Gary and Jessa attended a Riparian Grazing Workshop in Wheeler County sponsored by NRCS. Kristie inquired if there might be interest in Sherman County for a similar workshop. The idea of sponsoring a RUSLE2 workshop for local producers was also proposed.
• OSU Extension: Sandy reminded everyone about the Marketing meeting on April 10th at 7:00 am. He talked more about the Long Term Plot tour on May 13th at the Sherman County Experiment Station.
• OWEB Regions: Word was received from OWEB that a new region (region 6) has been formed. This region includes Sherman, part of Wasco, Hood River, Jefferson, Gilliam, Wheeler, Grant, Morrow and Umatilla Counties. A new Regional Program Representative will be hired by OWEB for region 6; this transition will be completed over the next year.
• OACD Board Meeting: The OACD will be holding a Board of Districts meeting in Roseburg on May 4th-5th.
• Deschutes Basin Partnership Roundtable Session: The event is scheduled for April 29th at 8:00 am in Prineville.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for March 11, 2008

• Budget Committee: The Board reviewed the rough draft of the budget. There is one grant at this time that has not been approved for funding. A Budget Committee meeting will be set for the end of March or the first of April depending on publication timing of the notice.
• Watershed Updates:
• Watershed Updates
  South Sherman: Letters were sent out to landowners in the watershed proposing the umbrella council idea for all Sherman County watersheds.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: The watershed council met and they voted to join the umbrella council for Sherman County watersheds. BPA funding was discussed, landowners were askedto request projects as soon as possible. The Redd count survey will happen in cooperation with ODFW on April 8th.
  Grass Valley: A quorum was not present at the planned meeting date, no decisions made.
  North Sherman: The watershed council met and they voted to join the umbrellla council for Sherman County watersheds. Funding opportunities were discussed and landowners were reminded to apply for project requests to the SWCD by April 1st. Brian developed a brochure addressing the issues that have come to pass due to ground disturbance by wind tower construction. The brochure is very informative and has been distributed from the office.
• Grant Updates: The Noxious Weed Grant application that was submitted to the Oregon State Weed Board and was approved for funding.
• Education Projects: Jessa has taken over the education projects. South Sherman Elementary has requested assistance with a project to involved students in a "hands on" learning experience. The scope of the project includes updating the green house and purchasing supplies and plants for the City of Grass Valley and the Senior Center in Moro to use in the planters.
• ODA: Tom Straughan reported that OWEB has proposed establishing another region for grant management, this would make six regions for Oregon. He wasn't sure which region Sherman County would be in.
• FSA: Sheri reported that the new Farm Bill has not passed yet but there is a possibility of an extension.
• OSU Extension: Sandy reported that the extension office may be moving downstairs in this building by fall of this year.
• Camelina Workshop: The Camelina Oil Seed Workshop sponsored by the SWCD and Wy'East RC&D was held at the Senior Center in Moro on March 6th. The workshop was very informative. MCP does not plan to offer storage or transportation for Camelina at this time.
• Local Budget Law Training: Krista and Brian will be attending this training on March 20th in Hood River.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for February 12, 2008

• Watershed Coordinator: The job announcement for Watershed Council Coordinator has been sent to several local newspapers for publication.
• Watershed Updates:
• Watershed Updates: The Board discussed the transition to an Umbrella Council for Sherman County watersheds. Each current council would still serve in an advisory capacity for the Umbrella Council and would send representation to those meetings. The main advantages to the councils would be less meetings and less administrative responsibility.
• Grant Updates: The reallocation of unused funds for OWEB grants were reviewed and approved. Two Small OWEB grant applications were discussed and approved unanimously. The revised landowner agreement, which includes the pay back requirements if a project is removed before the ten year cotract expires, was discussed and approved unanimously.
• Pine Hollow/Jackknife Assessment: Brian is working on the assessment. Jason and Jessa will assist him as time allows until the Watershed Coordinator position is filled.
• John Day River & Deschutes River Update: A joint meeting of the Lower Deschutes and Lower John Day LACs was held on January 22nd at the Senior Center in Moro. ODA Water Quality Planners, Tom Straughan and Ellen Hammond, gave updates about both management areas. They presented slides showing some areas they see as having water quality issues. The erosion rule in both plans was discussed and it was suggested that the wording be left in the plans, but removed from the rules. Biennial reviews are due next year and the LACs will meet seperately for the reviews, but plan to have a joint annual meeting.
• After Hours Meetings: After Hours meetings have been scheduled for February 29th beginning at 1:00 pm at the Senior Center in Moro and February 21st at 5:00pm at Bill Martin's shop. Staff is still trying to schedule more sessions for February 26th and 28th.
• CREP Update: Jessa reported that she has started on five new contracts. She has completed her RMS plan and has submitted it to the NRCS State Office for review. She has eight site visits planned for CREP projects that will be planted this spring. Jessa has taken on responsibility for the Salmon-Trout Enhancement Program with the schools. She has also found a very nice picture to use for a sign for the SWCD office.
• County Update: Steve Burnet discussed the possible budget increases available for Special Districts. He also discussed the budget short-fall for county roads. He inquired about SWCD and NRCS policies regarding conservation practices that are being affected by wind tower installation. This subject will be discussed at the upcoming Conservation After Hours sessions.
• OSU Extension: Sandy Macnab reminded those present about the Intergrated Pest Management Workshop coming up on February 27th at the fairgrounds. Pesticide credits will be available. There will be a Long-Term Plot Tour at the Experiment Station on May 13th.
• First Aid/CPR Training: Jessa, Krista, Jason and Kristie all received their First Aid & CPR certifications at the training in The Dalles.
• Trees for 4th Graders: A proposal for an educational Arbor Week project was received from "Fourth Grade Foresters" from Lincoln, Nebraska. They asked for District financial assistance in providing a tree to each of the 4th graders in the county. There is a minimum order of 100 trees so they suggested including the 3rd grade classes. The Board said they would approve participation in the project if staff has the time.
• OACD Dues Proposal: OACD presented three options for their proposed increase in annual dues for 2009. The Board would like to know why the increase is so large and what improvements would they see in OACD.
• Gilliam & Wheeler County SWCD Tour: Walter Powell from Gilliam County invited our District to attend a tour in May. They plan to invite personnel from several Foundations in order to show them what local conservation districts do. He will give the District more information when it is available.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for January 8, 2008

• Watershed Updates:
• Watershed Updates
  North Sherman: There is nothing new to report.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: Assessment: Joli reported that landowner inventory maps were sent out. Individual appointments will be made in the next couple of months. Joli is currently working on the channel habitat types. Contract “Buy back”: A landowner who received cost share funding in May 2003 for a seeding project on 123 acres has asked what the consequences would be if he sod-busts the acres. The landowner agreement that he signed with the district states that he will maintain the project for ten years or pay back the cost share. This has never happened before so the board will set a policy for how to deal with buy backs. Staff will check with funding sources to see how they want to handle the pay back funds. OWEB has indicated that they will want the funds back, but amount was not discussed. A motion was made by Bill and seconded by Kyle stating “If a landowner decides to void the landowner agreement 50% of the project cost plus a prorated (by year) amount must be paid back to the SWCD”. The motion also included revisions to the landowner agreement form stating the buy back policy and adding that the board reserves the right to review any new fund request for cost shared projects on acres or projects that have been “bought back”. Motion carried unanimously. Joli and Krista will revise the landowner agreement form and present it to the board for review.
  Grass Valley: There is nothing new to report.
  South Sherman Watershed (Buck Hollow/Macks Canyon): There is nothing new to report.
• Grant Updates: OWEB has told Joli that unallocated funds from grants 205-057, 206-123 and 208-4016 may be reallocated to other projects. At this time there is a total of $50,674 available. Several landowners have been in requesting cost share funding. Most of the estimates have been done and a total of over $100,000 is needed to fund their requests. The board discussed how they would like to have the funds allocated. The small grant team set a criteria that projects requesting $5,000 or less can receive a 75% cost share. Projects over $5,000 receive a 50% cost share. They would like staff to use this method for allocating these funds. Any projects that do not get funded can either be included on the OWEB grant application this spring or try for small grant funds.
• Small Grants Update: The Lower Deschutes has $6,029.75 available for projects. The Lower John Day has no funds available at this time.
• Lower John Day & Lower Deschutes Updates: The Lower John Day and Lower Deschutes Local Advisory Committees have scheduled a joint meeting for January 22, 2008, 1 to 3 PM at the Senior Center in Moro.
• Conservation After Hours: The public information session has been set for February 19th. Krista will check to see if the Senior Center is available for a 1:00 meeting. The dates of February 21st, 26th and 28th were tentatively set for the producer sponsored After Hour sessions. Bill Martin, Bryan Cranston and Rory Wilson had said previously that they would like to host meetings. Krista will check with them. Agenda items will include Farm Bill updates, program updates, discussion of CREP processes, watershed updates and possibly watershed council meetings.
• Personnel Manual: Kyle reviewed the draft of a new personnel manual and thought it was an improvement over the current version. Krista will put it together with a table of contents and present it for further review by the board.
• Annual Meeting: The Annual Meeting will be held on Tuesday February 12th, 5:00 PM, at the Senior Center in Moro. Rod McGuire has agreed to cater. The board would like Krista to select the menu and talk about price with Rod. A motion was made by Kyle and seconded by Bill to pay at least 50% of the cost of the meals so that guests will not have to pay as much. Motion carried unanimously. Krista will get back to them about the cost per meal. Beer and wine will be sold during the social hour prior to dinner which will be at 6:00 PM. Brian volunteered to take care of the social hour details. Jason has contacted George Taylor, State Climatologist about speaking at the Annual Meeting. He has not heard back from him yet. The agenda was discussed. Bill will begin the meeting as past chair, then will pass duties on to Tracy. Staff will put together some kind of a project display. Annual financial reports will be at each place setting. An award will be purchased for Tom McCoy. Gary Irzyk will make the presentation.
• CREP Update: Jessa reported that she completed four CREP contracts, has one pending FSA approval and one pending landowner decision. She also completed her reporting to OWEB and ODA for the second quarter.
• BLM: Tina Welch reported that BLM is working on a new plan for John Day Basin. One item of interest is the suggestion that operators with allotments be given the option to retire their allotment acres for the life of the plan without losing them to another operator. Sandy is hoping to have Tina included on his agenda for a workshop he is planning.
• OSU Extension: Sandy reported that the Experiment Station is planning a field day for the long term plots this spring. They are also updating the Cost Study and working on an Integrated Pest Management plan with NRCS.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for December 11, 2007

• Watershed Updates:
• Watershed Updates
  North Sherman: There are some EQIP projects being completed in this watershed.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: The BPA contracting dates have necessitated a funding adjustment. They will only allow us two years to complete the contract which means that there is $42,000 available for projects in the next fiscal year. BPA will allow up to 85% cost share. Joli will be letting operators in the watershed area know about the funding availability. The Watershed Assessment is progressing. Landowner Inventory Maps will be sent out next week. There are some EQIP projects being completed in the watershed.
  Grass Valley: There are some EQIP projects being completed in the watershed.
  South Sherman Watershed (Buck Hollow/Macks Canyon): There are some EQIP projects being completed in the watershed area.
• Grants Update: The Yield Monitor/Variable Rate Fertilizer Grant application is due to DEQ by December 17th. Joli asked the board to review the letter she had sent out on Nov. 28th. They asked her to double check that the unit cost for a yield monitor was still correct. They discussed the rental rate for the variable rate applicator and asked Joli to use $2 per acre as the unit cost. They agreed that a one time payment on 400 acres was acceptable. It was agreed that soil testing is expensive and that if we are asking for them 3 times a year for 3 years we should request additional funds to help with the costs. Joli will work up the costs and send the application to DEQ requesting 30% of the cost for the total project. If the grant is approved we will seek additional funding from OWEB. A Weed Control Grant was sent off to ODA. There are 6 producers signed up asking to treat 275 acres of Yellow Starthistle, 70 acres of Spotted Knapweed and 20 acres of Diffuse Knapweed. The total project cost will be $15,954. Oregon State Weed Board is being asked to fund $9,812. Producers will receive a 75% cost share.
• Small Grants Update: There is still $6,029.75 available for small grants in the Lower Deschutes. There is no funding available on the Lower John Day side.
• Lower John Day & Lower Deschutes Updates: A date has not been set for the Lower John Day and Lower Deschutes joint LAC meeting. It is planned for early January. The board stressed that they would like to be sure that Tom McCoy and Ken Bailey are both able to attend. Jason has been communicating with the writers of the Middle Columbia Steelhead Recovery Plan. The wording about uplands on the John Day River portion was much more acceptable to the board than the way the Deschutes River upland issues were addressed. Jason will communicate these concerns to the contact person.
• Election of Officers: Brad nominated the following slate of officers: Chair-Tracy Fields; Vice Chair-Kyle Blagg; Secretary-Brad Eakin; Treasurer-Bill Martin. A motion was made by Kyle and seconded by Bill to accept these nominations for 2008. Motion carried unanimously.
• SIP Funds: Bill had more information about wind tower dollars that will be coming in to the county and asked that Krista check with the county to see if and when additional SIP contracts may be made.
• Review Audit: Krista reported that Russell & Associates have nearly finished the Review Audit and that it should be arriving possibly by the end of next week.
• Budget Process: The process is on track for timing and scheduling. The board suggested that Krista talk to the County about when the SIP payment can be expected.
• Annual Meeting: An evening meeting on February 12th was chosen for the Annual Meeting. Krista will reserve the Senior Center in Moro and check to see if Paradise Rose Chuck Wagon (Rod McGuire) can cater. Tom McCoy will be presented the Cooperator of the Year award. Jason will check to see if the speaker who talked about Global warming at Gilliam and Wheeler County annual meetings is available to speak at ours.
• NRCS: Kristie was unable to attend. Volunteer hours were gathered from the board. Jessa handed out her CREP progress report for Nov. 13th to December 11th. She had completed 5 cultural site visits with NRCS. All of the sites were approved to proceed. She did site visits and surveys at two guzzler sites. Designed and laid out planting plans for 142.2 acres of riparian forested buffer; 257.5 acres of riparian herbaceous buffer; approximately 33,930 feet of riparian fence; and a brush management and range seeding project. She assisted Gilliam County with a CREP plan folder for approval from the Sherman County FSA. She performed 1 status review and 10 on-site visits. Jessa gave an update about CREP to the FSA county committee. She is finishing her RMS plan that is to be submitted to the NRCS state office by the end of December.
• BLM: Sheri reported that she has been appointed Acting CED for the Sherman County FSA and will serve until a CED is hired. Word had been received from the FSA state office saying that all work on CREP had to be stopped until further notice but Sheri had called for clarification. No new sign ups can be taken but work on all current applications can be done so that contracts can be completed once funding is authorized.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for November 13, 2007

• Watershed Updates:
• Watershed Updates
  North Sherman: Direct seed monitoring is complete. Joli is waiting for one landowner to turn in his production data. A report will be ready for the December meeting.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: Progress on the watershed assessment was reported. The analysis for land use effects and road densities is complete. This analysis will be used in the Stream Flow, Runoff and Erosion Chapter. Joli is going to talk to Linnea about doing some of the water quality monitoring.
  Grass Valley: Some OWEB grant projects are being completed.
  South Sherman Watershed (Buck Hollow/Macks Canyon): Brian and Joli have been doing water quality monitoring in Macks Canyon.
• Grants Update: Joli is currently working on the “Yield monitor/Variable rate fertilizer application” grant. There are ten producers interested in participating. One producer asked to be included even though he is using bio-solids so he is only interested in the yield monitor portion of the grant. The board felt that including this producer would complicate the grant too much. Incentive payment rates and number of acres allowed were discussed. The board asked Joli to get more information and get back to them with a draft. Joli is also working on an “ODA Weed Control Grant” application. There are seven producers signed up to participate. Joli, Brian and Jason are currently doing field data collection to get the total number of acres to enroll for spotted knapweed and yellow star thistle for spring treatment. We have received one of the three classroom incubators for the Salmon & Trout Enhancement Program.
• Small Grants Update: The Lower Deschutes has $6,029.75 available for projects. The Lower John Day has $1,012 available. The small grant team discussed a proposed wildlife improvement project application from a local landowner. He proposes to put in 2 guzzlers with tree and shrub plantings. He will be getting a 50% cost share from FSA and requested a 25% cost share from the small grant team. The request was approved unanimously.
• Lower John Day & Lower Deschutes Update: Planning for a joint meeting of the Lower John Day and Lower Deschutes Ag. Water Quality Management Area local advisory committees is in progress. A date in early January will be chosen as soon as possible.
• OACD Conference: Krista and Jason attended the conference in Bend. Both reported that they enjoyed several of the sessions. Neither attended the board meetings so when minutes are received Krista will get them out to the board.
• CREP Update: Jessa gave her CREP progress report. She has completed 5 cultural site visits, designed and laid out one fencing project, written 8 contract revisions, done 2 new site visits, completed 1 status review, talked with 20 landowners about CREP, worked on her RMS plan for certification as a planner and worked with Brian on design and layout of a structure. The FSA County Committee has requested that the SWCD work with them to adopt a uniform cost list for CREP practices. The board agreed that one cost list would be beneficial and asked that Jessa work with other staff to develop a draft for approval by SWCD and FSA. Kristie thanked Jessa for her good work with CREP.
• Wy'East RC&D: The Districts membership in the RC&D was discussed at length. A motion was made by Kyle and seconded by Brad to withdraw our membership from the Wy’east RC&D effective immediately. Motion carried unanimously.
• Spring Basin Wilderness Area: Information had been received from Lyn Craig about a proposal to make Spring Basin in Wheeler County a Wilderness Area. Discussion will continue if more information is received.
• First Aid Training: The board approved employee requests to attend a First Aid and CPR training this Friday in The Dalles. District will pay for the classes.
• NRCS: Kristie’s report is attached to these minutes. Training for the Robotic Total Station will cost approximately $1,300. NRCS is unable to allocate those funds at this time for Greg Cards’ training. A motion was made by Tracy and seconded by Kyle to pay that expense for Greg. In return the board will ask Greg to train someone from the district. The motion carried unanimously. Volunteer hours were reported.
• FSA: Sheri reported that Josh Hanning has been appointed to serve as District Director for Sherman, Gilliam/Wheeler, Wasco, Hood River, and Crook/Deschutes/Jefferson County FSA offices. A new County Executive Director will probably not be hired for Sherman County for a couple of months. Crop and Livestock Disaster program for 05, 06, & 07 is still available. FSA would appreciate input from producers about their rangeland resources. Decisions about rangeland disaster needs are rated by local personnel from NRCS, FSA and Extension.
• OSU Extension: Sandy reminded all that November 16th is the joint marketing, Farm Bureau and Wheat League meeting. He also asked about the districts involvement or interest in the housing development that has been proposed on the South end of Moro. The board will wait to hear more information about that project.
• Sherman County: Steve talked briefly about the 2008 SIP funds from the wind turbine projects.
• Mid Columbia Economic Development District: Link Shadley of the Mid Columbia Economic Development District gave an update about possible funding for John Day River projects. He also said that current project priorities are as follows: juniper/weed removal; environmental education for grades K through 12; and funding for technical assistance. He asked us to notify either him or Georgia Macnab about any other projects we are interested in. David Colbeck of the Wild Salmon Center said that he was just here to listen to the meeting.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for October 9, 2007

• Watershed Updates
  North Sherman: All monitoring reports are up to date. Direct Seed grant participants have been contacted. Monitoring will be done in the next two weeks. Three small grants completed a total of 13 water & sediment control basins (wascbs) and 15,274 feet of terrace rebuilds.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: Jason reported that BPA cultural resource reviews have been moving quite slowly but he hopes that projects will be approved for implementation by the middle of January. Assessment - Joli reported that the preliminary inventory is complete. The next step is to set up individual appointments with landowners. She and Brian are currently gathering information for History & Stream Flow and Runoff & Erosion Chapters of the assessment.
  Grass Valley: All monitoring reports are up to date. OWEB Grant 207-323 had one solar water development project completed. An OWEB Small Grant in the watershed completed 4,323 feet of terrace rebuilds.
  South Sherman Watershed (Buck Hollow/Macks Canyon): There have been district hours spent doing EQIP and CREP projects in the watershed.
• Grants Update: OWEB funding for both the Restoration Grant and the Technical Assistance Grant was finalized by OWEB and contracts should be here soon. The OWEB fall deadline for grants is October 22nd. Joli is currently working on a Yield Monitor/Variable Rate Fertilizer Application proposal. This grant was based off a previous unsuccessful proposal for USDA CIG (Conservation Innovation Grant) funding for yield monitors. Joli asked the board whether she should resubmit using the same landowner participants or if it should be opened back up because of the changes. The board agreed that they would prefer to open it back up and postpone the application until a later date. There are two other possible funding options besides OWEB. Other possibilities are through DEQ or through a revised USDA CIG program. Joli has also been working on a Weed Control grant application to submit to ODA. This grant was also unsuccessful in the last cycle, but is being revised. The board would like Joli to open up the option for landowners to participate in this grant. Information about both grants will go out in the fall newsletter. There are some open OWEB grants that have a balance remaining because participants were either unable to do their proposed project or came in under budget when projects were completed. OWEB has given permission for the reallocation of these funds within the planned watershed and for practices that were already included in the grant. This reallocation will be done as soon as possible. OWEB notified the district that they will increase the allocation for the Watershed Council Support grant (208-046) by $17,000. The amendment and contract have been signed reflecting this increase. Joli is currently doing Education Outreach by meeting with the South Sherman Elementary Parent Teacher Organization. They have requested assistance with study and improvement of the Grass Valley Creek adjacent to the school. The board would like the City of Grass Valley to provide guidance for this kind of a project. Also the PTO would like to participate in the “Secrets of Our Shrub-Steppe Home” project that is sponsored by the Columbia Gorge Ecology Institute. Joli will assist them with an application for the “Secrets” project. ODA has agreed to provide additional funding for the CREP Technician position. These funds, $12,000 for this year, will be included in the ODA Intergovernmental Agreement reporting system. (Reports will be included with the ODA Tech and LMA portion of the current IGA). The amendment was approved and signed.
• Small Grants Update: There is currently $6,029.75 available for projects in the Lower Deschutes. There is $3,780 available in the Lower John Day. Joli presented one small grant application for funding from the Lower John Day. The board reviewed and approved that grant unanimously. Joli asked for clarification on cost sharing guzzlers on CRP ground. The landowner who requested this practice did not receive incentive payments for this practice on his contract. The consensus was to let the landowner apply for small grant cost share.
• DeMoss Springs Water Development: Brian requested the board’s permission to assist the county on plan, design and implementation of a spring development at the DeMoss Springs Park. The board concurred that this project fits the district goals for water quality projects in the Grass Valley Canyon watershed. Brian’s time and expertise will be the district’s donation to the county park improvement.
• Personnel Policy Book: Krista handed out copies of Chapter 2 of the current policy book. The board will review the chapter and discuss any needed changes at the next meeting. They will review more chapters in the next few months.
• Retirement Benefit Package: Brian presented the information that he gathered about possible retirement packages for employees. The consensus of the employees was that they would like to enroll in a Simple IRA through American Funds. This plan would include a one to one match from the District for up to a 3 percent match. The board took no action on this proposal. It will be discussed again at the November meeting.
• Personnel Policies & Resolutions: Tyler Stone brought the board information about Human Resource issues. He showed them a book published by Milliman that shows results of a survey that has job descriptions and salary ranges. After a salary range is chosen a matrix is developed for salary increases. Options for salary increases are: step increases as used by NRCS, cost of living increases as recommended by the survey, and/or performance based increases. The board liked the information in the Milliman book and Tyler suggested that they participate in a survey conducted by Milliman. The board would like to approach OACD and ODA about “sponsoring” participation in this survey for all districts in the state. Krista will contact Larry Ojua and John McDonald to see if there is any interest. If a statewide survey isn’t done the board would like to check with several other districts to see if they would like to do a survey. If not the board would still want to be involved. Tyler also suggested consulting with “The Compensation Group” about a survey of benefits offered by districts in the state. The Partner’s Group is another company that he recommends to do the districts’ shopping for insurance packages every year. If the district could be part of a larger group for its insurance package it would be very beneficial. Tom Straughan suggested checking in to Special Districts of Oregon policies.
• NRCS: Kristie recorded Earth Team Hours from the board. Her report for July, August and September was that she was on maternity leave. She returned to work on October 1st. The deadline for EQIP sign up is October 31st. Jessa reported on CREP progress and activities. Her report covered July to October. In that time 7 new CREP contracts were completed; she designed and certified one drip irrigation system; certified 1 spring development; wrote 3 riparian forested buffer planting plans that were approved by ODF; completed 5 plan modifications; went on 35 on-site visits; completed 5 status reviews; attended the final session of the Conservation Planner’s course; continued planning and inventory on a 2,742 acre RMS plan for NRCS planner certification; completed reports for OWEB, BPA, ODA NRCS & FSA; and surveyed CREP damaged or destroyed by the Grass Valley Canyon fire. The board asked how the fire damage will be handled. Jessa is waiting for the criteria from the County Committee. They meet on October 18th.
• ODA: Tom Straughan talked about the CREP Technician funding. We are currently budgeted to receive $15,000 next year but this is not secured yet.
• Mid Columbia Economic Development District: Krista handed out the most recent correspondence and project list from Link Shadley.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for September 11, 2007

• Watershed Updates
  North Sherman: All monitoring reports are up-to-date. The Direct Seed monitoring will be conducted this month for both Direct Seed Grants. OWEB (with Joli’s assistance) developed a news release about the direct seed grants in Sherman County. It was sent to local papers and was featured on the 97.7 radio station.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: Feral pig control is underway. Twenty two pigs have been caught at the Black Rock Grazing Association locations. All monitoring reports are up-to-date. Brian and Joli are working on the mapping and history for the Pine Hollow/Jackknife Watershed Assessment.
  Grass Valley: All monitoring reports are up to date. Reseeding rangeland burned by the fire in July was discussed. Brian has been talking with Rick Craiger of OWEB about possible cost share funding to assist landowners with the costs of reseeding. The estimated cost for the total project would be approximately $300,000 to fly on seed that is predominately native.
  South Sherman Watershed (Buck Hollow/Macks Canyon): There is nothing new to report at this time. Jessa is working on some CREP projects in the watershed.
• Grants Update: Reminders for project completion deadlines were sent out to landowners in all watersheds. The OWEB Restoration Grant submitted in April was recommended for funding: 6 of 17 (a total of 31 applications were reviewed by the review team). The total cost of the project for this grant was $104,351. OWEB funds requested were $74,972. The grant includes 40,700 feet of new terrace, 28,650 feet of rebuild terrace, 4,700 feet of gradient to level terrace, 67 cropland wascbs. Approximately $1.8 million is recommended for funding before our grant. The OWEB Technical Assistance Grant submitted in April was recommended for funding: 1 of 2. The total cost of the project is $34,447. OWEB funds requested were $19,662. The grant includes technical assistance for the identification and preparation of an action plan to restore potential habitat for steelhead in the lower 7 miles of Grass Valley Creek. Funding for both grants will be finalized at the September 18th OWEB meeting. Education Grant funding will also be discussed. If funds are made available, an application will be developed. The upcoming deadline for OWEB applications is October 22, 2007. There has been some interest expressed in a new direct seed grant. The board asked that Joli follow up on it. They also agreed that she should send out a notice to producers reminding them that the OWEB funds can be applied for. The Yield Monitor grant that was submitted to USDA for the Conservation Initiative Grant was not funded. The original request was for $66,000 to go towards the total project cost of $137,965 for 9 producers. The board asked Joli to seek another funding source for this project and try again.
• Lower John Day: Mary Beth reported that the soil survey in Wheeler County is scheduled for completion in 5 years. When it is completed the Lower John Day Watershed should be eligible for consideration for the Conservation Security Program.
• OACD Annual Meeting & Convention: The board discussed the draft agenda. Decisions about who will attend will be discussed at the next meeting.
• CPR Training: The staff asked permission to attend a six hour CPR training in The Dalles. The cost will be either $20 or $25 per employee. The board agreed that this would be a good training for staff. Brian will follow up with Wasco County SWCD about scheduling.
• NRCS: Mary Beth is currently serving as the acting District Conservationist for Kristie. She handed out her activity report which is attached to these minutes.
• FSA: Sheri reported that the CED position for the Moro FSA office has not been opened yet. FSA is filling District Director positions first. Kevin is still coming here to do some work including measuring bins. ECP funding for the wild fire was approved but there are no funds available at this time. Sign ups are open now for cross fencing. Boundary fences are not eligible for emergency funds. The County Committee will discuss how to handle the damage to CREP planting caused by the fire. Funding for replanting will be a 50% cost share unless the state decides to contribute the 25% like they have in the past.
• Mid Columbia Economic Development District: Link Shadley, Mid Columbia Economic Development District, came to discuss a Project List. He has been in contact with a number of natural resource groups in the Northwest that are very interested in assisting with restoration efforts in Grass Valley Canyon following the recent fire. He is trying to “convert interest in to money”. Besides the fire restoration interest the list included such projects as noxious weed control; juniper removal; cattle, sheep & hog production; invasive species control; Conservation Security Program for the Lower John Day River; cobble & debris removal; direct till; information distribution highlighting local efforts; Moro City wastewater; Grass Valley city wastewater; infrastructure for improve ag practices; and John Day River navigability impacts. The board asked Link to reword the “Immediate Actions” column for direct seed because “public relations” is not a problem. Gary asked that Link include an education component on the list that would assist small schools in the area with natural resource education and also the possibility of workshops that could be held to get information out to the natural resource partners.

No Board Meetings Held in July or August.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for June 12, 2007

• Watershed Updates
  North Sherman: All projects for OWEB grant 205-056 are completed. Final report and fund request will be sent as soon as all bills are received.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: Brian met with Wasco County SWCD, ODFW and USDA Wildlife Services to discuss the feral pig problems in southern Sherman and Wasco counties. Traps and cameras will be set up in several locations. Captured pigs are checked for diseases. Pictures will be available and some information will be aired on the Oregon Public Broadcasting channel.
  Grass Valley: OWEB grant 205-057 has used $30,959 and has a completion deadline of June 30, 2007. One landowner has requested an extension. Joli will request an extension. The board discussed encouraging landowners to complete projects within the time frame and ask Joli to put an article reminding them of this in the next newsletter.
  South Sherman Watershed (Buck Hollow/Macks Canyon): There is nothing new to report at this time.
• Grants Update: The Council Support grant funding was increased to $63,000 for two years. This should be the amount on the grant agreement which will be coming by the end of June. Joli showed the board the new tracking system for grants and projects that she developed. It includes a map and legend showing funding sources and project locations.
• Small Grants Update: Applications for the 2007-2009 biennium were reviewed.
• Education Projects: The District is assisting with a “Salmon and Trout Enhancement Program”. Projects will be set up in North and South Sherman Elementary schools and the Junior/Senior High school. Fish will be released in to ponds so that they do not enter the river system. A Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) has been formed at South Sherman Elementary. Joli, Jessa and Gary have been talking with them about possible projects and assistance.
• Wy'East RC&D Update: Gary and Jessa both attended the last meeting. They expressed their concerns to the council about the emphasis being put on conflict resolution type projects and also about the discussion of real estate investments. The lack of action on the project requests from the Sherman County SWCD were also discussed but no action will happen unless project requests are submitted on the form they provided in January. Gary will plan to attend at least one more meeting. It was suggested that Meta and possibly Bob Graham be encouraged to attend a few Wy’east meetings.
• 2008 Annual Work Plan & Workload Analysis: A motion was made by Gary and seconded by Brad to approve the 2008 Annual Work Plan, Workload Analysis, and ODA Statement of work and budget. Motion carried unanimously.
• Fair Display: The board asked the employees to develop ideas for a display booth at the fair.
• Volunteer Resolution for Workers' Comp: A motion was made by Gary and seconded by Brad to sign Resolution 6-07-1 stating that the District chooses to extend worker’s compensation coverage to board members. Motion carried unanimously.
• NRCS: Kristie’s report will be attached to these minutes. Earth Team volunteer hours were reported and Kristie handed out hats to the board to thank them for their participation.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for May 8, 2007

• Watershed Updates
  North Sherman: Projects are being done using OWEB and EQIP funds.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: Projects are being done using OWEB and BPA funds. The OWEB Assessment grant has been signed. This secures $104,233 for the next two years to complete the assessment of the Pine Hollow/Jackknife Watershed.
  Grass Valley: Projects are being done using OWEB and EQIP funds.
  South Sherman Watershed (Buck Hollow/Macks Canyon): Projects are being done using OWEB and EQIP funds.
• Grants Update: The OWEB grant application submitted in April included six landowners from the North Sherman and Grass Valley Canyon watersheds. Projects applied for include 22,850 feet of new level terrace, 3,100 feet of gradient to level terraces, 19,450 feet of gradient terrace rebuilds and 53 new cropland water & sediment control basins. Total project cost estimate is $69,136 with OWEB being asked for $48,885 of the total. The Lower Grass Valley Canyon Technical Assistance grant was revised and resubmitted. This grant would create an action plan for the lower 7 miles of Grass Valley Creek as a first step in achieving the goal of steelhead reintroduction. Total project cost is $24,447 with $19,662 being requested from OWEB. The evaluation for the Council Support Grant was received. The board read the comments from the OWEB reviewers. The merit rating of Councils in Sherman County was “satisfactory”. This ranking may qualify us for $52,000 for the next biennium. Our request was for $120,072. Written comments on the review & ranking were submitted last week. Applicants will be allowed 5 minutes to give comments at the OWEB meeting in Salem on May 15th. The board would like to send someone to comment if possible.
• Small Grants Update: Joli is currently working on the 2005-2007 Biennial Report. Four projects were recently completed. The small grant committee reviewed and approved the Operating Procedures & Bylaws for the 2007-2009 OWEB Small Grants. In order to get contracts started by the beginning of September the committee will review applications for the next biennium at the June meeting. Two applications for this biennium were discussed. One request for the Lower John Day for upland structures was approved. Gilliam County small grant committee allowed us to use $1,280 that they were unable to allocate. One request for upland structures in the Lower Deschutes was also approved. Wasco County small grant committee allowed us to use $2,259 that they were unable to allocate. This cooperation with Gilliam and Wasco Counties was much appreciated.
• Wy'East RC&D Update: Jessa reported that a proposal was made at the last meeting to look in to real estate investments as a stable funding source for the RC&D. Also the emphasis on Sirolli Institute and conflict resolution is still the priority for projects. The board does not support either of these as proposals. They asked Krista to visit with Meta Loftgaarden about concerns. Jessa said that representatives of the RC&D asked to be on the agenda for one of our district board meetings.
• 2008 Annual Work Plan & Workload Analysis: Krista will send the draft 2008 Work Plan and Workload Analysis to Bill for review. The final draft needs to be approved at the June meeting.
• June Meeting: The regular June meeting will be held at 6:00 PM on June 12th. The Oyster and Steak Feed will be held at the fair grounds at 5:30 PM on Friday June 15th.
• Stewardship Week: Materials have been distributed to the local schools. Joli is working with schools to develop a “Salmon & Trout Enhancement” program. Fish eggs would be incubated in the class rooms.
• NRCS: Kristie’s report is attached to these minutes. She reminded the board about the Local Working Group meeting to be held May 16th, 8:00 AM here at the office. There are several changes to the cost list that will need to be reviewed. The signed NRCS Contribution agreement for this year has been received and will be billed on this month. Mary Beth will serve as acting District Conservationist during Kristie’s leave (July to October).
• OSU Extension: Sandy reminded the board of the May 19th County Clean-Up day. The dump will be free all day and there will be a hazardous waste collection at the County Road department shop. May 22nd is the date for the “Crop Hop”. The Sherman County portion will begin at 2 o’clock in Grass Valley.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for April 10, 2007

• Watershed Updates
  North Sherman: Conservation work funded by OWEB grant 205-056 are being completed this spring. The grant expires June 30th.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: ODFW, district and watershed council representative conducted a redd count in the lower portion Pine Hollow. Five redd’s were found. The OWEB grant for “Livestock Management” has been signed and landowners will be notified that funding is available for their projects.
  Grass Valley: Projects funded by OWEB grant number 205-057 have to be completed by June 30th. The five landowners involved have approximately $38,000 to use for their projects.
  South Sherman Watershed (Buck Hollow/Macks Canyon): A water quality survey was done by Joli and Brian in Macks Canyon on March 15th. A daily temperature monitoring gauge was put in the stream. Test for dissolved oxygen, pH, turbidity and temperature were done. They hope to do additional field visits later in the summer.
• Grants Update: The Technical Assistance grant for Lower Grass Valley Canyon has been revised and is being resubmitted. This grant will help create an action plan for the lower 7 miles of Grass Valley Creek as a first step in achieving the goal of steelhead reintroduction. A grant application for upland restoration projects is also being submitted. This grant involves six producers. The total project cost will be $86,355 with OWEB being asked for $64,781 of that total. The agreement with OWEB for the Pine Hollow/Jackknife restoration grant ($63,749) has been signed. The agreement for the Pine Hollow/Jackknife Assessment has not been received yet. One small grant application for an upland structure for Bob Martin was approved for funding. The total project cost is $848. OWEB will cost share $478.
• Lower John Day: Tom McCoy’s letter of compliance with water quality standards from ODA was reviewed.
• Wy'East RC&D Update: Gary was unable to present the concerns of the SWCD at the most recent meeting. Jessa will try to get Gary listed on the agenda for the next RC&D meeting. The board would also like to visit with the NRCS RC&D lead, Meta Loftsgaarden.
• 2008 Annual Work Plan & Workload Analysis: Krista has begun revising and updating both. The board agreed that Bill would review both for the June meeting.
• Budget Committee: The budget committee meeting was held on April 5th. A budget was accepted at that meeting, but additional funding may be coming in from OWEB and BPA so adjustments are expected to be made. No changes to the proposed budget were made at the meeting today. A second budget committee meeting date was tentatively set for May 31st. BPA Tech contract time was discussed. If BPA will allow a beginning date of July 1st there will need to be funds to cover two months of personnel expenses. If necessary, Sherman Development League funds will be requested for that time.
• NRCS: Kristie reminded everyone about the crop tours on May 22nd. A Local Work Group meeting will be planned for May or early June. Her report is attached to these minutes.
• ODA: Tom reported that not much has been happening with Ag. Water quality issues. He advised the district to encourage livestock owners to be sure that they are in compliance with water quality rules because those have been the most reported problems. He encouraged board members to participate in the local Joint Ways & Mean committee meeting being held in The Dalles. Tom also explained what his duties will be with the OWEB CREP technician funding process.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for March 13, 2007

• Watershed Updates
  North Sherman: OWEB grant 99-552 4th year monitoring report was completed. OWEB grant 205-056 is being completed this spring. One operator has projects to complete by June 30th.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: The Redd count survey will be done in cooperation with ODFW on April 10th and will cover part of Pine Creek and Mobley’s. Funding decisions will be finalized by OWEB this week for the Assessment Grant and the Restoration Grant. BPA cost share funding may be available for one year. They have projected approximately $18,000 will be allowed for cost sharing watershed restoration projects. A contract has not been received yet.
  Grass Valley: OWEB grant 205-057 is being completed this spring. There are five operators who can complete work by June 30th. The Technical Assistance Grant request was revised and will be resubmitted this spring.
  South Sherman Watershed (Buck Hollow/Macks Canyon): Joli and Brian will be doing water quality monitoring in Macks Canyon on March 15th.
• Grants Update: The Noxious Weed Grant submitted to ODA was not funded but they suggested that it be resubmitted. The OWEB small grant portion of the noxious weed grant was funded so all participants will receive one box of bugs. Joli is currently working on a cropland structure grant that must be submitted by April 23rd.
• Annual Meeting: The Annual Meeting final expenses show that the District paid out $329.07 over the income from donations. Everyone felt that the meeting was successful and well attended. The guest speaker challenged community members to come up with a project that could possibly include Gilliam and Wheeler Counties that would encourage economic growth and stability in Sherman County. No ideas were presented at that time.
• 4-Wheel Drive Vehicle: Brian reported that the 1995 Dodge is running well. He requested floor mats and racks. He would like to build the racks. The board gave their permission for both.
• Stewardship Week: This year Stewardship Week is April 29 to May 6. The theme is “Today is the Day to be a part of Conservation’s Power”. Joli has sent information out to the teachers.
• Budget Committee: The board reviewed several options for the budget. It is difficult at this time because several grants have been approved for funding, but contracts have not been signed confirming exact funding numbers. A Budget Committee meeting will be set for the end of March or first of April depending on publication of the notice. Notices will be published in the Times-Journal. Board members asked Krista to contact all of the committee with dates, times and locations of meetings.
• Sherman County Court: Gary Thompson updated the District on the wind turbine projects and the Strategic Investment Plan. He explained that as a special district in that area the SWCD will be given $12,000 in fiscal year 2008-2009. A motion was made by Tracy and seconded by Brad to sign the agreement accepting the funds. Motion carried unanimously. The effect of wind tower construction on county roads was discussed.
• NRCS: Kristie handed out her report which is attached to these minutes. EQIP funding is currently being provided for eleven contracts in Sherman County. After Hours meetings were fairly well attended. The one private session had better attendance than the 2 public sessions. Kristie is working with the District on a new Contribution Agreement. We are hoping to contract for $34,500. Kristie, Jason and Brian have been working with Biglow Wind Project participants regarding the redesign of conservation structures that will be altered during tower construction. Biglow Wind has hired Tenneson Engineering to complete designs for any altered structures. The board reported their volunteer hours to Kristie.
• FSA: Kevin thanked the SWCD for inviting FSA to participate in the “Conservation After Hours” sessions. He reported that the county currently has 8,100 acres enrolled in CREP which brings in approximately $400,000 in payments.
• ODFW: Keith Kohl reported that the state is updating and developing wildlife management plans. They will be assisted by Oregon State University for the Lower Deschutes plan. Projects for the Access & Habitat program would be welcomed. They are doing the annual census of deer, elk and sheep by helicopter this week. He reported that they have moved some sheep from the Deschutes and the John Day to French Glenn. We also discussed the mountain goat that is currently living along the Columbia River.
• Wy'East RC&D: The next meeting is scheduled for March 22 at the sheriff’s office in Madras. Gary is planning to attend with Jessa. He will present the boards points of concern regarding the RC&D council. The board would like to develop a better working relationship with the RC&D. Kristie will talk to the RC&D lead person at the state office about our concerns. Merlin Berg, Wy’east RC&D, gave the board an update of the Rapid Watershed Assessment that is being done by NRCS. He handed out a copy of the one that was done for the Lower Deschutes watershed. At this time the top three priority areas chosen by the assessment team are Trout Creek, Willow Creek and Lower Crook. Merlin was asked how those had become priorities. At the last meeting that our office was involved in the priority areas chosen were the Lower John Day and the Lower Deschutes. He said it was the decision of the Rapid Watershed Assessment Team.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for February 13, 2007

• Watershed Updates
  North Sherman: Several landowners are working on projects for OWEB or EQIP in the watershed.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: BPA has indicated that funding for Pine Hollow/Jackknife will continue for another year.
  Grass Valley: Several landowners are working on projects for OWEB or EQIP in the watershed.
  South Sherman Watershed (Buck Hollow/Macks Canyon): The picture and article about Buck Hollow running clear in the recent run-off event have circulated around the state on the ODA website.
• Grants Update: The upcoming OWEB grant application grant deadline is April 23, 2007. Joli will be getting information out to landowners. Word was received during the meeting that BPA will be funding the council support grant request again. Official announcement of funding for OWEB restoration and assessment grants will be March 2007. Our restoration and Pine Hollow assessment grants were recommended for funding at $63,749 and $104,233 respectively. Announcement of funding for the Council Coordinator Grant will be announced by May. The Sherman Development League awarded the district $60,000. Sandy explained that the Development League would rather fund a project than personnel. Possible projects will be discussed, but this grant application was for help with funding to support SWCD staffing.
• Lower John Day: Jason has been asked to make a presentation about the website that he developed for the Lower John Day River Sub-Basin plan. The board agreed to pay Jason for his time, but not mileage to the meeting in Pendleton.
• Annual Meeting: The agenda for the annual meeting was reviewed and approved.
• 4-Wheel Drive Vehicle: Brian is still looking for a good used pick-up within our price range. The board would prefer not to purchase a vehicle that has belonged to an agency or conservation district. They feel that a privately owned vehicle may have been better maintained.
• OWEB Review Team Meeting: All watershed project monitoring reports are up-to-date. The OWEB review team was invited by the SWCD to meet here on January 31st to discuss the funding conditions of future cropland structure grants. Four of the review team members attended. Those attending were Ellen Hammond, Jeff Goebel, Brian Stradley and Jerry Cordova. Others attending were Rick Craiger, OWEB, Greg Card, NRCS, Tom McCoy, Chris Kaseberg, Marvin Thompson, Bryan Cranston, Bill Martin, Darren Padget, Joli Munkers and Jason Faucera. Tom McCoy did a power point presentation showing the background of Sherman County tillage practices and why they are used. He highlighted the problems of weed control and seed bed prep and some of the differences between Wasco County precipitation amounts and their steep slopes. He compared the mulch till commonly used in Sherman County to the direct seed acres. He showed pictures of residue on his farm including some of the field where he used an undercutter. There was not a notable difference in residue on his mulch tilled and his undercut field. Pictures of tillage equipment and practices were shown and discussed. Monitoring efforts and strategic planning were also discussed. After lunch several of the attendees went out to Darren Padget’s and looked at structures. Monitoring data seems to be one of the things the review team feels that we need more of. The board discussed how structures could possibly be monitored. Choosing a few structures to measure sediment in was one suggestion. It was also suggested that the study be offered to a graduate student.
• After Hours Meetings: After Hours meetings have been scheduled for February 28th, 1:00pm at the Kent Church, March 1st, 5:00pm at Steve Burnet’s shop, March 6th, and 6:30pm at the Senior Center in Moro. Bill will talk with some other landowners in the North end of the county and try to set up one more meeting for this spring.
• Budget Committee Update: Steve Kock, Dick Stradley and Jonathan Rolfe have agreed to serve on the budget committee. Contact will be made with other citizens in order to get two more members for the committee. The proposed budget is being developed and will be reviewed by board members as soon as possible. The board will meet on February 26th at 8:30am to review a draft budget that will be developed by staff. Gary and Brian will be attending a budgeting workshop on February 22nd in The Dalles.
• NRCS: Kristie handed out her activity report which is attached to these minutes. The board turned in their volunteer hours to Kristie. NRCS has provided a new pickup for the Moro office, but they still plan to sell 2 pickups. The Contribution Agreement funds available to the Sherman County SWCD are $34,500. This agreement should be completed by March 15th. Jessa reported on progress for CREP.
• OSU Extension: It was reported that a Hazardous Waste Collection date will be set for March in The Dalles. Call the extension office for the date. Extension and the County are trying to get a program set up with Morrow County Grain Growers and Farm Chemical for recycling containers. They will also try to set up collection of old tires and oil. The county is currently below their goal of 20% recycling. Sandy asked that any unreported recycling be reported to him.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for January 9, 2007

• Watershed Updates
  North Sherman: A council meeting was held December 13th. Chris Kaseberg was reelected as the council chair. Members expressed interest in getting started on a watershed assessment of at least one area within the council boundaries.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: A council meeting was held on December 13th. There was not a quorum present. Members present discussed the possibility of hosting a “Land EKG” workshop. They requested that Joli and Linnea get more information for them.
  Grass Valley: A council meeting was held on December 14th. Members discussed the idea of reorganization of not only the Grass Valley Canyon watershed council, but all the councils in the county due to decreased attendance and involvement at meetings. Options proposed for consideration were: Reorganization of GV watershed council board of directors (down from 7 to 5); Create an umbrella council with separate working groups or councils; or Merge all councils together into one large council covering all of Sherman County. The SWCD board recommendation was that the Grass Valley Watershed Council revise the structure of their board.
  South Sherman Watershed (Buck Hollow/Macks Canyon): A council meeting was held on December 14th. Joli presented the options for council structure that were discussed at the Grass Valley Canyon watershed council meeting. Members expressed their preference for keeping the councils as local as possible rather than merging with more watersheds. They decided to wait to form their official council until later. Joli will be scheduling council meetings in late February or March. Gary suggested that the council meetings might possibly be combined with “Conservation After Hours” meetings.
• Grants Update: The OWEB Review Team for our area asked Joli to set up a meeting with the Sherman County SWCD and several landowners to discuss the funding conditions of future cropland structure grants. The board asked her to schedule the meeting on January 31st at the Senior Center in Moro. The meeting will begin at 10:00am and Joli will check on the possibility of having a no-host lunch there. Pictures of terraces and wascbs will be shown. The board would like to invite Greg Card from NRCS. Two completion reports for OWEB grants have been submitted. Direct Seed Incentive (203-067) treated 1,072 acres for $28,365. Sherman County Conservation Work (204-142) completed 7 rangeland wascbs, 12 cropland wascbs and 11,042 feet of terrace for $25,162.
• Small Grants Update: Nothing to report.
• Lower John Day: Krista handed out minutes of the LAC meeting, the proposed revision erosion section of the plan, and the draft copy of the biennial review. Tom Straughan would like to have any comments back to him as soon as possible. One change that will be requested is that the SWCD be included in the highlighted section of the proposed revisions so that it would read “ODA will work with the SWCD, NRCS and the landowner to modify the plan to comply with the waste rule”.
• Lower Deschutes Update: Nothing new to report.
• Annual Meeting: The Annual Meeting will be held on Tuesday February 13th, 5:00 pm, at the Senior Center in Moro. Rod McGuire will be asked to cater. Beer and wine will be sold during the social hour prior to dinner which will be at 6:00pm. Brian is talking with Mike McArthur about getting Greg Wolf, Executive Director for the National Policy Consensus Center, to be the speaker.
• 4-Wheel Drive Vehicle: A motion was made by Tracy and seconded by Brad to have Brian shop for a ½ ton pickup with no more than 75,000 miles and costing no more than $6000. Brian will bring the information back to the board for a final decision. Motion carried unanimously.
• Conservation Awards: Brian developed draft guidelines for the award. The consensus was that the draft looked good, but the board decided to table further discussion until the next meeting.
• Oath of Office: Tracy, Bill, and Kyle were sworn in for their new terms as directors.
• Budget Planning: Brian presented the time-line for budget requirements. A budget committee needs to be formed now. There may be as many as five members selected from the community (registered voters) and the District board on the committee.
• Review Audit: Copies of the review audit were handed out.
• Yield Monitor Grant: The board reviewed the rough draft of the Conservation Innovation Grant that Merlin Berg had developed for the yield monitor grant. Joli, Kristie and the district staff will complete the grant and the budget. A focus group meeting will be held on January 11th at 9:00am here at the office.
• External Hard Drive for Laptop: Jason requested permission to purchase a hard drive for the lap top which will allow the District to keep project photos organized. Cost would be $100 to $150. The NRCS CCE computers will not allow use of the photo program that we have been using. The board concurred that Jason can make the purchase.
• NRCS: Kristie would like to schedule the next Local Work Group meeting for May or June 2007. She hopes to know how much funding will be available for Contribution agreements by the February meeting. It could possibly be as low as $20,000. EQIP funding available should be around $185,000. Kristie’s activity report is attached to these minutes.
• OSU Extension: Sandy reported that the Experiment Station is planning a field day for the long term plots this spring. They currently have 7 planting systems. They are also planning a celebration because the Endowment Fund has exceeded 1 million dollars. Sandy will present a final report on the SARE Grant (Jill Clapperton workshop) at the next SWCD meeting.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for December 12, 2006

• Watershed Updates
  South Sherman Watershed (Buck Hollow/Macks Canyon): All monitoring reports are up to date. A council meeting will be held on December 14th at 2:00pm in Brian Stradley’s shop.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: All monitoring reports are up to date. A council meeting will be held December 13th, 2:00pm at the Kent Church.
  Grass Valley: The Watershed Assessment is back from the printer. A council meeting will be held on December 14th, 10:00am at South Sherman Elementary. All monitoring reports are up to date.
  North Sherman: A council meeting is scheduled for December 13th, 10:00am at the Wasco Church of Christ. All monitoring reports are up to date.
• Grants Update: Final reports for OWEB grants 203-067 and 204-142 will be completed before the next meeting. Two grants were submitted this month. One was the Council Support Grant and a Weed Management grant.
• Small Grants Update: Four Small grants were reviewed and approved for funding.
• Lower John Day: The Lower John Day LAC met on Dec. 11th at the Senior Center in Moro for the Biennial Review of the Ag Water Quality Management Area Plan. There were some proposed changes which will be distributed to LAC members for review because there was not a quorum present at the meeting. The LAC decided to meet once a year to discuss concerns and accomplishments. Stephanie Page, ODA, reported on the number of investigations done by ODA last year.
• Lower Deschutes Update: The Lower Deschutes LAC met for the review of the Ag Water Quality Management Area Plan. Ellen Hammond reported that some changes will be sent out for landowner review. That LAC also decided to meet once a year.
• Conservation Awards: The board agreed that they need to develop guidelines (1 page or less). Brian and Gary will develop some draft guidelines by the January meeting.
• Directors Oath of Office: Kyle, Bill and Tracy were sworn in for their new term of office.
• Election of Officers: A motion was made by Gary and seconded by Kyle to retain the same slate of officers. Motion carried unanimously. They are as follows: Bill Martin, Chair; Kyle Blagg, Vice Chair; Brad Eakin, Secretary; and Tracy Fields, Treasurer.
• Budget Planning: Brian reported that Dick Stradley is helping him put together a packet of information about the budget process. He should have that for us by the next meeting. Krista will also be getting information from ODA.
• Annual Meeting: The annual meeting will be held at noon on Feb. 13th at the Senior Center in Moro. The board would like to ask Rod McGuire to cater if it could be for $12 per person or less. Krista will check with him. Possible areas of interest for a speaker were: Alternative crops, Cultural Resources, or Herbicide applications and determining the economic threshold.
• Need for 4-Wheel Drive: NRCS will not be replacing the blue Ford. There will probably only be one pick up available for the District and Kristie to use. Brian will check on government surplus. Stephanie said that she will get him the information for the web site. It would be beneficial to try to get a vehicle by next spring.
• Training for Brian: Brian requested that he be allowed to attend a Special Districts of Oregon (SDAO) conference from Feb. 8-11 in Corvallis. The subject of the conference is Worker’s Compensation rules and procedures. The cost is $130. The board approved Brian’s request to attend.
• NRCS: The NRCS report is attached. Jessa reported on the Workshop that was held. Forty people attended. It was quite successful, but would be better to plan for all day so there would be more time for speakers and questions. The workshop was sponsored by Wy’east RC&D and the Sherman County SWCD.
• FSA: Kevin reported that Tim Jefferies has been elected to the South County position on the County Committee. Stuart vonBorstel will serve as alternate. Kevin will have a draft MOU between FSA, NRCS and the SWCD for the board to review at the January meeting. The ECP practices are being completed with the help of SWCD technicians, Jason & Brian.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for November 21, 2006

• Watershed Updates
  South Sherman Watershed (Buck Hollow/Macks Canyon): The first meeting of the watershed council will be held on Thursday, December 14th at 3:00pm in Brian Stradley’s shop.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: The council will meet on Monday, December 11th at 10:00am in the Kent Church. OWEB grant 204-142 projects must be completed by December 31st. Landowners have been notified that their projects must be completed.
  Grass Valley: The council has not set a meeting date yet. The assessment document has been sent to the ESD office in Condon for printing. Twenty copies were ordered at a cost of approximately $20 per copy. They should be completed in two weeks. A fund request was submitted to OWEB for “Lower Grass Valley Canyon Creek Technical Assistance”. A “Weed Management” grant is being prepared for submission to the Oregon Weed Board.
  North Sherman: The council meeting is tentatively scheduled for the afternoon of December 11th. OWEB grant 203-067 must be completed by December 31st. All information has been collected and a final report will be completed as soon as possible. OWEB grant 206-336 information has been received from project participants and the first payment request has been sent to OWEB.
• Grants Update: A request for “Sherman Development League Emergency Assistance” funds was submitted. Joli is currently working on the OWEB Council Support grant request.
• Small Grants Update: Joli reported that OWEB is allowing Small Grant Teams to re-grant funds that are not spent from completed small grants. This means that there is still $10,441 left to be allocated for grants in the County. The board reviewed and approved one request for funding.
• Lower John Day & Lower Deschutes Update: Biennial reviews have been scheduled for both areas. The Lower Deschutes meeting is scheduled to be held at The Dalles Service Center on November 27th at 9:00am. Jason will be reporting implementation progress. The Lower John Day meeting is scheduled at the Senior Center in Moro on Monday December 11th at 1:00pm.
• OWEB Conference: Brad, Joli and Brian attended the conference. They reported that there was a lot of concern in many parts of the state that OWEB is focusing too much on the riparian areas. They thought it was a good conference.
• OACD Annual Meeting: Gary, Brian, Jessa, Krista, Jason and Kristie attended. Gary suggested setting up a Deschutes/Hood River Basin meeting in order to discuss the structure of OACD. He and Krista will follow up on this proposal.
• Conservation Awards: The board discussed restoring the Conservation Farm of the Year award. It was agreed that this should be done. Further discussion will be held at the December meeting.
• Budget Planning: A budget committee will need to be formed soon. Krista will check with the Dept. of Revenue and the County Clerk to see what things need to be done. She will develop a time-line for the board. Sandy suggested involving the County Budget Committee as much as possible. He also thought it would be beneficial for the committee to include someone from Kent and Rufus since those were the areas where the measure failed.
• Residue measuring service: The Conservation Security Program requires records of residue measurements. Because of this, there may be a lot more requests for District employees to do the measurements. The District currently charges $20 per hour for Krista to measure residue for landowners. The board would like to encourage landowners to get a neighbor to do their measurements, or to contract someone other than a District employee.
• Trees: The District will be ordering trees from Lawyer Nursery, but only by the bundle so that sorting time is kept to a minimum.
• GIS Support for County: The County currently contracts out most of their GIS work. Brian asked for the board’s permission to research the possibility of the district contracting to do some or all of their mapping. The board told Brian to research it and get back to them at the December meeting.
• Trainings for Jessa: Jessa has been accepted for the NRCS planner training. The board approved sending her. She also requested permission to attend a Stream Restoration Design training being held at Skamania Lodge. She applied for a scholarship which would pay her registration & meals. The board agreed that she could attend the training if she receives the scholarship, arranges to stay some place less expensive, and her workload here at the office allows time.
• NRCS: Kristie’s report is attached to these minutes. NRCS will be billing the district quarterly for the postage meter usage. A Wheat Growers & Livestock Producers Ag Day Workshop will be held on Dec. 5th from 8 to 12 at the Sherman County Senior Center.
• OSU Extension: Sandy reported that there will be a Pesticide Core Class on December 1st at the Parish Hall in Wasco. It will begin at 8:30am. No applications for the Undercutter Grant have been received from Sherman County landowners. He asked the board to encourage any one who is interested to contact him as soon as possible.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for October 10, 2006

• Watershed Updates
  South Sherman Watershed (Buck Hollow/Macks Canyon): A council meeting will be scheduled for early November.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: A grant request for a Watershed Assessment has been submitted to OWEB. An OWEB application for Livestock Management Practices for Improved Riparian Ecosystems has also been submitted. A council meeting will be scheduled for early November.
  Grass Valley: A Technical Assistance grant is being prepared for OWEB. The project title is “Lower Grass Valley Canyon Creek Technical Assistance”. There is a project in this watershed included in the Livestock Management grant. A council meeting will be scheduled for early November. Assessment Update – The copies sent out for review have not been received back at this time. Brian will contact readers about getting their comments in.
  North Sherman: Joli is doing monitoring on direct seed acres. A fund request for OWEB grant 203-067 has been sent. A council meeting will be scheduled for early November.
• Grants Update: Monitoring reports for all OWEB grants are up to date. An application for emergency funding is being developed for submission to the Sherman County Development League.
  The board is still very concerned with the responses of the OWEB review team to our grant requests. There appears to be a lack of support for practices that are most commonly requested by our producers. These practices are recommended by NRCS and have proven effective for producers. Jeff Goebel, NRCS Deschutes Basin Team Leader, visited with the board on October 6th and suggested that we encourage producers to set a “high bar” for conservation. After discussion of this suggestion, the board concurred that the Sherman County producers and the Conservation District have always set the “high bar” for conservation. Practices that they are using or have used in the past 56 years have been targeted toward both sustainable farms and healthy resources. The board agreed that challenging people to obtain a “vision” is not accomplished by removing funding. Therefore the board will work harder at addressing questions and information gaps with the OWEB review team and will continue to submit grants requesting cost share for practices that our local producers are requesting.
• Small Grants Update: There is $5,566 left in the 05-07 Biennium funding. There are 3 projects currently left on the waiting list so the funds will be used completely. The next funds will become available in July 2007.
• Lower John Day Update: The Lower John Day Ag. Water Quality Management Area Plan is due for biennial review this winter. Krista will be working with the Gilliam County SWCD to set up a meeting in December.
• Conservation District Signs: The entering Sherman County SWCD signs should be completed by Pat Jacobsen some time this week.
• Tax Base: It was reported that a political action committee has been formed. They are working on “yard” signs and vehicle window signs. They reported that they are also planning to get an article in to the Condon paper, The Dalles paper and on Sherry Kasebergs’ web newsletter.
• OACD Annual Meeting: Gary, Tracy, Jason, Jessa, Joli and Krista will be attending for the District. Kristie will be attending for NRCS.
• OWEB Biennial Conference: The conference will be in Seaside October 25-27th. Joli, Brian and Brad plan to attend.
• Landowner vs. Contractor Billings: In recent months there have been landowners who are doing their own construction work for practices being cost shared by grants. There have been charges submitted at the contractor rate which is higher than what landowners are allowed by the District practices cost list. A motion was made by Tracy and seconded by Brad stating that the policy that must be followed is as follows; “contractors must submit proof of bonding and their contractor license number must appear on invoices in order to bill at a contractor rate”. Motion carried unanimously.
• NRCS: Kristie reported that a tentative date of December 6th has been set for an Ag. Workshop in Sherman County. She will be giving Joli information about it for the newsletter. She reported that there has been 9 EQIP applications submitted and she is really hoping that more producers will apply. A meeting will be held on November 1st to discuss a grant which could fund yield monitors for a few producers. This information will be out soon. NRCS state office has let Kristie know that there will only be two vehicles provided for the Moro field office. One of the vehicles will be for Mary Beth’s use. Kristie will work with the district employees to schedule use of the other vehicle to keep the hardship to the district to a minimum.
• OSU Extension: Sandy reported that the annual Wheat Growers League meeting is coming up. He asked Joli to check with him for information that he would like to have included in our newsletter. Gary asked Sandy and Tracy for information about the classification of Canada Thistle in the County. He expressed concern about a very large patch that is not being treated. He will contact Rod Asher about the problem.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for September 12, 2006

• Watershed Updates
  Buck Hollow/Macks Canyon: Several landowners from the combined watershed area attended a Conservation After Hours meeting. They all expressed interest in combining the area which drains into the Deschutes River in to one watershed council. Joli will be scheduling a meeting for them in October. A monitoring report for Macks Canyon OWEB grant 99-279 was completed.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: Linnea Holmes has been assisting Joli with monitoring reports for OWEB grants 99-013 and 203-068. The BPA funding request has not been approved at this time, and reports indicate that it will not be funded.
  Grass Valley: OWEB grant 204-227 has been completed. The grant completed 23 cropland and 3 rangeland water/sediment control basins, 6,712 feet of level terraces, 13,987 feet of reconstructed gradient terraces and 2 spring developments. Assessment – The draft is being reviewed by board members and several landowners in the watershed.
  North Sherman: Joli is collecting the final monitoring for direct seed OWEB grant 203-067. Final payments for this grant will be made as soon as all data is received. Monitoring is being conducted this month for the new direct seed OWEB grant 206-336. First payments will be made in November.
• Grants Update: The OWEB application that was submitted in April 2006 was recommended for funding with conditions, but there may not be enough funding to cover it because it was ranked 12th of 12. The board reviewed the regional review team comments and discussed the best course of action to be taken. OWEB has become almost totally riparian focused. The OWEB staff suggested that they talk with applicants and review teams about the upland practices (terraces and sediment basins) that they are reluctant to fund. Jeff Goebel suggested that the board apply for funding for the type of projects that OWEB is currently funding. It was pointed out that the landowners and the district are focusing large amounts of time to the CREP program. With all of the miles of CREP going in to riparian areas there is really very little that can be applied for in those areas. Sandy suggested that we apply to the Ford or Gates Foundation. Also suggested was asking Merlin Berg of Wy’east RC&D to search his funding source data base for an organization that would be willing to fund upland practices that are being requested by landowners. District staff will compile more information to present to the OWEB staff about the practices that our landowners are applying for.
  Grant applications for the October OWEB deadline are being prepared for Range Management (Solar/Wind Hybrid pump systems), Pine Hollow/Jackknife Assessment, and Grass Valley Technical Assistance. Grant applications that may be submitted to other funding agencies are for upland conservation practices and Gerking Canyon Technical Assistance. A fund request is also being prepared for the Sherman County Development League.
• Small Grants Update: There is $5,566 left in the 05-07 Biennium funding. There are 3 projects currently left on the waiting list so the funds will be used completely. The next funds will become available in July 2007.
• Lower John Day Update: The BPA funding for technical assistance which partially funds Jason, Jessa, Joli and Brian is currently expected to continue until April 30, 2007. The final decision on continuing the funding has not been made.
• Lower Deschutes Update: The Deschutes Resource Conservancy has an opening on their board of directors. Gary has expressed interest in filling this position. He and Brian will be communicating with DRC.
• Conservation District Signs: The applications for placement of five signs along the state roads has been approved. Signs will be made by Pat Jacobsen of Manifest Signs & Tokens.
• Conservation After Hours Meetings: Six meetings were held with a total of 51 landowners attending. Those attending asked that more meetings of this kind be held and several signed up to have them on their property. It was suggested that they be planned for late winter or early spring. Discussion will continue at the October meeting.
• Tax Base: The board discussed what the high priority things are in order to get the word out about the tax measure. The Political Action Committee is being started by Tom McCoy. Board members volunteered to attend city council meetings and will also be attending fire and health district meeting.
• Review Audit: A motion was made by Tracy and seconded by Gary to contract with Russell & Associates to do the 2006-2007 District audit. Motion carried.
• OACD Annual Meeting: At least one director should attend in order to represent the county at the board meeting. This will be discussed at the October meeting.
• NRCS: EQIP sign ups end on November 30, 2006. Spot checks on HEL lands will be done in mid-October. Final deadline for reporting all CSP enhancements is Sept. 15h and CRP contracts by Sept. 20. Shannon Esterman and Stephen Riese will be assisting Kristie with meeting these deadlines. The fund request for the District Contribution agreement funding has been sent. Jason and Brian will be assisting FSA with design and inspection of structures funded by ECP. The soil survey in Wheeler County has been made a top priority by NRCS in Oregon. It should be completed by 2008. At that time the Lower John Day Watershed will become eligible for the Conservation Security Program. NRCS is requiring all district employees to submit information for a security check in order to be on the computer system. Employees are required to allow a credit check as part of the security check. They are letting OACD know that they think a credit check is excessive. The board may also be asked to participate in the security checks at some point because they have access to plans and possibly computers.
• FSA: Kevin reported that the CRP reenrollment is nearly completed. Elections for the South County committee representative will be held in December. Candidates are Stuart vonBorstel and Tim Jeffries.
• OSU Extension: Sandy presented information on a grant funded through the Washington Assoc. of Wheat Growers for purchase cost of the new Undercutter that is being used for reduced tillage. The grant allows a 50% cost share. There are only funds for 50 participants. Applications are available through extension or NRCS.
• Wy'East RC&D: Funding is available for workshops in Sherman County. Jessa asked the board for ideas for subjects to be addressed. The suggested Residue Measuring for record keeping, potentials for bio-fuels, information about orchards and vineyards, and information about precision farming. Staff will work on putting together a workshop to be held this fall.

No Board Meetings Held in July or August.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for June 13, 2006

• Watershed Updates
  Buck Hollow/Macks Canyon: Macks Canyon OWEB 99-279 3rd year monitoring report is nearly completed. Joli will talk with landowners about combining Macks and Buck Hollow watersheds info one council during “Conservation After Hours” meetings.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: Monitoring reports are being done on 2 OWEB grants. Linnea is assisting Joli with the reports. The temperature monitoring gauges were sent off for upgrades. They will be launched as soon as they are returned.
  Grass Valley: OWEB grant 203-178 has been completed. The final report has been sent. Thirteen water and sediment control basins and 64,172 feet of terrace were completed utilizing funds from this grant. Assessment-Jeff reported that Jason is working on proof-reading and Brian has been assisting him on completing the landowner project maps.
  North Sherman: Direct seed monitoring data is being collected for OWEB grant 206-336.
• Grants Update: OWEB grant 204-227 must be completed by June 30, 2006. Landowners have been notified.
• Small Grants Update: Small grant applications were reviewed and approved for funding. A motion was made by Kyle and seconded by Brad to combine the remaining funds in the Lower Deschutes and the Lower John Day in order to fund applications. Motion carried unanimously.
• Lower John Day Update: The BPA Technical Assistance grant and the Pine Hollow/Jackknife BPA grant were not recommended for funding by the Oregon Sub-basin Plan Implementation Team (OSPIT). Jason is following up with several of the BPA contacts to see if we can lobby for approval on the grants. The final decision will be made by July 15th. The only technical assistance grant that was recommended for funding was in the Deschutes sub-basin. We were assured that our grants would be considered on a regional basis, but this does not appear to be how it was done. Perhaps if we had requested that our application be ranked in the Deschutes Sub-basin it could have been funded. Jason will follow up on this concern.
• Lower Deschutes Update: Nothing new to report.
• Local Work Group Meeting: A local work group meeting needs to be held before the end of September. The date will be set as soon as possible.
• 2007 Annual Work Plan & Workload Analysis: A motion was made by Brad and seconded by Kyle to give Tracy the authority to do the final review and approval of the 2007 Annual Work Plan, Workload Analysis, and ODA Statement of work and budget. Motion carried unanimously.
• Conservation District Signs: Jessa is working on designs and price quotes with Pat Jacobsen of Manifest Signs & Tokens. The district would like to put up an office door sign, a sign on the outside of the building, a “Brand Board” at the fair, and five signs at the entrances to the County.
• "Conservation After Hours": The first “After Hours” will be held at Gary Irzyk’s on Thursday evening. A public “After Hours” has been set for June 22nd at 7 PM at the Senior Center in Moro.
• Director Election: Packets will be given to Bill, Kyle and Tracy. Krista has sent the Notice of Election to The Dalles Chronicle.
• Postage Meter: The District was notified by FSA that we will no longer be able to use the USDA postal meter as of June 30th. Krista will research ways to replace that service, either by internet postage or renting our own postage meter.
• NRCS: Kristie reported that seventeen CRP applications for reenrollment have been received. She discussed the EQIP program progress. The “Conservation After Hours” planning and goals were discussed. Bill will be setting a time to meet at his shop after harvest so that CSP enhancements can be discussed. Jessa reported that approximately 8062 acres has been put in to the CREP and CCRP programs since 2000 bringing $488,920 in to the county annually.
• FSA: Kevin reported that the FSA newsletter will be coming out very soon. The County Committee position for the south part of the county is coming up for election. A nomination form is included in the newsletter. ECP sign ups are still open. He also reported that the national office stated that any stream with seasonal flow is eligible for CREP.
• Sherman County Court: Steve reported that the County Road department had applied for FEMA funding to repair storm damaged roads. He also brought the board up to date on the possibility of Azure Standard Farms putting a distribution center in Moro. He asked the District to contact the landowner above the proposed building to talk about some additional terraces and/or water & sediment control basins.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for May 9, 2006

• Watershed Updates
  Buck Hollow: Brian completed the monitoring photos that Ron Graves had requested. We will be reimbursed for the time and travel.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: An extension until December 31, 2006 was received for OWEB grant 204-142. This grant is also cost shared with BPA funds.
  Grass Valley: Jeff handed out a map showing the overview of projects that were reported for the assessment. He was asked to add the residue management to the map.
  Macks Canyon: No projects are currently being implemented.
  North Sherman: Projects are being done using both OWEB and EQIP funds.
• Grants Update: Two large OWEB grants (203-178 & 204-227) have to be completed by June 30, 2006. The Direct Seed Incentive grant (OWEB 206-336) agreement has been signed and landowners notified. Field visits and monitoring will begin this Fall. The spring grant for OWEB was delivered to Salem by Jason. The grant involves 22 landowners on 37 project sites. Total project cost estimate is $306,763 with $229,734 being requested from OWEB.
• Small Grants Update: The committee reviewed one small grant request for the Lower John Day for terraces. The request was approved. A request for Brush Control in the Lower Deschutes was also approved.
• Lower John Day Update: Jason attended the Sub Basin meetings where the project proposals were prioritized. Our Pine Hollow request was ranked 16th out of 17. The Technician (buffer) grant was ranked in a three way tie for 9th. Jason proposed that an alternate request for Technician funding be offered asking for less money. Gary moved and Brad seconded a motion to allow staff to revise the Technician budget and request a smaller amount if possible from BPA. Motion carried.
• Lower Deschutes Update: Jason attended the Sub Basin meeting even though both of our project proposals were ranked in the John Day basin. The ranking process was similar, but the decision was made to present all eight proposals as top priority.
• Tax Base for the District: The board gave the staff permission to begin getting signs for the county lines, front of the building, office door and possibly the tree plot to make the public more familiar with the district name. Gary asked Krista to get the board and staff information about what is allowed for promoting the tax base.
• June Meeting: The regular June meeting will be held at 8:30 AM on June 13th. Gary and Krista will make plans for the Oyster and Steak Feed to be held at the fair grounds at 5:30 PM on June 13th.
• Annual Work Plan/Workload Analysis for 2007: Krista handed out the draft 2007 Work Plan for the board to review. She asked for comments before the next meeting so that the final draft can be approved. The Workload Analysis will be presented at the June meeting. The Business Plan was also updated.
• OACD Big Board Meeting: Jason participated in the Communication Committee meeting because he maintains the OACD web site. Since Gary was unable to attend the board meeting, Jason stayed for the Saturday session. The board developed several priority issues that will be worked on by committees between now and the November OACD conference. The main concern is legislative activity. Jason stressed how important he felt it was that board members attend these OACD meetings. Bill suggested that members take turns attending. Conference attendance will be discussed at the September meeting.
• Job Approval: Brian and Kristie will work on getting Brian’s job approval authority reinstated. The board is sending a letter of request to the state office.
• Employee Insurance: Brian researched options for insurance that will keep employees within the budget limits. He recommended a policy that will keep the rate down to a $10 per month increase in premium. A motion was made by Tracy and seconded by Kyle to have the employees switch to that policy unless they can find a comparable policy for less. Motion carried.
• Fair Display: Plans are being made to have a booth at the fair that will highlight accomplishments of the District in order to promote the tax measure. An interactive “farm” display is also in the planning stages.
• NRCS: Kristie presented the Operational Agreement. The board agreed to sign it. The Lower Deschutes will be recommended for the next CSP selection. Kristie encouraged the board to have several small meetings, possibly in some shops, in order to get information out to landowners. The board agreed and Gary offered his shop as a meeting spot.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for April 11, 2006

• Watershed Updates
  Buck Hollow: One Macks Canyon landowner requested that the District try again to get a Buck Hollow/Macks Canyon watershed council formed.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: The annual REDD count that was scheduled for today had to be postponed because of the wet conditions.
  Grass Valley: Jeff handed out a list of questions and concerns that he has received from people who have proof read the assessment. He addressed each of the concerns. The board asked Jeff to omit the Deschutes watershed portion of the Grass Valley Canyon Watershed Council boundary. That area will be included in a future assessment on the Deschutes side. Jeff predicts that he will be finished digitizing maps by the end of this week. Jason volunteered himself and Joli to help Jeff use the inventory data in the assessment. Jeff hopes to have the revised draft ready for another review in ten days.
  Macks Canyon: Nothing new to report.
  North Sherman: Projects are being implemented.
• Grants Update: There are three large OWEB grants that must be completed by June 30th. Landowners involved have been contacted. The new Direct Seed Incentive grant was approved for funding, but contracts have not been received yet. Joli is planning to resubmit a grant request for the Solar/Wind Hybrid Off-stream Watering grant in the Fall OWEB cycle. She is currently working on two OWEB grant applications. After some discussion, a motion was made by Kyle and seconded by Gary to include all of the requests for projects in one grant application. They felt that it was more straight forward and would cause less concern to the review team if only one grant is submitted. Motion carried. Mary Beth suggested checking with FSA to see if the Emergency Conservation Program funds ($38,477) could help with some of the winter weather damage.
• Small Grants Update: Joli had prepared packets for the members to review and vote on. They discussed the grants, marked their vote for “fund” or “do not fund” and left them for Joli.
• Lower John Day Update: Jason will be attending a BPA Sub Basin prioritization meeting in John Day this Thursday and Friday.
• Lower Deschutes Update: The BPA Sub Basin project prioritization meeting will be coming up soon. The board asked that Joli, Krista or Jason plan to attend.
• Wheeler County Soil Survey: Gary Thompson sent a request for $1.2 million in Federal appropriations for the completion of the Wheeler County Soil Survey. He may want a letter of support from the board later.
• County Budget Meeting: Krista and Gary attended the County budget hearing this afternoon. The District is requesting $5000. The County Budget committee indicated that the amount will probably be approved.
• Tax Base for the District: Gary and Krista discussed the proposed tax base with the County budget committee. The feedback was very positive. It was suggested that the District should try for a much larger rate. A motion was made by Brad and seconded by Kyle to try for a rate of $0.26 per $1,000 on the November ballot. Motion carried. The board asked Krista to check with the county to find out how the loss of funds will impact the County funds specifically by department. The staff was asked to develop informational packets to be presented to city councils as soon as possible.
• NRCS: This is Mary Beth’s last SWCD meeting as District Conservationist. She thanked the board for all of the time and effort the put in to their jobs as directors.
• OWRD: Joel Clark, Water Master from Condon introduced himself and described his job.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for March 14, 2006

• Watershed Updates
  Buck Hollow: Ron Graves has requested assistance with monitoring photos. Joli and Jason are willing to assist, but they are very busy at this time. They will contact Ron about locations and time frame.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: Grazing plans for OWEB grant 206-123 were completed so fund requests should be filled soon.
  Grass Valley: Jeff handed out “nearly” completed copies of the assessment. He is hoping to have the portion that will go out to agencies for review completed by Thursday. He will be sending it to ODFW, NRCS, Extension Service and OWEB.
  Macks Canyon: Nothing new to report.
  North Sherman: The third year monitoring report for OWEB grant 99-552 was sent in.
• Grants Update: Joli reported that three large OWEB grants have a completion date of June 30, 2006. Participants have all been notified and work is being done this spring to complete as many projects as possible. Reminders have been sent out to all individuals who still have OWEB funding available. Joli plans to keep every participant updated regarding their projects every six months. The OWEB evaluation of the most recent grant applications was received. The North Sherman/Grass Valley Direct Seed Incentive grant was recommended for funding at 4th out of 11 with the suggestion that fiscal administration be reduced by 50%. This would put admin at 5% of the total grant which the board felt was not reasonable. Joli will contact Rick Craiger about it. The Solar/Wind Hybrid Off-Stream Water Development grant was not recommended for funding. The comments indicated that the review team would have liked to have grazing plan information included in the application. Joli will discuss reapplying for the project with the producers involved. One of Wasco County SWCD’s fund requests for sediment basins was turned down by the OWEB review team. This caused a lot of concern to the Board. They feel that the OWEB review team is not aware of the value of sediment basins and terraces in this part of the state. More efforts need to be made to market the advantages and needs for these practices. The board asked Joli to request letters of support from the watershed councils in the county that would go out to OWEB and the review team members.
• Small Grants Update: Joli and Jason are working with several landowners on small grant proposals. There are 17 landowners on the list. Joli completed one two year monitoring report and sent off one fund request. There was one contract that had to be canceled.
• Lower John Day Update: The BPA Sub Basin planning group will be meeting to prioritize projects on April 26th. Jason had received correspondence saying that several of the committee members would like to meet earlier. Jason will attend the meetings.
• Lower Deschutes Update: The project prioritization for the Deschutes Sub Basin is also happening soon. Mary Beth had received a notice from Patricia Gainsforth saying that the meeting will be March 29th in Madras. Our BPA applications will both be reviewed in the John Day Sub Basin so attendance at the Deschutes meeting is optional.
• Tax Base for the District: It is the consensus of the entire board that the SWCD needs to seek a permanent tax base. A budgeting and planning meeting will be held on Tuesday March 21st at 7:00 PM. The board would like to get the measure on the November 2006 election ballot.
• OACD/ODA Meeting: Gary, Joli and Krista attended the meeting in Maupin. Gary was appointed to serve as the Deschutes/Hood River Basin Chair. He agreed to serve in the position temporarily. He discussed the proposed reorganization of OACD. There will be a meeting in Bend on May 6th for delegates from each District. The OACD board would like each District to select a delegate and an alternate to attend the meeting of the “big or full” board. At this time the board agreed that they would like Gary to serve as the delegate. ODA presented the back ground and process for Operational Reviews that will be conducted in all Conservation Districts. OACD Chair John McDonald presented the new Personnel Handbook for Directors and District Managers.
• Wheeler County Soil Survey: Gary Thompson sent off a request for funding to complete the soil survey in Wheeler County so that the John Day Watershed can be considered for the Conservation Security Program. Krista will get more information from Gary to report to the board.
• NRCS: Mary Beth reported that there are 7 EQIP contracts in the county for a total of $173,882. She attended a Master Planner meeting where Bob Graham talked about the importance of precision farming and also discussed the new self assessment tools that are available for producers. The application period for the District Conservationist position here in Moro closes on March 21st.
• OSU Extension: Sandy reported that the Shaping Sherman Development League will have grant funding available soon. They are currently working on the application form. Sandy will keep the board updated.
• Sherman County Court: Steve Burnet, County Commissioner, had asked if the SWCD would share a graduate student on a half time basis which would cost the district approximately $17,000. The board would like more information from Steve.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for February 14, 2006

• Watershed Updates
  Buck Hollow: A watershed council meeting was scheduled for February 8th in Grass Valley. Only one landowner attended the meeting. He is from the Macks Canyon watershed. The board discussed how to get the information out to the landowners so that they attend future meetings. Sandy suggested setting up one or two meetings in someone’s shop.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: A watershed council meeting was held in Kent on February 9th. The council adopted a new Action Plan. OWEB funding opportunities were discussed. Jason reported on the recent meeting of the Lower John Day Ag. Water Quality local advisory committee.
  Grass Valley: The watershed council met on February 7th. OWEB funding opportunities were discussed. Jason reported on the recent meeting of the Lower John Day Ag. Water Quality local advisory committee. Jeff reported that he will have copies of the Grass Valley Watershed Assessment for the board at the Annual Meeting. He received ten more maps after the council meeting. The council formed a committee to do review and proof reading of the assessment. The board asked that Jeff set a time limit for return of revisions. They also want him to get the draft out to the partnering agencies for review as soon as possible and to set up arrangements for printing. Jeff will be digitizing maps while the drafts are out for review.
  Macks Canyon: Nothing new to report.
  North Sherman: A watershed council meeting was held in Wasco on February 6th. The council adopted a new Action Plan. OWEB funding opportunities were discussed. Jason reported on the recent meeting of the Lower John Day Ag. Water Quality local advisory committee.
• Grants Update: Joli reported that BPA will be prioritizing project requests. The dates for the local groups to meet are April 25th in Madras for the Deschutes Subbasin and April 26th in Condon for the John Day Subbasin. Staff will need to attend either one or both of these meetings depending on how our Technical Assistance proposal is handled. Final project funding recommendations will be done in October. The next deadline for OWEB grant proposals is April 24th, so landowners have been asked to get requests for project funding in to Joli by March 10th.
• Small Grants Update: There has been no activity this month in the Lower Deschutes. Two projects in the Lower John Day must be completed by March 1st or funding will be lost. The overall balance of remaining funds is $52,489 with $25,070 of it available in the Lower Deschutes and $27,419 in the Lower John Day.
• Lower John Day Update: The Lower John Day Ag. Water Quality Local Advisory Committee met in Condon on January 30th. The next meeting will be held in September this year to prepare for the Biennial Review that will be completed by December 2006.
• Lower Deschutes Update: Nothing new to report.
• Recent Runoff Event: Landowners have been requesting assistance for damage caused by the recent unusual weather event. Damage to existing structures caused by the weather event, no matter what the age of the structure, are eligible for cost share assistance from the district and/or EQIP. Staff will prioritize the work and evaluate whether damage was a storm or maintenance issue. Kevin said that FSA will be requesting ECP funds for repair work. They have talked about requesting $15 to $20 thousand, but the District felt that there would be a need for at least $25,000. Joli will contact landowners to let them know that cost share funding will be sought for storm damage.
• Annual Meeting: The proposed agenda for the Annual Meeting was reviewed. Kevin agreed to give an update from the Farm Service Agency. Mary Beth will give an NRCS update. The board discussed what questions they will have for Bob Graham. Krista will finalize the agenda and get a copy to Bill.
• Tax Base for the District: The board would like to push for getting the tax base on the November 7, 2006 ballot. Jason will check on election costs and check with Dick Stradley about recommendation for excluding or including the cities in the taxing district. We will try to get Larry Ojua and Dick Stradley to attend our March meeting. There is a Local Budget Law Workshop on March 1st in Rufus that should be attended by the District.
• State Mileage Reimbursement: A motion was made by Tracy and seconded by Brad to lower the mileage rate from $0.485 to $0.445 as directed by the state. Motion carried.
• NRCS: The NRCS Contribution agreement for this year is $31,020. This is substantially more than we had planned on earlier. Mary Beth, Sandy and Dusty Eddy put on an Integrated Pest Management & Conservation Security Program workshop in Moro. EQIP funding has been secured for 5 contracts. Mary Beth is trying to get more of the basin funding so that 8 or 9 additional contracts could be funded. Mary Beth also announced that she will now be serving as Basin Resource Conservationist. She will be serving as acting District Conservation here until another person is hired. She will continue to be based in this office.
• FSA: Kevin revisited the last newsletter information. He agreed to report on the CRP extensions at the Annual Meeting. There will be a fee charged for the CRP spot checks that are required for reenrollment. If enough acres drop out of CRP there will be another sign up available to Sherman County. The county has received a drought declaration for 2005.
• OSU Extension: Sandy reported that a Range & Livestock workshop will be held in The Dalles on February 28th. There is a Bio Fuels Seminar on February 21st in Pendleton.
• Sherman County Court: Steve Burnet reported that the new trash racks in Gerking Canyon worked well in the recent storm event. The County and the city of Rufus have cleaned out the debris. He also said that the County has applied for $100,000 for emergency road repairs caused by the recent storm.
• BLM: Carrie said that she would be glad to supply us with new maps if we need them. She can always supply us with range condition information.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for January 10, 2006

• Watershed Updates
  Buck Hollow: Sandy Macnab took pictures at the mouth of Buck Hollow during the recent run-off event. He said that it was running very clear when it entered the Deschutes River. Jessa reported that there will be approximately 7 miles of CREP going in to the Buck Hollow watershed. Joli will be planning a meeting of land owners in the Buck Hollow and Macks Canyon watersheds to discuss forming a Watershed Council.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: A Council meeting will be organized in late January or early February. Landowners have turned in requests for projects for the BPA grant application. Joli will send that application off today.
  Grass Valley: Jason reported for Jeff that the draft assessment is nearly finished. It should be ready for review by the end of next week. Jeff has still only received about 50% of the maps. The board asked that the next newsletter include another request for the maps. A watershed council meeting will be held in late January or early February.
  Macks Canyon: Joli will be planning a meeting for landowners in the Buck Hollow and Macks Canyon watersheds.
  North Sherman: Joli and Jason had taken some monitoring photos in the watershed which they showed at the meeting. The photos included pictures of the Trash Racks that were installed above Rufus in Gerking Canyon. A watershed council meeting will be set for late January or early February.
• Grants Update: BPA grant applications for Technical Assistance and the Pine Hollow/Jackknife Watershed have been completed.
• Small Grants Update: Joli is waiting for fund requests for 2 completed small grants in the Lower Deschutes. In the Lower John Day Small Grant area two projects were completed and have been paid. There is one fund request for a completed project still pending. Joli completed a 2 year monitoring report on one grant. The board (serving as the small grant team) reviewed an application for funding. A motion was made by Brad and seconded by Gary to approve the application. Motion carried.
• Lower John Day Update: There will be a meeting of the Lower John Day Local Advisory Committee (LAC) later this month. Krista will get information to members when the date, location and time are set.
• Lower Deschutes Update: Gary will contact Patricia Gainsforth of the Deschutes Coordinating Group to remind her that the Sherman County SWCD wishes to receive all information available about the Deschutes Sub Basin Plan and the meetings related to it.
• Annual Meeting: The Annual Meeting will be held on Thursday February 16th, 12 noon, at the Senior Center in Moro. Bob Graham, NRCS State Conservationist, has agreed to be the speaker. Other suggestions for the program were awards presentation for the poster contest and the newsletter and possibly a slide presentation of watershed project implementation. Krista and Jessa will talk to Janet Welk at the Senior Center about the menu for the luncheon. Jeff Goebel requested that the board meet briefly with Bob Graham after the meeting.
• Poster Contest: Gift certificates for $10 each had been purchased from the Branding Iron. The certificates have not been presented and the Branding Iron has closed. The board asked Krista to purchase two more certificates at the store in Moro for awards. Joli will present the awards on Thursday during the 4-H awards programs at the elementary schools.
• Wy'East RC&D: Jessa reported that she attended the last meeting of the RC&D and is interested in serving on the Council as the Sherman County SWCD representative. She asked the board if they would approve her participation on the Council as RC&D secretary. The Board approved Jessa’s participation on the Wy’east RC&D Council.
• Election of Officers: A motion was made by Gary and seconded by Brad to retain the officers as they are for another year. They are as follows: Chair, Bill Martin; Vice Chair, Kyle Blagg; Secretary, Brad Eakin; Treasurer, Tracy Fields. Motion carried.
• NRCS: The board asked Mary Beth to update them on the status of the Lower John Day for the Conservation Security Program. At this time the Lower John Day is ineligible because the soil survey for Wheeler County has not been done. NRCS estimates at least 3 years will be needed to complete it. The Gilliam County SWCD has presented a resolution asking Sherman County SWCD to contribute $10,000 towards hiring a graduate student from OSU to expedite the completion of the soil survey. The board would like to look at other options that might make the Sherman and Gilliam County portion of the watershed eligible sooner. Walter Powell of Gilliam County wants to set up a meeting in early February to discuss the problem. He would like to invite the County Courts, SWCD boards, and NRCS staff from the state office and all three counties involved. The Wheeler Co. Soil Survey is one of the topics that the board wants to discuss with Bob Graham after the Annual Meeting. The board will not take action on the Gilliam County SWCD resolution at this time.
• FSA: Kevin reported that ECP sign ups are ongoing. He had not received any information about the Livestock Assistance request. Kevin clarified that CREP buffers will not be funded around any “pond” that is supplemented by ground water.
• OSU Extension: Sandy reported that there is a meeting scheduled for 1 o’clock, January 24th at the Senior Center in Moro to discuss enhancements that will be beneficial to those interested in the CSP program.
• Sherman County Court: Steve advised the board that the county road department budget has lost one third of its budget so things will be extra tight for other agencies requesting funds for the next fiscal year.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for December 13, 2005

• Watershed Updates Council meetings for all watersheds are being set up for February. Dates, locations and times will be announced.
  Buck Hollow: No Report.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: Joli is working on the BPA grant. So far only two landowners from the watershed have requested projects.
  Grass Valley: Jeff reported that the assessment will be ready for review before the next meeting. It will be reviewed by staff, board, and some partnering agencies. He has received inventory maps for approximately 60% of the land area in the watershed.
  Macks Canyon: There is a Deschutes Resource Conservancy (DRC) monitoring report due in January.
  North Sherman: Payment for OWEB Grant 203-067 have been made.
• Grants Update: BPA grants for technical assistance and the Pine Hollow/Jackknife Watershed are being written. The technical grant is due January 10th.
• Small Grants Update: Fund requests for completed projects have been sent for three small grants. Two more projects have been completed and the fund requests will be sent off this week. A letter will be sent out reminding all grant applicants who have not completed their projects and are on grants that will expire between January 2006 and June 2006.
• Lower John Day Update: The Lower John Day LAC will try to meet at the end of January. This meeting was suggested by Tom Straughan and Walter Powell. The board is hoping for an updated Flow Chart and some discussion of the complaint procedure. The Conservation Security Program will not be offered to anyone in the Lower John Day Watershed until the digitized soil survey is completed in Wheeler County. This is very objectionable to the District and the landowners in the watershed. Gary made a motion that was seconded by Brad to send informational letters requesting action in promoting the completion of the Wheeler County Soil survey. These letters will go out to the County Judges in Sherman, Gilliam and Wheeler Counties and the NRCS state office. Gary and Krista will work on this letter.
• Lower Deschutes Update: The Deschutes Coordinating group met to prioritize projects in the Deschutes Sub Basin. The SWCD was not notified of this meeting. Jason will contact them to let them know that we are not pleased with this omission. Gary Thompson was able to attend so we will get a report from him.
• Annual Meeting: The 2005 Annual Meeting will be held on either February 15th or 16th. Krista will make arrangements for the Senior Center and for a caterer for a luncheon meeting. She will also contact NRCS State Conservationist Bob Graham about being the keynote speaker.
• Tree Sale: The tree sale had been offered to the Sherman High FFA Chapter but they decided not to participate. The board asked Krista to check with the Extension office to see if it might be a possible 4-H project.
• Poster Contest: Krista asked permission to purchase prizes for Ryan Hart and Andie Harrison who were the local winners in the Poster Contest. Board approved the purchase of two gift certificates totaling $20.
• Wy'East RC&D: Krista asked to be replaced as the representative to the Wy’east RC&D. The board asked Jessa to attend the next meeting.
• SB1010: Marty Belshe will be serving on a Wheat Growers League committee related to SB1010 and Ag. Water Quality Plans, and will be part of a SB1010 review team sponsored by ODA.
• OACD Convention Nov. 13-16 in Newport: Gary, Jason, Joli and Jessa attended the convention in Newport. They all felt that it was a good convention with several educational sessions. The District received the State award for Outstanding Newsletter of the Year. Ryan Hart won his age division of the Poster Contest. He will receive a $50 Savings Bond from the state association. Gary asked Joli to be sure that these two awards be highlighted in the next newsletter.
• CREP Update: Jessa reported that she has been working on CREP contracts and status reviews.
• NRCS: Mary Beth reported that she has been meeting with CSP participants to discuss their enhancements. There will be a meeting on either the 17th or 24th of January to discuss CSP enhancement. Time, date and place will be announced as soon as possible.
• FSA: Kevin reported that Mavis Olsen had been elected to the Moro position on the County Committee. Marvin Thompson will serve as alternate. The forage loss for Sherman County of 60% had been reported to the State Committee. Kevin should know in January if there will be disaster payments available.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for November 8, 2005

• Watershed Updates
  Buck Hollow: Nothing new to report.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: Joli reported that a watershed council meeting was held on November 7th. Eight members were present. They reviewed the draft Action Plan. It is time to apply for BPA funding. Landowners were asked to let Joli know what projects they would like to implement in the next 3 years.
  Grass Valley: Work on OWEB grant 203-178 must be completed by December 20, 2005. Joli has begun work on the completion report. Jeff reported that the assessment text is nearly completed. Approximately 42% of the inventory maps have been returned. He will make phone calls to landowners who have not responded.
  Macks Canyon: Nothing new to report.
  North Sherman: A fund request for landowner payments has been sent to OWEB for grant #203-067. Joli presented a summary of the data that has been collected for the board to review. She is still working on the summary of the operational data.
• Large Grant Update: The new Direct Seed Grant application to OWEB was submitted. There are nine operators signed up with a total of 3,888 acres enrolled in the application. The Solar/Wind Hybrid Off-Stream Stock Water Development grant was submitted to OWEB. Three operators are participating in the project. The OWEB board will act on the grant applications on March 13, 2006.
• Small Grants Update: There are no new Small Grant applications at this time.
• Lower John Day Update: There was nothing new to report at this time.
• Lower Deschutes Update: There was nothing new to report at this time.
• Tree Sale: Gary will call Rick Danielson, F.F.A. Chapter Advisor, and offer to let them have the Tree & Shrub sale. The District is willing to assist them as part of the Educational Outreach goal.
• OACD Convention Nov. 13-16 in Newport: Gary and Jessa will look for a Door Prize at the new gallery in Moro. The board asked that they spend no more than $25.
• CREP Update: Jessa handed out a report of her activities for the last month.
• Annual Meeting & Report: The Annual Meeting will be a luncheon meeting in January. Gary will help Krista with planning.
• Greenhouse at South Sherman Elementary Several years ago the Pine Hollow/Jackknife watershed was given $152 by the gas transmission company for repairs to the green house at South Sherman Elementary. Some work was done costing $80.39. The Council and the District agree to let South Sherman Elementary know that they still have $71.61 left to spend.
• Budget Committee meeting The board decided to schedule a special committee meeting for Tuesday, November 29th to discuss budget, staffing, and possible tax base request. Larry Ojua, ODA, is willing to meet with them on Thursday December 1st to discuss the tax base. Krista will contact him about confirming that date and time.
• NRCS: Local Working Group – Minutes of the Local Working Group meeting held on October 24th were handed out. Mary Beth asked the board to assist her with assigning points for the Local Issue Questions used for local ranking. The numbers were agreed upon and Mary Beth will send them off to the state office. CSP Enhancement Workshop – There will be an all day workshop in January. The day will be either the 17th or the 24th. Information will be sent out. Contribution Agreement – Mary Beth asked that the board and staff develop a proposal for the NRCS Contribution Agreement. This will need to be done before the December meeting. There is a need for at least a half-time employee to keep up with work load. Drought – Disaster Resolution – Mary Beth asked those present to give their input about the percent loss of forage that they would estimate for the county. They all felt that it is a high percentage of loss. The Rufus project has been completed. Jason described the “trash racks” to the board.
• FSA: Kevin said that the County Committee meeting scheduled for this Thursday will be postponed until Friday the 18th of November. The FSA newsletter will be going out today. Kevin said that the County Court had asked the state for a Disaster Resolution for 2005 for forage and spring crops. None of the surrounding counties requested a disaster resolution. Producers will have to show a 50% loss to claim benefits.
• OSU Extension: Sandy reminded everyone that there will be Pesticide Core Class on November 22nd in The Dalles.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for October 11, 2005

• Watershed Updates
  Buck Hollow: There was nothing new to report.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: OWEB grant number 206-123 was fully funded. Participating landowners have been notified that they may start their projects. OWEB is not accepting Watershed Assessment Grant applications this year because there is not enough funding. Joli had received confirmation of match funds from several supporting groups for the assessment grant. The County agreed to fund approximately $18,000 towards the Pine Hollow Watershed Assessment. Joli is checking to see if OWEB would allow us to claim the county contribution as matching funds when we are able to apply for OWEB Assessment funds next year. This would allow Jeff to begin working on the Pine Hollow Assessment as soon as the Grass Valley assessment is complete. OWEB will let Joli know if this is possible. Our other option is to seek other funds.
  Grass Valley: The grant application for Solar/Wind Hybrid Off-Stream Stock Water Development is nearly complete. Matching funds were received from the Oregon Department of Energy for 16-24 hours of technical assistance for this grant. OWEB grant 203-178 must be completed by December 30, 2005. The final projects have been laid out and should be installed before the grant deadline. Assessment Report – Jeff handed out the draft Watershed Description and Map. He plans to finish the first draft soon. While this is being reviewed, he will continue to work on the inventory of conservation practices. Jeff sent out over 100 producer maps, but has only received 27% of the completed maps back from the landowners. The board suggested that Joli include a reminder in the newsletter that is followed up by another letter from Jeff. It is extremely important that these maps be completed, so the board wants staff to follow up with phone calls and even farm visits. Jeff would like to have all of the maps back by November 1st.
  Macks Canyon: Nothing to report.
  North Sherman: OWEB grant 203-067 “Direct Seed Initiative” must be completed by 12/30/06. Landowners have been contacted, initial data has been gathered, and infiltration testing and residue checking are completed for this year. Data will be available by the next meeting. Eligible landowner payment should be made in November.
• ODA Ag. Water Quality Management Area Plans Ellen Hammond, ODA Regional Ag Water Quality Planner attended the meeting in order to answer questions and address concerns that the District and LAC have about parts of the Lower Deschutes and Lower John Day Ag Water Quality Plans. Discussions included how to interpret what ODA is expecting when they send out a Water Quality Advisory letter (WQAL); how ODA plans to identify and handle unusual weather events; and why HEL Plans are still not included in the Flow Chart. Ellen brought copies of the draft revision to the SB1010 Compliance Evaluation and Resolution Process flow chart. There were questions and discussion about who will be receiving the Water Quality Advisory letters. The board and LAC members present would like to have the LAC deal with WQAL’s. Ellen will take our questions back to Salem and get a response back to us.
• Small Grants Update: Two year monitoring reports were completed for Lower John Day Small Grants. One grant application was presented and approved in the Lower John Day. (grant z16-06-051) Two grant applications were presented and approved in the Lower Deschutes Small Grant Area. (grants z15-06-051 and z15-06-052)
• Lower John Day Update: Jason gave the board a report on the status of the Sub Basin Plan. The Pine Hollow/Jackknife Watershed is included as a priority by the planning group. Funds will have to be applied for in the next 2-3 months.
• Lower Deschutes Update: Nothing new has been received regarding the Sub Basin Plan.
• Direct Seed Grant Proposal: Direct Seed Grant application includes ten operators signing up a total of 4,388 acres.
• ESA/4(d) Report: Jason is still waiting to hear about the next meeting.
• OACD Convention Nov. 13-16 in Newport: Gary, Jason, Joli and Jessa will be attending. Board members directed Gary to act as their voting delegate. They approved both of the proposed resolutions, but asked him to use his judgment when voting on them after hearing discussion. They also requested that he vote for the candidates for office that impress him the most at the Convention.
• CREP Update: Jessa reported that she has 25 contracts completed with 28 applications still waiting. She has completed 25 status reviews and has 36 to be completed.
• NRCS: Krista reported that she and Mary Beth had attended a Basin Work Group meeting. CSP priority areas were discussed. Lower John Day and Lower Deschutes will be the number 1 & 2 recommendations for funding coming from the Deschutes Basin. The Local Working Group meeting was rescheduled for Monday October 24th, 6 PM in the Moro Field Office. Greg Card reported on the progress of the Rufus EWP project.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for September 13, 2005

• Watershed Updates
  Buck Hollow: There was nothing new to report for the Buck Hollow Watershed.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: No information has been received yet about funding for the OWEB grant. We should be notified by next week. Joli has done a completion report for OWEB grant 203-068. She also finished a monitoring report for OWEB grant 99-013. Three more years of monitoring is required for that grant. She is nearly finished with the Pine Hollow/Jackknife Watershed Assessment grant application. Match funding is being secured. So far responses have been received from BLM, TransCanada GTN, Oregon DEQ, Wasco County SWCD and OSU Extension. Jason reported that the BPA funding is going to be used this year for several spring developments. All of the requests for next years funding have already received cultural clearance so should be completed on time if moisture allows.
  Grass Valley: OWEB grant 203-178 has one more producer left with practices to complete. The grant completion date is 12/30/05. The final monitoring report was sent for OWEB grant 201-359. Jeff reported his progress for the Assessment. Data gathering is nearly complete although only 22 of the approximately 90 people asked to return maps have responded. Writing has begun on several sections of the assessment. He intends to have the rough draft completed by the end of October which leaves several months for review and comment, then edits and revisions.
  Macks Canyon: The monitoring report was sent in for OWEB grant 99-279. Three more years of monitoring is required for this grant.
  North Sherman: The new completion date for OWEB grant 203-067 “Direct Seed Initiative” is 12/30/06. Landowners have been contacted about initial data, infiltration rate testing will begin this month and hopefully payments will go out in November. Jason has designed and inspected several water and sediment control basins in the watershed.
• Grant Application Updates:
  Solar/Wind Hybrid Off-stream Stock Water Development grant: The application is nearly completed for four operators. Match funding request letters have been sent out.
  Council Support Grant (watershed council): Joli sent in the final report for OWEB grant 204-046. There was $158.45 carry over which OWEB required that we return. That amount was refunded as requested. OWEB support grant 206-046 funding still has not been set. There is still a chance that we may receive $10,274 more than the original $59,931 that we had been approved for. The definite fund amount should be announced by next week. OWEB has allowed the invoicing on this grant even though there is no signed agreement to date.
  Direct Seed Grant proposal for Fall 2005 Nine operators have signed up so far. Joli is working on the OWEB grant application.
• Small Grants Update: Joli sent in the Small Grant Biennial Report. By-laws and Operational Procedures/Priorities for 05-07 have been sent in. $33,330 will be available for Small Grants in both the Lower John Day and Lower Deschutes small grant areas in Sherman County.
• Lower John Day Update: Jason and Joli will be attending a Sub Basin planning meeting on September 21st in Monument. This meeting will be for the development of prioritization strategies for the selection of projects that are submitted for funding.
• Lower Deschutes Update: Jason attended a meeting of the Deschutes Coordinating Group in Madras on September 12th. The purpose of this Sub Basin planning meeting was to develop the strategies for prioritization of projects in the Deschutes Basin. Jason felt that the priorities set would be beneficial to some of our watershed project proposals.
• ESA/4(d) Report: There has not been a meeting for several months.
• 2005 Annual Meeting: The board tentatively set the Annual Meeting date for December 7th. This will depend on when the audit is received so that the Annual Report can be completed.
• OACD Convention Nov. 13-16 in Newport: Gary plans to attend and he encouraged all of the other directors to consider attending. Jessa and Joli both plan to apply for the scholarship offered by the Oregon employees association (OCEAN). Jason hopes to attend for free again because of his work on the OACD web site. Attendance will be discussed again at the October meeting. The Poster contest will be held soon so that the winning posters can be taken to the convention. The District usually donates a door prize for the convention that is valued at $25. Suggestions for this year’s door prize were a piece of Biggs Jasper or 2 free tickets to the June oyster and steak feed.
• Tour: A tour will be planned for spring of 2006. Gary suggested doing a more site specific tour in the South end of the county. It was also suggested that the tour be made open to the public, not just funding entities. Discussion will continue.
• Range Forage Conditions: The board agreed that conditions are poor because of drought conditions. It was noted that range was not able to recover because there was no moisture carry over.
• NRCS: Mary Beth reported that Emily will be leaving in the middle of October for a job in Eugene. She gave a brief summary of the CSP funding for the Mid Columbia/Hood CSP area. There will be only 3 CSP areas in Oregon in 2006. None of them are in the Deschutes Basin. It is too soon to know if there will be one in our Basin in 2007. There is a Basin Work Group meeting scheduled for Sept. 28 from 9-noon in Madras. Gary said that he will be willing to go. A Local Work Group meeting is scheduled for October 17 at 6:00 pm here at the office. Mary Beth’s report is attached to these minutes.
• OSU Extension: Sandy handed out Grain Trial Reports for the board’s information and discussion. He also handed out a copy of the paper he had developed called “Estimating Losses to Fire in Dry land Cereal Production in the Columbia Plateau”. He asked the board to let him know if it was correct and understandable to them. He will be making this information available to insurance agents. There will be a CORE workshop on November 22nd that will be announced in the upcoming newsletter.

No Board Meetings Held in July or August.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for June 14, 2005

• Watershed Updates
  Buck Hollow: There was no activity to report.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: Joli is working on the final report for OWEB grant 203-068 that is due August 15th. She is also working on a watershed assessment grant that is due in October. Jason reported that several spring development projects are still being held up waiting for cultural resource responses. There is still enough moisture to complete one of the water & sediment control basin in the watershed.
  Grass Valley: The Solar/Wind Hybrid Off-Stream Stock Water Development grant will be completed by October 15th. Jeff reported that the Landowner project mapping project had taken longer than anticipated but will be mailed out today. He will begin writing the portions of the assessment that will need review and approval by partnering agencies.
  North Sherman: Joli was able to get an extension on the OWEB Direct Seed Initiative grant (203-067) until December 30, 2006. Landowners have been contacted and some data has been turned in. Infiltration and residue testing will be done in September. The first landowner payments should go out in November.
• Lower John Day & Deschutes Updates: Funds will be received for the Lower Deschutes and the Lower John Day watersheds. Sherman County’s allocation for the 2005-2007 biennium is approximately $66,666. These funds will be dispersed between the two watersheds. A motion was made by Kyle and seconded by Gary to approve the Small Grant Operation Procedures and Priorities for 2005-2007. Motion carried.
• Direct Seed Grant Proposal: Joli had sent out direct seed grant proposals from Wasco and Gilliam Counties for the board to review. It was agreed that if this is done it would be open to all watersheds in the county. In order to allow the producer flexibility in choosing to chemical fallow the board would prefer to get funding for 3 or 4 years. OWEB funding is a 2 year cycle. Joli will check in to the feasibility of applying in a “phase a & b” format in order to provide funding for 4 years.
• Annual Workplan/Workload Analysis: The board reviewed the changes suggested by Krista and Tracy. A motion was made by Gary and seconded by Tracy to accept the changes to the Annual Work Plan and to approve the plan and workload analysis for 2005/2006. Motion carried.
• ESA/4(d) Report: Jason had nothing to report at this time.
• 2005 Annual Meeting: If the audit is ready by October 1, the board would like to have the annual meeting in October or November.
• NRCS: Mary Beth reported that 32 CSP applications were received. The data is still being entered. She and Emily may go to The Dalles Field Office to assist with CSP data entry there. She reported that 2 GRP contracts in the county will be eligible for funding. The board discussed the priority watersheds for CSP in the coming years. They will discuss the issues faced by the John Day and Deschutes watersheds with the County Judge.
• FSA: Elections for County Committee are coming up soon. Ken Melzer can not run for another term. Kevin gave an update on programs and deadlines. Information will be coming out in the next newsletter.
• OSU Extension: Sandy gave a brief overview of the Jill Clapperton Soils workshop. He and Tom McCoy visited with a writer for the Oregon Trout magazine. They talked with him about the efforts of producers to protect water quality and referred him to the school district to learn about their educational projects. The board asked Sandy to forward a copy of the information on to them when it is published. The County will be participating in efforts to control wildlife such as feral pigs and cougars. Sandy suggested that we contact the county court about this.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for May 10, 2005

• Watershed Updates
  Buck Hollow: Admin money was received for OWEB phase 8 from Wasco County SWCD.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: Extensions until June 30, 2006 were received for OWEB grants 204-142 and 204-227. Jason has still been working with NRCS and BPA to get cultural resource surveys done on projects so that implementation can begin. Lack of moisture was a problem for implementation of water and sediment control basins this spring so some funding was transferred to spring developments. BPA paid 85% cost shares on some projects this spring because OWEB funding was not received.
  Macks Canyon: No projects are currently being implemented.
  Grass Valley: Joli reported that an OWEB grant application was submitted for projects in the watershed. She is still working on an application for a solar/wind hybrid off stream water development project that will be submitted in October. A grant agreement for “Grass Valley Canyon Conservation Work” has been signed and landowners have been notified that they can begin work. Jeff handed out examples of the Channel Habitat Type maps that he has been working on. He said that landowner maps are nearly completed and should go out soon.
  North Sherman: A grant agreement for “North Sherman Conservation Work” has been signed and landowners have been notified that they can begin work. The OWEB grant 203-067 “Direct Seed Initiative” has received an extension until December 30, 2007. The data collection plan for 203-067 was discussed and will be reviewed at the next board meeting.
• Lower John Day & Deschutes Updates:
  AgWQMA Plan: Tom McCoy and Bob Martin were here to discuss the outcome of the compliance review done on Tom’s farm by representatives from ODA. The review team found a gully on the outside of the field that Tom reported was a result of several unusual weather events. He received a Water Quality Advisory letter because of this. The rest of his farm that was observed was found in compliance that day. It had been the hope of the board and Lower John Day LAC members involved that when ODA saw the condition of a farm being managed within the guidelines of an HEL and an RMS plan they would agree that a compliance letter would be appropriate and would be effective for more than that day. This was not the direction taken by the review team. Therefore, it seems counter productive to continue with our intent to do several reviews in the county. Krista will notify ODA and the other LAC members who had tentatively volunteered to reviews on their farms. The board will recommend to the LAC that they propose revisions to the Compliance Review Flow Chart at the biennial review for the Lower John Day plan.
  Small Grants: Joli has received word that the funding for the next biennium will be the same as last year. Sherman County will receive 1/3 of the Lower Deschutes Small Grant funding and 1/3 of the Lower John Day Small Grant funding. The board (which serves as the small grant review team) approved a small grant in the Lower Deschutes watershed for 2 rangeland water and sediment control basins.
• Tax Base Discussion: Dick Stradley, County Assessor, brought more information about the effects of a tax base for the Soil & Water Conservation District. The District would be in the general government category and would not affect the funding for county schools. A motion was made by Brad and seconded by Gary to develop a plan to prepare to get a tax base on the ballot for the November 2005 election. Motion carried. Questions that need to be answered are: what areas to levy tax, amount to request, what is needed to get on the ballot (ask at clerks office), preparation and budget to promote/campaign.
• Direct Seed Grant Requests: Joli has received six requests for cost share assistance for direct seed operations. She requested input from Rick Craiger, OWEB Regional contact, about successful grants that other areas have done. He suggested the following guidelines: that the property has not been direct seeded in the previous 3 years; one owner not receive more that 500 acres worth of assistance; that the amount per acre is limited to $22; grower has to commit to trying it for 3 or 4 years allowing for summer fallow rotation. Joli will do more research into the grants that were funded in Wasco and Gilliam Counties so that questions about number and timing of payments, criteria for eligibility for grant and requirements for receiving payments can be discussed at the next meeting.
• ESA/4(d) Report: There was nothing to report at this time.
• Annual Workplan/Workload Analysis: The board appointed Tracy to work with Krista on the final draft of the Annual Work Plan and Workload Analysis. They hope to review it at the June meeting.
• Project Tour: The “Great Escape” conservation tour was not as well attended as hoped. Approximately 30 people participated throughout the day, but only 7 from out of the county. Sandy sent the Evaluation Summary sheet for the board to review. The tour cost $616 for the bus and lunch. It was the consensus of the board that we need to plan another tour next spring and request some grant funding to cover the costs.
• NRCS: Krista reported that Mary Beth has been extremely busy with CSP and GRP sign ups. Mary Beth will give a full report at the June meeting. Jessa reported that she is currently working on CREP contracts that will be implemented in October. The board gave their permission for Jessa to assist NRCS with the final computer data input for the CSP sign up. Jeff Goebel is checking to see if he can obtain some funding to reimburse the District for Jessa’s time.
• FSA: Kevin gave a brief update on the current and pending disaster relief programs for pasture and cropland.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for April 12, 2005

• Watershed Updates
  Buck Hollow: Joli plans to begin getting information out to landowners sometime this spring regarding the possible formation of a watershed council that includes the Buck Hollow and Macks Canyon areas in Sherman County.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: The annual redd count was done earlier today. Two redds were seen in the lower Pine Hollow survey area. Joli has requested 2 OWEB grant extensions that have projects in the watershed and is also reapplying for several projects that were included in the last OWEB grant which was not funded. Completion of projects continues to be delayed while waiting for cultural resource clearance. Lack of moisture may also delay some projects. Jeff Goebel suggested asking BLM for assistance with cultural resource reviews. Private consultants might also be used, but the funds would need to be budgeted in future grant requests.
  Macks Canyon: Joli plans to begin getting information out to landowners sometime this spring regarding the possible formation of a watershed council that includes the Buck Hollow and Macks Canyon areas in Sherman County.
  Grass Valley: Joli is reapplying for several projects that were included in the OWEB grant that was not funded. She is also working on a grant that is for three solar/wind water developments for a demonstration project. Jeff reported about progress on the assessment. He hopes to have producer inventory maps going out soon. The board looked at examples of the maps and agreed that the producers should be able to identify conservation practices, the date of implementation, and hopefully they will remember what program cost shared the project.
  North Sherman: Data needs to be gathered for the Direct Seed Initiative Grant. Data includes information from producers and infiltration tests done by technical staff. Joli also requested an extension for this OWEB grant.
• Lower John Day Update
  AgWQMA Plan: Joli has turned in two monitoring reports on Lower John Day Small Grant projects.
  Sub-Basin Planning: The John Day Sub Basin plan is available on disk here at the office.Joli has turned in two monitoring reports on Lower John Day Small Grant projects.
• Lower Deschutes Update: Joli is working on a Small Grant application for the last of this biennium’s funding.
• CSP Cooperative Agreement: The board reviewed the Cooperative Agreement between the District and the Wy’east RC&D for CSP outreach assistance. Kyle moved and Brad seconded signing the agreement. Motion carried.
• ESA/4(d) Report: Jason will contact Ron Graves to let him know that he will be attending future meetings.
• Project Tour: Krista reported that the response for attendance of the tour had not been good. There are only eleven signed up so far. Canceling was discussed, but it was agreed that inviting some more media would at least get the word out and some attendees is better than no tour at all. The board reviewed the draft agenda that Sandy, Gary and Krista had put together. The consensus was to cut the stop in Rufus, but stop on top of Gerking Canyon so that no-till/direct seed and chemical fallow can be looked at. They would like a definite message to be brought out by the tour. One suggestion was the “Top Down Approach to Watershed Restoration”. They also want to be sure that all practices offered to our producers are shown and discussed. The lunch stop at DeMoss Park will include looking at John DeMoss’s CREP instead of going to Ron Thompson’s. Jason will work with Sandy to change and finalize the route and the speakers. Krista will check with Rod about the lunch and look at DeMoss Park to see what needs to be done to set up.
• NRCS: The new NRCS employee will start work here on May 16th. There has been three CSP meetings in the county to date. They have been well attended. The interview process is starting and there will be one more meeting in Wasco on April 25, 1:00pm at the Parish Hall. The proposal for CSP in the next two years is to recommend the Lower John Day Watershed next with the Lower Deschutes the following year. The Operational Agreement between NRCS and the Sherman County SWCD was discussed. Civil Rights responsibilities were reviewed and agreed upon by the District and NRCS personnel. A motion was made by Brad and seconded by Tracy to sign the Operational Agreement. Motion carried.
• FSA: Kevin gave a brief overview of the disaster declaration and programs.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for March 8, 2005

• Watershed Updates
  Buck Hollow: Projects cost shared by PL-566 are being reviewed. Several contracts were cancelled by producers, but some will try to complete their projects within the next year. Combining Macks Canyon watershed with Buck Hollow watershed was discussed. A landowner meeting will be scheduled.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: Brian and Jason have been working with landowners to get BPA/OWEB projects on the ground. The turn around for cultural resource and T & E clearance for projects is still slowing down the implementation of projects.
  Fulton/Gordon Canyons: The Council is meeting tomorrow night with North Sherman to finalize the merger with the North Sherman Watershed Council.
  Grass Valley: Jeff reported that assessment work is going well. He is working on mapping all of the stream reaches, and gathering data about precipitation and water quality. His timeline is a little off so he will be revising it. He will be contacting landowners for help with project inventory.
  Macks Canyon: Brian reported that members of the council were willing to discuss combining with Buck Hollow landowners to form a new council.
  North Sherman: Data collection for the Direct Seed grant was discussed. Infiltration testing, annual soil samples, production data, residue measurements, and operational records are required. Final business for the merger with Fulton & Gordon Canyons Watershed Council will be done at the meeting tomorrow night.
• Lower John Day Update
  AgWQMA Plan: The Lower John Day Ag Water Quality Management Area Plan discussions are still continuing. Ellen Hammond, Tom Straughan and Dave Wilkinson of ODA met with Tom McCoy and Jason Faucera to do a compliance review for Tom McCoy’s place. The board will wait to see the ODA response to the review before taking any further action.
  Sub-Basin Planning: Jason is still assisting with the final draft of the Sub Basin plan.
• Lower Deschutes Update: Jeff Goebel reported that NOAA Fisheries is working on a recovery plan for the Deschutes Sub Basin.
• OWEB Grant Review: The review team evaluation for the grant submitted in October of 2004 was discussed. The board and staff found the comments very disturbing. Brian had drafted a letter to the review team members. Kyle made a motion to send the letter to the review team members with an invitation to our tour. He asked that the letter be signed by Bill as Chair of the board. Brad seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously. The letter will be sent as soon as possible.
• ESA/4(d) Report: There was nothing new to report. Jason will be attending future meetings.
• Project Tour: The tour date will be April 21st. Sandy presented a proposed tour route. It would begin in Moro, go North, return to Moro, go South, and then return to Moro. Sandy will drive the route tomorrow to get a time frame. If possible the tour would start at 8:30 or 9:00 AM, include lunch then end at 3:30 or 4:00. Gary would like to offer a dinner afterward. He will do more research on the cost of a dinner. The OWEB review team will be invited to attend. The remainder of the guest list is being developed.
• NRCS: Mary Beth reported that she has 35 GRP applications to work on. There is $114,000 in EQIP funding to be allocated in the County. CSP sign up will begin toward the end of March. Four meetings for information and assistance will be scheduled in the county. Jeff Goebel reported that the Moro Field Office has shown very high production and has therefore been recommended for additional staffing. He also said that extra help will be made available for CSP sign ups. This year, one half of the EQIP funding allocation in the Basin will be directed toward assistance for CAFO (Confined Animal Feeding Operations). Watersheds slated for the next CSP area will get priority for the remaining EQIP funds. Jeff predicts that the Lower John Day will be the next area funded by the Conservation Security Program with the Lower Deschutes being next.
• BLM: Cari Johnson asked if any one had any questions. She handed out several BLM maps. She said that BLM is still trying to sell small parcels of land.
• OSU Extension: Sandy updated the board on the SARE grant which is being administered by the District. The grant is being used to provide funding for the Jill Clapperton Soil Workshops to be held May 16 & 17. The Wasco County Bull Tour is scheduled for April 14.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for February 8, 2005

• Watershed Updates
  Buck Hollow: The board discussed establishing a watershed council that would combine the current Macks Canyon watershed with the Sherman County land in the Buck Hollow watershed. This will be pursued when a watershed coordinator is hired.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: A watershed council meeting was held in Kent on January 10th. Council member appointments were made as follows: Bill Tatum, Byron Carlson, Jon Justesen, Neil Hansen, Noah Williams, Ron Mobley, and Shannon Hansen. The NEPA requirements for watershed projects were discussed.
  Fulton/Gordon Canyons: A council meeting was held on January 18th in Wasco. Council. The idea of combining with the North Sherman Watershed was discussed. The members agreed that they were in favor of combining. Council appointments will be postponed until the merger is approved by the County Court.
  Grass Valley: The watershed council met on January 11th. Council appointments were made as follows: Brad Eakin, Bruce Pinkerton, Kyle Blagg, Leo Coelsch, Marty Belshe, Marvin Thompson, and Pat Bird. Jeff will have a questionnaire ready to go out next week requesting landowner/operator information. Jeff is working on a map of stream classification.
  North Sherman: The combining of the watersheds with the Fulton & Gordon area was discussed and approved by members of the council. Jason will attend the next Sherman County Court meeting to present this idea. Council appointments will be done after approval from County Court.
• Lower John Day Update
  Sub-Basin Planning: John Day Sub Basin Planning is nearly complete. Jason will get a copy for the office.
• Lower Deschutes Update: Nothing new to report.
• Ag Water Quality Management Plans: A committee from ODA will be going to Tom McCoy’s to do a trial compliance review in the next couple of weeks. The board would like one board member to accompany the committee. It was suggested that Bill go with them to Tom’s. Brad volunteered to go when they go to Marvin Thompson’s. The other 4 farms to be reviewed will be scheduled after the visit at Tom’s.
• Small Grants: Comments about new administrative rules from Rick Woodley, Klamath SWCD and Alex Conley, Monument SWCD were reviewed. The board was in agreement with their comments.
• ESA/4(d) Report: There will be a meeting soon. The board requested that Jason become involved in these meetings.
• Annual Meeting: The proposed agenda for the Annual Meeting was reviewed. The Branding Iron Restaurant will be responsible for serving local wines and micro brew beer. The Country Café will cater the meal for $15 per person. It was agreed to charge $12 per person. The Sherman County Wheat Growers and Farm Bureau donated $350 to help with the Annual Meeting. Jessa was able to get 22 door prizes from local merchants. The board discussed selling raffle tickets, but the decision was to give each person 1 complimentary ticket when they paid for their dinner.
• Project Tour: The board is planning a promotional tour of all systems and conservation projects. They are hoping to set a date in late April or early May. They would like to rent a bus for participants, provide a sack lunch and possibly a barbeque at the end of the day. Gary is taking the lead on organizing the agenda and the participants.
• Tax Base Inquiry: Jenine McDermid from the Sherman County Assessor’s office handed out information about how to propose a tax levy and a spreadsheet showing the estimated tax rate if the SWCD were to receive $25,000 or $30,000 per year. One example was with cities included and one with cities excluded. A copy of these will be filed in the office with these minutes. It was suggested that the District talk to the Development League. Discussion will continue at the next meeting.
• Job Openings: A Watershed Coordinator interview has been scheduled for this Friday. Jason, Krista, Bill, Tracy and Kyle will interview the applicant. The District Technician job that will be vacated at the end of March was discussed. The board would like to look at a shift in workload and some revision of job descriptions before opening up the Tech position.
• NRCS: A motion was made by Tracy and seconded by Brad to request Job Approval Authority from NRCS for Jessa. Motion carried. The Contribution Agreement is being billed. The Contract with Rufus is signed and ready. The GRP sign up closes on February 28th. The CSP sign ups have not been announced yet. Work is still being done on a list of enhancements for CSP participants. NRCS will be providing a temporary person to work in the Moro field office. Jessa reported on her activity on the CREP/CCRP workload. About 45 landowners are waiting for Oct. 1 to sign their contracts. She has been meeting with landowners and doing site visits.
• FSA: The newsletter for GRP and 2004 USDA earning statements is in the mail. Landowners need to return the forms showing their GIS acres. Kevin handed out the county precipitation table. This will be used to determine disaster status (moisture of 65% or less for consecutive months).
• OSU Extension: Sandy said to watch for the latest newsletter for announcement of upcoming events.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for January 11, 2005

• Watershed Updates
  Buck Hollow: The board is discussing the possibility of forming a watershed council that would include the current Macks Canyon Council with landowners in the Sherman County side of the Buck Hollow watershed. Discussion will probably be brought to the landowners when a watershed coordinator is hired.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: A watershed council meeting was held on January 10th at the Kent Church. Future projects and funding were discussed.
  Fulton/Gordon Canyons: The watershed council will meet on January 18th in Wasco.
  Grass Valley: The watershed council will meet immediately following the SWCD meeting today. Jeff reported on his progress with the watershed assessment.
  North Sherman: A council meeting will be held on the 12th of January in Wasco.
• Lower John Day Update
  AgWQMA Plan: Dave Wilkinson, ODA, said that he enjoyed the tour he was taken on. They looked at terraces, water & sediment control basins (ditch blocks), and riparian areas. They also measured residue in seeded ground. Dave thought that the practices they showed him were both practical and efficient. One of the main questions not answered by ODA to the board’s satisfaction is “How can producers know that they are doing the right thing?” Dave suggested that ODA do several compliance reviews on farms in the county. This would include looking at their HEL Plans. It was recommended that 5 farms should be sufficient. Dave agreed. The board agreed that these voluntary reviews done from one end of the county to the other would give ODA and producers good information. Three volunteers came forth at the meeting, and Jason will try to find two more producers for the reviews. The review team will probably be Tom Straughan, Ellen Hammond, Dave Wilkinson, an SWCD representative and a producer. The possible outcome of these reviews would be a letter to the landowner/producer (also kept in the ODA files) that states that the farm is in compliance with the Ag. Water Quality Management Area Plan. There was doubt from the attendees that the letter of compliance would be effective. Dave thought that it would be effective for years. It was reemphasized that there can be no guarantee that runoff won’t happen. Dave said that it is too difficult to define “unusual” weather events and that is why HEL plans need to be tied to the Ag. Water Quality Plans. The goal of these discussions is to come up with some generalized standards so that producers can refer to them and know how they are doing. The SWCD will coordinate between producers and ODA to set up the compliance reviews.
  Sub-Basin Planning: Jason is still working on the John Day Sub Basin Plan. They are now ranking. The board asked that Gary review the ranking.
• Lower Deschutes Update: Nothing to Report
• Director Elections: Brad and Gary took their oath of office. Election of officers was held. The results were: Bill Martin, Chair; Kyle Blagg, Vice Chair; Brad Eakin, Secretary; Tracy Fields, Treasurer.
• Annual Meeting: The Annual Meeting will be held February 15th at the Senior Center in Moro. The Branding Iron will provide a no-host bar which will open at 5:30 PM. Dinner will be catered by the Country Café and begin at 6:30. The speaker will be Julia King Natural Resources instructor for Frontier Learning Network. Gary and Krista will be deciding on the price per person for the dinner and getting the advertising out.
• Practice Components & Cost Share: The board reviewed the Practice Components and Cost List. Brian pointed out that Brush Management includes practices for Juniper control. The board discussed whether to continue cost sharing wells and pumping systems as they have in the past. NRCS will fund the well but not the pump. Brian was asked to research the current costs of well drilling. The board agreed to keep well drilling and pumping systems on the cost share list. Kyle moved and Gary seconded adopting the Cost List with the changes that Brian has made. Motion carried. Brian asked for the boards’ permission to add Track Hoes to the Miscellaneous Equipment List. He will check with a couple of places about an appropriate rental rate. The board agreed.
• ESA/4(d) Report: Brian reported that there will be another meeting in the next couple of weeks.
• Project Tour: The District will begin plans for a tour of projects throughout the county. Representatives of all of the funding sources will be included. Gary will work on this.
• NRCS: Mary Beth left an activity report for the board which is attached to these minutes. There is no new information about CSP at this time. As soon as the State Office gets the needed information there will be meetings held in the County and in all of the Mid-Columbia Hood River CSP areas.
• FSA: Kevin reported that the FSA newsletter will be coming out soon.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for December 14, 2004

• Watershed Updates
  Buck Hollow: No Report
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: Council meetings are being scheduled for January. The BPA Contract for Pine Hollow/Jackknife was signed. The Watershed Councils have got to get updated Action Plans completed. Jason will provide an outline for future action plans.
  Fulton/Gordon Canyons: Council meetings are being scheduled for January. It was suggested to include Fulton & Gordon and North Sherman with the upcoming Conservation Security Program (CSP) workshops. The Watershed Councils have got to get updated Action Plans completed. Jason will provide an outline for future action plans.
  Grass Valley: Council meetings are being scheduled for January. It was suggested that the Grass Valley Council meeting be held immediately following the January District board meeting. Jeff reported on his progress with the assessment. He is still working on Historical data. He has maps ready to print when the plotter is purchased. The Watershed Councils have got to get updated Action Plans completed. Jason will provide an outline for future action plans.
  North Sherman: Council meetings are being scheduled for January. It was suggested to include Fulton & Gordon and North Sherman with the upcoming Conservation Security Program (CSP) workshops. The Watershed Councils have got to get updated Action Plans completed. Jason will provide an outline for future action plans.
• Lower John Day Update
  AgWQMA Plan: Dave Wilkinson, Ellen Hammond, Tom Straughan and Ken Bailey were here to discuss the Lower John Day and Lower Deschutes Ag Water Quality Management Area plans. The board had requested answers to questions and concerns. ODA presented responses. It was the consensus of the board and Lower John Day LAC members that the “no new ground was covered in the responses”. The rules in the plans still appear to be totally “outcome based” and subjective. Ken stated that ODA is currently the enforcement and compliance agency for 468B. Dave asked for an updated list of questions and concerns that he would write more complete responses to. Ellen recorded the questions as asked by those present. A small change was made to the evaluation and compliance flow chart. Krista will request an electronic version to include with landowner information. Dave requested that the SWCD serve as the information distribution agency for correspondence coming back from ODA. The board agreed to this request.
  Sub-Basin Planning: Jason is working with a committee to complete the John Day Sub Basin Plan. The new deadline is March 5th.
  Small Grant Update: The board asked that Brian check to see when new funding will be available. Brian will be asked to report at the next meeting.
• Lower Deschutes Update
  AgWQMA Plan: See John Day Report Above
  Small Grant Update: The board asked that Brian check to see when new funding will be available. Brian will be asked to report at the next meeting.
• Annual Meeting: It was decided that an evening meeting in February will be planned. Gary will get in touch with Rod McGuire about the cost of catering. It was suggested that a winery in the area be asked to do a tasting table. Suggested speakers were Pat McGaughey (Krista will try to contact him), or some one from the Paleontology Center or from the Native American Cultural Resources (Gary will contact them).
• Weeds: The board discussed Farm Bill programs that cost share practices that are likely to allow the invasion of noxious and nuisance weeds. Kevin felt that weed complaints received by FSA have been dealt with successfully. It was suggested that nuisance weed controls be addressed in landowner agreements. Discussion will continue at the January board meeting.
• Producer Maps: The Freedom of Information Act prohibits giving out maps that may include information about adjacent land. If a map is produced specifically for one landowner, the district may charge a fee for the time spent by employees in preparing the map. Providing special maps will be given a low priority for employee time.
• Conservation Easements: Katie Pearmine of American Farmland Trust gave a presentation on Conservation Easements. She left a manual with information about conservation easement programs in Oregon.
• NRCS: Jessa reported that she had attended CREP training in Pendleton regarding the amendment to the CP 29 program. She has approximately 20 applications waiting for this amendment to be signed. Additional contribution agreement funds for assisting with the CSP were not applied for because the district would not have a way to come up with the 50% match.
• FSA: Kevin reported that a newsletter had just gone out with information about programs and sign up dates.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for November 9, 2004

• Watershed Updates
  Buck Hollow: No report
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: A fund request has been sent to BPA and OWEB for a completed water development. Combined Watershed Council meetings will be held on Nov. 29th and Dec. 1st.
  Fulton/Gordon Canyons: A large portion of this watershed will be eligible for the Conservation Security Program. Information will be made available to landowners. Watershed Council/CSP meetings will be held on Nov. 29th and Dec. 1st.
  Grass Valley: Jeff handed out a copy of his timeline for the watershed assessment. Combined Watershed Council meetings will be held on Nov. 29th and Dec. 1st.
  North Sherman: A large portion of this watershed will be eligible for the Conservation Security Program. Information will be made available to landowners. Watershed Council/CSP meetings will be held on Nov. 29th and Dec. 1st.
• Lower John Day Update
  AgWQMA Plan: See Deschutes Report Below
  Sub-Basin Planning: Jason reported that he has been attending meetings to develop the John Day Sub Basin Management Plan. Columbia-Blue Mtn. RC&D was able to secure funding to reimburse members for their travel. Jason will bring information back to the District for review.
• Lower Deschutes Update
  AgWQMA Plan: Ellen Hammond, ODA Water Quality Planner for the Lower Deschutes, came to give the District an update on the role that they have in implementing the Ag Water Quality Management Area Plans. She also reviewed ODA’s Complaint Investigation and Evaluation Process. The complaint process was discussed at length. Ellen requested that the board review and adopt an SWCD Agricultural Water Quality Concern Policy. This will be addressed at the December meeting. Sandy suggested that complainants should be notified of outcome of investigation. The board asked Ellen for clarification of the interpretation of the Erosion Rule as it relates to ORS 468B.025. She acknowledged that the statement made at our October meeting regarding this issue was not an approved response by ODA. She stated that “an operator can be in compliance with their HEL plan, but still be in violation of 468B”. Tom McCoy pointed out that the board and the LAC had been promised a response from ODA to the questions asked a year ago. The board requested that Ellen speak with Dave Wilkenson about a written response before the December 14th SWCD board meeting. Tom handed out the letter that he will be sending to the Oregon Wheat League and asked the board for their comments and any changes that they would like him to make before it is sent. Board will review individually and contact Tom if they have any comments.
• Annual Meeting: Liz Cranston is doing the District newsletter which will include the Annual Report. The board wants Krista to be sure that the 2004 Audit is completed for review at the December meeting.
• Elections Brad Eakin was elected to serve for Zone 3 and Gary Irzyk was elected to serve the At Large position.
• NRCS: Nancy Fields has been hired by NRCS to assist with the EQIP information migration. She is working in Hood River and Wasco Counties also. Mary Beth has completed the HEL status reviews. Emergency Watershed Program funding has been allocated for the Gerking Canyon project. The Conservation Security Program (CSP) will target the Mid Columbia/Hood River Watershed. This includes acreage in the North end of the county. Discussion of the program will continue at the Local Work Group meeting following this meeting. The Basin has more Contribution Agreement funds available for Technical Service Providers. Mary Beth will need more assistance because of the CSP. Brad asked if another NRCS person could be provided. Jeff thought that detailing a current NRCS employee might be possible. The staff will meet with Bill and Brad November 22 at 7 PM to discuss ways to allocate District employee time and the 50% match funding required.
• OSU Extension: Sandy reported that a newsletter is coming out soon with important dates.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for October 12, 2004

• Watershed Updates
  Buck Hollow: Landowners are continuing to implement projects using PL-566 and OWEB funds.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: Jason and Linnea are completing the Statement of Work for BPA funds. Several landowners have requested cost share for projects in the next grant.
  Fulton/Gordon Canyons: This watershed may be included in the upcoming Conservation Security Program (CSP).
  Grass Valley Canyon: Jeff Bird has been hired as the Watershed Assessment Technician. He began work on October 4th. Several landowners have requested assistance for projects to be included in the next OWEB grant.
  North Sherman: A large part of this watershed may be included in the upcoming Conservation Security Program. Several landowners have requested assistance for projects to be included in the next OWEB grant.
• Lower John Day Update
  AgWQMA Plan: Tom Straughan was asked to report on ODA’s progress in answering the Lower John Day LAC’s questions and concerns about the connection between the rules in the plan, and the Oregon Law 468B. He responded that he had nothing to report, but after some discussion he did help clarify some points. He stated that landowners actively applying the Preventive Measures in the Plan would not be cited for violating 468B. He stated that this applied only to sediment run-off from cropland and was subject to ratification at an upcoming meeting of the ODA work group. He promised that he would respond in writing after the ODA work group met.
  Sub-Basin Planning: Krista reported that the John Day Basin Sub Basin planning team is working to produce the needed assessment, inventory and management plan. Columbia-Blue Mtn. RC&D asked the District to review a contract between them and the other partners in the sub basin supporting the “John Day Sub Basin Planning Response Project”. A motion was made by Bill and seconded by Tracy to sign the contract. This contract will make it possible to receive reimbursement for assistance provided to the Planning Response Project. Motion carried. Tom Straughan commented that he thought the John Day Sub Basin plan was very poorly written and would need a lot of work.
  Small Grant Update: Projects are being implemented. No new grants have been submitted.
• Lower Deschutes Update
  AgWQMA Plan: Ellen Hammond plans to attend the November meeting to discuss the biennial review of the Lower Deschutes Ag Water Quality Management Area Plan. Tom McCoy has been keeping in contact with Ellen regarding the districts concerns about the connection between the rules in the plan, and the Oregon Law 468B.
  Sub Basin Planning: No new information has been received regarding the Deschutes Sub Basin Planning process.
  Small Grant Update: Projects are being implemented. No new grants have been submitted.
• 4(d) Update: Brian attended a meeting last week. They are still collecting information about irrigation practices. Brian will be attending the AG Progress Awards Dinner in Corvallis where the 4(d) committee will be receiving recognition for their work.
• Producer Requests for Maps: Tabled until November meeting.
• Watershed Coordinator Position: The board requested that the job announcement be published for the Watershed Coordinator position with the note that there is not a definite end date for applications (open until filled).
• OACD Convention Nov. 14-17 in Eugene: Brad suggested that Gary attend to represent the board. Actions on two resolutions were requested. The Polk County SWCD resolution was reviewed first. Bill moved and Kyle seconded to support the resolution at the convention. Motion carried. The Linn County resolution was discussed. The board would like to see the resolution developed so that it requests action from the OACD. If this is done, they would recommend that Gary vote for the resolution. The OACD by-laws were reviewed as requested. Brad moved and Tracy seconded to respond with “Aye to all”. Motion carried.
• Conservation Poster Contest: Liz brought in posters from the 5th and 6th grades at North Sherman Elementary. Staff judged the posters. First place poster was awarded to Jessica Kaseberg, second place to Chloe VanGilder, third place to Duncan Davis, and honorable mention to Mic Dubulskis. Krista will purchase gift certificates from the education fund.
• NRCS: Jeff Goebel, Basin Team Leader, reviewed the Objectives and the Inventory Action Plan of the basin. He noted the hiring of Nancy Fields who will be doing the EQIP Information Migration from FSA to NRCS. He noted that he is very proud of the Deschutes Basin NRCS team. He also appreciated the boards’ discussion of innovative approaches to ag practices in the county. Jeff complimented the District on their choice of speakers for the annual meeting last year (Karla Chambers). He suggested inviting a speaker who could address the current shift from subsidies to “green” payments for our upcoming Annual Meeting. A portion in the northwest part of Sherman County may be included in the Conservation Security Program (CSP) in the next fiscal year. The announcement of the CSP Priority area should happen on October 14th. Jeff would like to see that as many people as want to can get in to the Conservation Security Program. Producers are encouraged to do the self assessment that is available on line. The next area to be involved in the CSP may be the Lower John Day Watershed. Jeff commented that EQIP funds may focus priority on the upcoming CSP areas in order to get more people in to CSP and at higher tier classifications. The board did not think this would be a very equitable way to handle EQIP funding. Mary Beth had run several scenarios of the Soil Conditioning Index showing results for various common soils, slopes, and practices in the county. She shared these with the board. She asked that a Local Work Group meeting be set for immediately following the District board meeting on November 9th.
• OSU Extension: Sandy reported that he submitted a SARE grant requesting funds to cover expenses for attendees to the Jill Clapperton Workshop to be held in May. Funds will be handled by the District. He included some administration funds in the request. The Sherman County Wheat League is meeting November 5th.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for September 14, 2004

• Watershed Updates
  Buck Hollow: Landowners have been notified that their PL-566 contract projects need to be completed. OWEB phase 8 funds that were to be used as match to PL-566 may be redirected to other projects.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: Jason, Linnea and Krista are working on the BPA Statement of Work for the next fiscal year. Several landowners have requested projects for the next funding cycle. Jason will be writing the next OWEB grant with assistance from Linnea and Brian.
  Fulton/Gordon Canyons: No activity to report.
  Grass Valley Canyon: OWEB projects are being worked on. The applications for the Assessment position were reviewed. An OWEB grant for projects will be submitted. Jason and Brian will work on the grant proposal.
  Macks Canyon: No activity to report.
  North Sherman: Projects are being implemented using OWEB funding. Several requests for cost share funding have been received. Jason and Brian will work on an OWEB grant.
• Lower John Day Update
  TMDL: Data gathering is still in progress by DEQ for the Lower John Day TMDL development.
  Sub-Basin Planning: The Sub Basin plan was rated as inadequate. NWPCC and BPA will probably complete the plan, but there may be some input requested from the SWCD.
  Small Grant Update: Several projects have been completed in the John Day Small Grant area.
• Lower Deschutes Update
  AgWQMA Plan: Ellen Hammond, Water Quality Planner for the Lower Deschutes Ag Water Quality Management Area Plan, will try to attend the November meeting to give an update of ODA’s activities regarding implementation and compliance.
  Sub Basin Planning: The Deschutes Sub Basin plan was rated as inadequate. The Deschutes Coordinating Group hopes to continue to give input in to the completion of the plan.
  Small Grant Update: Several projects have been completed in the Deschutes Small Grant area.
• 4(d) Update: Work on Biological Opinions for irrigated lands is in progress. The committee that has been working on the ESA 4(d) will be honored at the AG Progress Awards Dinner to be held October 14th at Oregon State University. Brian will be attending the dinner.
• Producer Requests for Maps: More producers are requesting maps of their entire place that are not directly related to planning or specific projects. Concern was expressed that these maps would be time consuming for employees. The board will consider charging for the employee time. Jason will check on the way other Districts handle this and get back to the board at the October meeting.
• Soil & Water Conservation Commission Vacancy: Our Basin’s representative has resigned from the commission. Krista handed out the description of responsibilities of SWCC members so that board members could consider volunteering for the position.
• ODA Conservation Easement Training: ODA is offering a one hour training session to be presented at a District meeting. This training will help SWCD’s understand what a conservation easement is, how easements can protect ag lands and natural resources, and the benefits and responsibilities of becoming an easement holder. The board would like to try for the January meeting.
• Watershed Coordinator Position: Liz has resigned in order to teach full time at the Junior/Senior High School. In the interim period Jason will take over the grant writing duties with assistance from Brian and Krista. Brian will take over the Small Grant program with assistance from Krista.
• NRCS: Mary Beth presented a program update. There are currently 25 producers needing plans and 23 needing eligibility determinations for CRP. Thirteen growers received FY 2004 EQIP contracts and 3 growers received FY ’04 GRP contracts. The EQIP Local Work Group needs to schedule a meeting in November. The Soil Conditioning Index was discussed as it relates to qualification for CSP. Mary Beth will run several samples of the outcomes for areas throughout the county. Fiscal year ’05 priority watersheds will be submitted to National Headquarters for final selection. If any area of Sherman County is selected, sign ups might begin as early as December.

No Board Meetings Held in July or August.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for June 8, 2004

• Watershed Updates
  Buck Hollow: Nothing new to report. PL-566 and OWEB phase 8 projects are ongoing.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: A spawning survey was conducted. Only one Redd was found, but the survey may have been held too late in the season, and only a small portion of the usual area was surveyed. OWEB and BPA funded projects are being held up while waiting for Cultural Resource reviews and Threatened and Endangered Species surveys. There will be several projects that may have to be rescheduled. Linnea and Jason will work on this.
  Fulton/Gordon Canyons: Monitoring photos were taken.
  Grass Valley Canyon: OWEB Assessment funding has not been contracted yet. Brian talked to the County Court about funding the cash match required for the assessment. They are willing to provide the $12,600 needed. The County will also make contacts with legislators who might be influential in helping get more NRCS assistance for Sherman County.
  North Sherman: Liz is working on an OWEB Technical Assistance grant application for the Gerking Canyon portion of the watershed.
• Lower John Day Update
  AgWQMA Plan: The Ag Water Quality Management Area Plan was discussed at a Board of Ag meeting in Maupin. Tom McCoy and Jason attended. ODA will be doing a mock investigation in order to work through the enforcement criteria. Tom Straughan and Ellen Hammond will be reporting to the board. The board requested that they be kept more up to date on progress regarding enforcement of both the Soil Erosion Rule and ORS 468B. Tom reminded the board that the new budget and statement of work for Local Management Agencies should be submitted to him as soon as possible.
  Sub-Basin Planning: Sub Basin plan was submitted on May 28th.
  Small Grant Update: A request for brush control in the John Day area was turned down by OWEB. An application for a spring development was reviewed by the board. A motion was made by Brad and seconded by Tracy to recommend the proposal for funding. Motion carried.
• Lower Deschutes Update
  Sub Basin Planning: The BPA Sub Basin plan was submitted with very little emphasis put on upland projects. The board asked that it be noted that the coordination for public review was poorly done.
• 4(d) Update: A workshop to review the Biological Opinion for Gilliam, Sherman and Wasco County staff is being planned.
• Annual Work Plan/Workload Analysis for 2005: Brad and Krista will review changes. Gary will be asked to review and sign.
• Stephanie Page from ODA came to discuss the availability of OWEB Technical Assistance funding. This program is administered by ODA. Funds are intended for use implementing CREP contracts, and also some CCRP assistance. The board would like to pursue this funding for a possible start date of January 2005. Gary will work with the staff to develop request.
• NRCS: The Contribution Agreement should be signed by June 14, 2004. A motion was made by Tracy and seconded by Bill to hire Jessica Irzyk to fill the temporary full time position of CRP Technician. This job will pay $12.50 per hour, for 9 months or until funds run out, and is funded by the NRCS Contribution agreement with a 50% match from the District. Motion carried. Kacee’s last day will be June 23rd. Mary Beth reported that Jason has finished his plan for certification as a Planner. She also reminded the board about the upcoming Experiment Station field day and the sprayer technology workshop.
• FSA: Kevin reported that county committee elections will be held this fall. New GIS maps will be used next year, so landowners need to check their acres.
• Weed District Rod Asher gave a brief update of the situation with Rush Skeleton weed in the county. Funding at this time only covers maintenance of existing sites. There are no funds for searching for new sites. It was suggested that all of our future project grant applications include a component for weed eradication.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for May 11, 2004

• Watershed Updates
  Buck Hollow: Projects funded by PL-566 and OWEB are in progress.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: Projects are being implemented using Small OWEB, BPA, OWEB, and Pacific Gas Transmission Company cost share funds.
  Fulton/Gordon Canyons: EQIP cost shared projects are being implemented.
  Grass Valley Canyon: Projects cost shared by OWEB, EQIP, and Small OWEB are being implemented. Liz has submitted a large project grant application to OWEB.
  North Sherman: Liz has submitted an application for a large OWEB grant. Landowners are actively working on projects cost shared by the OWEB Direct Seed Incentive grant. Liz will begin working on a Technical Assistance Grant for Gerking Canyon that is due on July 9th.
• Lower John Day Update
  Sub-Basin Planning: Jason will be attending a Sub Basin planning meeting today in Condon. The Public Hearing for the plan will be held in Condon tonight at 6:30. Jason reported that the plan is still mostly “fish driven”. The committee has worked hard to keep some of the plan’s emphasis on the uplands. It is regrettable that the deadline of May 28th cannot be extended in order to complete a more accurate and comprehensive plan. There are no plans for extended time or funding for this process.
  Small Grant Update: A request for Lower Deschutes funding was approved by a motion made by Bill and seconded by Kyle. Motion passed unanimously. Liz reported that the Noxious Weed grant that the board voted to fund last month was turned down by OWEB. The state rules say that weed spraying is not a capital expenditure, but is a maintenance issue. Liz is working with Rod to revise the project so that it is acceptable. A request for Lower John Day funding was approved by a motion made by Tracy and seconded by Bill. Motion passed unanimously.
• Lower Deschutes Update
  Sub Basin Planning: Brian will be attending a Coordinating Group meeting on Thursday the 13th of May. He will be requesting changes in the description of the Lower Deschutes east side area (Sherman County). There has been no information about when the public hearing on this plan will be held.
• 4(d) Update: Brian participated in the signing ceremony held in Wasco County. The committee is meeting again today to discuss the next step in implementing the agreement.
• Annual Work Plan/Workload Analysis for 2005: The board appointed Brad to work with Krista on the final draft of the Annual Work Plan and Workload Analysis. They hope to review it at the June meeting.
• NRCS: Jeff Goebel – NRCS Deschutes Basin Recognition awards were presented to the District Board and employees. Mary Beth, Kacee and Kristie were also recognized for their extra work. Jeff reported on the recent trainings and workshops held in the basin. Kacee Kennedy – Kacee reported that she has been training a District volunteer who will be providing assistance with CRP status reviews, CREP and CCRP. Kacee also reported on her current workload with Farm Bill programs. Mary Beth Smith – Mary Beth has been taking more Soils education courses. She has also been working on EQIP, CREP and CCRP contracts. She reminded the board about the upcoming Sprayer Workshop on May 25th in Wasco County.
• FSA: Kevin reported that information is coming out in the FSA newsletter that includes sign up deadlines, information about loans, reminders to landowners to verify their acreage since the new GPS mapping. He explained more about signing up for the USDA Customer Statement that is available on the internet.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for April 13, 2004

• Watershed Updates
  Buck Hollow: Projects that were planned using OWEB Phase 8 and PL 566 funds need to be completed within the next two years.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: The annual Redd count is planned for April 20th. Projects are being implemented using OWEB and BPA cost share funds.
  Fulton/Gordon Canyons: Liz completed the monitoring report for OWEB Grant 99-552.
  Grass Valley Canyon: Liz is completing an OWEB grant application. Other projects in the watershed are being implemented using OWEB and EQIP cost share funds.
  North Sherman: Liz is completing an OWEB grant application for 5 producers.
• Lower John Day Update
  AgWQMA Plan: Tom Straughan gave a brief update on the Ag. Water Quality Management Area Plan discussion of the Erosion Rule and Oregon Law, ORS 468B and how they will affect both the Lower Deschutes and Lower John Day. The District requested that Tom get information out to them and the LAC’s as soon as possible.
  Sub-Basin Planning: Jason reported on the John Day Sub Basin planning process. Several chapters of the plan are available for review. Public comment meetings have been set for May 10th in Canyon City and May 11th in Condon.
  Small Grant Update: The committee reviewed Small Grant Applications. One application for the Lower John Day was not approved for funding.
• Lower Deschutes Update
  Sub Basin Planning: The Deschutes Sub Basin Plan is being presented this week at “The State of the Deschutes” meeting at Kah Nee Ta. It is not complete yet, but revisions need to be submitted soon. One suggested revision is in the Environmental Conditions section, #4 and all related sections (4.3.2). Revision would read “Lower eastside Deschutes River watershed from RM 0 to RM 100, including Buck Hollow, Bakeoven and Trout Creeks, and small tributaries to the Deschutes”.
  Small Grant Update: The committee reviewed Small Grant Applications. Three applications for the Lower Deschutes were approved.
• 4(d) Update: The process is nearly completed. An agreement will be signed soon.
• NRCS: Mary Beth gave an update of the workload for USDA programs. Kacee will be transferring to Pendleton possibly as early as June. The NRCS Contribution agreement for the next fiscal year is currently for $20,000. These funds will be used for funding a temporary CRP Technician to assist NRCS with their workload. We have been offered an additional $10,000 for this agreement. The SWCD must show a 50% match. The board concurred that they would like to request the $30,000. The match funding may be contingent on the OWEB assessment grant.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for March 9, 2004

• Watershed Updates
  Buck Hollow: Projects cost shared by OWEB Phase 8 and PL-566 are being planned and implemented as weather allows.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: Jason and Linnea have been working on the BPA budget and statement of work. Linnea assisted two landowners with Small Grant applications. The OWEB grant that was submitted in October was recommended for funding as 10 out of 10. We should find out soon if it will be funded. Liz and Linnea sent a letter to OWEB answering questions that were asked by the OWEB review committee.
  Fulton/Gordon Canyons: Liz is taking photos for the OWEB monitoring report.
  Grass Valley Canyon: Projects are being implemented by OWEB funding. Several Small Grants were submitted in the watershed. The OWEB grant that was submitted in October was recommended for funding as 8 out of 10. We should find out soon if it will be funded. Liz wrote OWEB a letter responding to questions asked by the OWEB review committee.
  North Sherman: Liz submitted a grant to For the Sake of the Salmon for technical assistance funding for lower Gerking Canyon. The board looked at a map of the Gerking Canyon uplands that shows work completed to date. Some additional completed areas were given to Liz. An OWEB grant will be submitted for upland work in the North Sherman watershed.
• Lower John Day Update
  Sub-Basin Planning: Jason is attending the Sub Basin planning meetings. It will be difficult to complete the plan by the May 28th deadline, but it will be done. They are meeting every two weeks.
• Lower Deschutes Update
  Sub Basin Planning: There was a meeting today of the Deschutes Coordination Group who is doing the Deschutes Sub Basin Plan.
• 4(d) Update: Brian gave a brief update. A meeting will be scheduled as quickly as possible. It will be held at the NRCS state office at a time to be announced.
• Election of Officers: A motion was made by Bill and seconded by Brad to retain the current slate of officers. Motion carried. Officers are Chair-Gary Irzyk, Vice Chair-Brad Eakin, Secretary-Kyle Blagg, Treasurer-Bill Martin.
• NRCS: Mary Beth explained that at this time there is a shortfall of approximately 230 days in NRCS ability to complete CRP status reviews and new CRP applications. Several options for resolving this shortfall were discussed. Several NRCS and SWCD employees from the basin have said that they can dedicate some time to assisting Sherman County with these tasks, but not enough to complete them. There may be $17,720 available to our district from TSP funds. The board discussed the option of redistributing workload for existing employees to cover the workload. Liz was also asked if she could add hours during the summer to assist. It was decided that this would still not allow sufficient time to complete the tasks. It was decided to request the TSP funds in order to hire a temporary full time employee. Mary Beth will work on an agreement with NRCS allowing this. The projected employment time would be April 15 to October 15. Krista and Mary Beth will work on the job description and announcement so that the advertisement can go out as soon as an agreement is signed with NRCS.
  
  Mary Beth gave the board information about the USDA Conservation Planning Software that will be available to customers this fall. She also gave the board information about pesticide use along waterways and a map showing the impacted. The plantings being done in the county for CREP and other programs were also discussed. The Natural Reclamation Service that is doing several planting contracts is planting drought tolerant plants in “zone 2”. This is experimental and NRCS will be watching closely to see the success rate.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for February 10, 2004

• Watershed Updates
  Buck Hollow: Nothing to report.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: BPA statement of work and budget are being worked on by Linnea and Jason.
  Fulton/Gordon Canyons: Nothing to report.
  Grass Valley Canyon: A letter was sent out to all council members informing them of the meeting to be held after the SWCD meeting on Feb. 10th. Election of officers for the watershed council and renewing terms need to be done, but a quorum was not present. Liz will try to contact council officers about the next step in resolving these issues. Members of the watershed council who were present would like to continue scheduling their meetings on the same day as the district meeting.
  North Sherman: Liz is working on a Gerking Canyon Technical Assistance grant for $5000 from “For the Sake of the Salmon”. She is also working on the OWEB project grant for producers due in April.
• Lower John Day Update
  AgWQMA Plan: The Public Hearing for the Ag. Water Quality Management Area Plan was held On February 4th. One landowner/LAC member testified that the process was not what he had hoped it would be. He felt that there was not sufficient time taken to properly address the erosion rule and the section on TMDL’s. Another hearing was held in Gilliam County in the evening. No one testified at that session. Written comments will be accepted until February 17th.
  Sub-Basin Planning: Part of Chapters 2 & 3 are available now. The inventory of projects has also been made available for review. The next meeting will be held on February 26th in Fossil.
  John Day Basin TMDL: Don Butcher came to discuss the TMDL process in the John Day Basin. He defined the process. Temperature is the main concern in the John Day basin. He stated that DEQ wants local input on how DEQ can best assess current temperatures and conditions. He also requested local input on methods to address conditions and development of management plans that will improve conditions. The board suggested that DEQ work through the district for outreach to landowners. Jason will coordinate with Mr. Butcher.
• Lower Deschutes Update
  Sub Basin Planning: Megan Prine brought information from the document. The next meeting will be held on February 12th in Madras. The technical team is waiting for the EDT and is developing the focal species list. Gary Thompson serves as a review team member so he is now going over this information for comment. She asked that the board appoint some one to review materials with Gary if they want to get their comments in. Brian was asked to participate from now until the deadline on May 28th. The coordinating group plans to have a draft document out before April 13th so that it can be discussed at the State of the Deschutes Conference at Kah Nee Ta.
• 4(d) Update: The third draft of the Section 7 consultation was reviewed and a few comments were made. NRCS is reviewing it, and then it will go to NOAA for their approval.
• NRCS: Kristie and Kacee reported on the status of EQIP funding. There will be a county Quality Assurance Review here on Thursday. Bill Martin had talked with Jeff Goebel about the ability of local staff to keep up with the workload involved with programs. Jeff Goebel will be asked to meet with the board before the Annual Meeting on the 19th to discuss this further. Some of the possibilities discussed were hiring Technical Service Providers, looking for funding for another SWCD employee, or finding a volunteer to assist.
• FSA: Kevin explained that an electronic version of the current aerial maps (Common Land Unit) has to be certified. Landowners will be notified of any differences in acreage that is noted after this process is completed. They will have a chance to comment. He also encouraged everyone to read their newsletter for current deadlines and sign ups.
• OSU Extension: Sandy handed out information about the Field Burning & Residue Management Workshop scheduled for March 4th. A down-side of the snow may be the occurrence of snow mold on growing crops. Extension will be getting out more information on this.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for January 13, 2004

• Watershed Updates
  Buck Hollow: Projects will continue to be implemented using OWEB and PL-566 cost share funds.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: A watershed council meeting was held on December 15th at the Kent Church. Seven members attended. They reviewed their Action Plan and made some changes. Aerial maps may be sent out to landowners so that they can identify completed conservation practices on their land. Future funding and deadlines were discussed.
  Fulton/Gordon Canyons: The watershed council met on December 11th in Wasco. Seven landowners attended. They reviewed and updated their Action Plan. Mapping existing projects was discussed. Landowners were asked to contact the SWCD if they wish to apply for funding for conservation practices.
  Grass Valley Canyon: A watershed council meeting was held on December 17th with only 4 members attending. No decisions about the Action Plan could be made because there was not a quorum present. Members present discussed pursuing an interim action plan until the assessment of the watershed can be completed. Funding for future conservation practices was discussed. The OWEB fund request for an assessment has been recommended for funding. Staff will develop a job description, budget, and training plan for board review. The officers of the Grass Valley Watershed Council will be asked to attend the next SWCD meeting (Feb.10).
  North Sherman: A council meeting date has not been set yet. Liz and Brian are working on maps for monitoring the direct seed project. Liz and Brian are working with the Gerking Canyon Flood Mitigation Group.
• Annual Work Plan: The board reviewed the work plan. Employee lists will be updated. Mary Beth asked that “Farm Bill Programs” be added to Goal 1, Program 2.
• Annual Meeting: The Annual Meeting will be held on February 19 at 12 noon at the Rebekah Hall in Grass Valley. Karla Chambers will be the speaker. Catering will be done by Lisa’s County Café in Grass Valley.
• OWEB Small Grants: Liz reviewed the priorities and evaluation criteria for the Small Grants in both the Lower John Day and Deschutes. The only change requested was the addition to part VI stating that a landowner can not apply for additional funding if he has an unfinished Small OWEB project. Funding will be allocated by local (Sherman County) committees using our own criteria. If funds are not allocated by the month before the end of the fiscal year, the committees from Wasco, Sherman and Gilliam counties will meet to reallocate the final funding.
• Lower John Day Update
  AgWQMA Plan: The Lower John Day Ag. Water Quality Management Area Plan is out for public comment. Two public hearings will be held. They will be held on February 4, 2004 at 3:00 PM at the Sherman County Court House in Moro and at 7:00 PM at the Gilliam County Court House in Condon.
  Sub-Basin Planning: John Day Sub Basin Planning is progressing well. The next meeting will be held in Fossil on January 23rd. The board hopes to review whatever parts of the document that have been completed.
• Lower Deschutes Update
  AgWQMA Plan: Implementation of the Ag. Water Quality Management Area Plan is being conducted through projects in the Deschutes watershed areas.
  Sub Basin Planning: The Deschutes Sub Basin Planning Group is on schedule for completion of the plan, but the board would like to see any of the parts of the document that have been completed. Gary will contact Megan Prine about getting some of this information before the next meeting.
• NRCS: Mary Beth handed out her activity report which will be attached to these minutes. The CP 29 program was discussed. A listening forum regarding the Conservation Security Program will be held at the Discovery Center in The Dalles at 9:00 AM on January 30th.
• FSA: Kevin reported that the FSA newsletter will be coming out soon. They have been working hard on getting payments out. Forest Peters will be replacing Don Coats on County Committee. Stuart vonBorstel was reelected to represent the south county on the committee.
• OSU Extension: Sandy reminded everyone about the Sprayer Technology workshop coming up on January 22nd. On March 4th there will be a workshop titled “Field Burning & Residue Management” in Rufus.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for December 9, 2003

• Watershed Updates
  Buck Hollow: no report
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: A watershed council meeting has been set for December 15, 7:00 PM at the Kent Church.
  Fulton/Gordon Canyons: The watershed council will meet on December 11, 8:30 AM at the City Hall in Wasco.
  Grass Valley Canyon: A meeting has been scheduled for the 17th of December, 7:00 PM at the Sherman SWCD office.
  North Sherman: Liz will be working with the council to schedule a meeting soon.
• OWEB Small Grants: The Lower John Day Small Grant Team approved two new applications and one extension for grant completion. One final request was sent in this month. OWEB Administrative rules have changed which will require that teams review operating procedures and by-laws. The Lower Deschutes Small Grant Team will meet on Friday, Dec. 12th at 10:00 AM here.
• OWEB Large Grant: The deadline for the next OWEB grant cycle is April 26, 2004. Liz will be working on two North Sherman Watershed project grants. One project is for a large structure in Gerking Canyon. The other is for four landowners in the watershed.
• Lower John Day Update
  AgWQMA Plan: The Lower John Day Ag. Water Quality Management Area Plan should be distributed by ODA in the near future. It is ready for Public Comment which will be between January 1st and February 15th. Public meetings will be scheduled in Sherman and Gilliam Counties to hear comment.
  Sub-Basin Planning: Lyn Craig, Outreach Coordinator, handed out an information sheet about the sub basin planning process. Jason, Liz, Krista, and Gary Thompson have been attending the planning meetings. The plan must be completed by May 28, 2004. Several meetings will be held in early May for public review and comment. Lyn will be back to update the SWCD before then.
• Lower Deschutes Update
  Sub-Basin Planning: Merlin reported that the Deschutes Sub Basin Planning process is progressing well and should meet the May 28th deadline. Information about the Lower Deschutes Ag. Water Quality Management Area Plan will be shared with the watershed councils. The “State of the Deschutes” meeting is being planned for April.
• 4(d) Update: Brian had nothing new to report at this time.
• Annual Meeting: Gary is trying to arrange for Karla Chambers to be the speaker for the Annual Meeting. She can not come on Tuesdays, so the Annual Meeting and the February meeting may be held on either Monday the 9th or Wednesday the 11th. Krista is checking with local businesses about catering. Location will probably be either the Rebekah Hall in Grass Valley or the Parish Hall in Wasco.
• NRCS: Kristie and Kacee reported on progress in CCRP and CP 29 contracts. NRCS may make additional help available to complete the contracts. Kristie reminded board members that the Local Work Group meeting was scheduled for immediately following the board meeting.
• FSA: Sheri updated the board on sign up deadlines and programs.
• OSU Extension: Sandy reported that there will be a sprayer technology workshop January 22nd with a second session to be scheduled in May. Extension will be working with the Sherman and Wasco County SWCD’s on a field burning workshop. He reminded the board about the Direct Seed Conference to be held in Pendleton in January.
• Wy'East RC&D: Merlin Berg updated the board on activities that the RC&D has been involved in. He explained about a grant request that the RC&D will be submitting to fund the Deschutes Consensus Institute project.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for November 12, 2003

• Watershed Updates
  Buck Hollow: OWEB phase 8 approved with cost share from PL-566. Monitoring reports were sent in to OWEB for completed projects.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: Linnea and Krista completed an OWEB grant for projects in the watershed. Several projects were completed this fall using OWEB and BPA funds. A watershed council meeting will be scheduled soon.
  Fulton/Gordon Canyons: No new funding has been requested at this time, but a watershed council meeting is being planned in order to discuss goals for future projects.
  Grass Valley Canyon: Liz completed an OWEB fund request for projects, and also for funding for an assessment. A watershed council meeting is being planned.
  North Sherman: A meeting is being set up. Several producers signed up for the OWEB Direct Seed cost share.
• OWEB Small Grants: The Lower John Day grant team met to discuss by-law changes and review two Sherman County applications. The Lower Deschutes team was unable to meet so applications were reviewed and recommendations made by members and returned to Jennifer Clark in the Wasco County SWCD office. Two Sherman County applications were approved for funding. A motion was made by Kyle and seconded by Bill to request to stay with the original boundaries developed by OWEB which has us involved with Gilliam County on the John Day River side and Wasco County on the Deschutes River side. Motion carried.
• Lower John Day Update
  AgWQMA Plan: The Public Review Draft of the Lower John Day Ag Water Quality Management Area Plan was discussed. Tom McCoy handed out some suggestions for improvements to the plan that he had developed. He will send copies to both Tom Straughan and Dave Wilkenson of ODA. Tom asked Mary Beth to write a generic HEL plan that would represent the average Sherman & Gilliam County lands so that it can be shown to ODA. The board would like to know when the Public Comment period will be. The board would like to develop comments for the review.
• Lower Deschutes Update
  AgWQMA Plan: No new information at this time.
• Annual Meeting: The board would like to hold the meeting in early February. The fair grounds building will not be available so the Grass Valley Rebekah hall or the Parish Hall in Wasco were suggested as possible locations. Gary will be asked to work on the program and possible speakers. Karla Chambers and Wayne Elmore were suggested as possible speakers.
• NRCS: Mary Beth’s activity report is attached. An EQIP Local Work Group meeting will be held on December 9th at 10:30 AM following the district meeting. Discussion items will include review of the ranking system and possible pre-screening tools. Jeff Goebel, NRCS Basin Team Leader, handed out drafts of the Basin Strategic Plan for fiscal year 2004. There will be a meeting in early January to discuss content of the Strategic Plan. Jeff would like input from directors and staff. National NRCS office personnel including Chief of NRCS, Bruce Knight, will be in The Dalles for a tour on November 19th. Jeff invited the district to send a representative to this event.
• FSA: Kevin complimented NRCS on the good job they are doing with the current programs. There will be a newsletter coming out soon that will include deadlines for sign ups for several programs. There is a Beginning Farmer loan program available. Merle Blackburn in The Dalles Service Center is the contact person for it. County Committee elections are coming up with Dean Wilcox and Stuart vonBorstel running. Mary Beth, Sandy Macnab, and Kevin MacIntyre will be making recommendations on the percent of loss for the Forage Loss program. 60% loss has been suggested.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for October 14, 2003

• Watershed Updates
  Buck Hollow: OWEB Phase 8 funding has been approved and will be used in conjunction with PL-566 funds for cost shares.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: Linnea is working on a grant for several spring developments. She will be coming in to review information with Liz and Brian.
  Fulton/Gordon Canyons: A council meeting will be scheduled in the near future.
  Grass Valley Canyon: Liz is working on an OWEB fund request for 4 landowners in the watershed. The request for funds to do an Assessment in Grass Valley Canyon was discussed. It has been reported that OWEB will not have enough funding to support all assessment grants, but that the funding could be included in the capital grants. It was decided that the only way an assessment could be completed would be if funding could be secured to hire another employee. Looking for an alternate funding source was suggested and also looking for assistance from one of the universities.
  North Sherman: The Watershed Council met on September 22. The Council was updated on the Lower John Day Ag Water Quality Management Area Plan. Conservation map updates were discussed. An update on the OWEB Direct Seed grant was given. The council discussed the Flood Recovery program that is being done in the Gerking and Scott Canyon area. NRCS has received Emergency Watershed Program assistance for work in the lower confluence of the two canyons. The District will review the design before implementation. Survey of upland needs is being done. Funding for landowners wishing to be cost shared will be sought in the next grant cycle (April).
• OWEB Small Grants: Additional funding has been allocated to both the Lower John Day and Lower Deschutes Small Grant teams. Each area has an additional $20,000 to allocate by December 31, 2003. Applications are being accepted now. One is ready for review in the Lower John Day and four in the Lower Deschutes. The Lower Deschutes Small Grant team will meet on November 13th.
• Lower John Day Update
  AgWQMA Plan: The next meeting is scheduled for October 15th, 7:00 PM at the Sherman County SWCD office.
• Lower Deschutes Update
  AgWQMA Plan: Information is available for landowners.
• 4(d) Update: Brian reported that the final outcome of this process will most likely not be a 4(d) exemption, but will make use of the Section 7 consultation process. Final reviews of Biological Opinions are being done.
• NRCS: Mary Beth handed out her progress report. The NRCS Strategic Plan was handed out. Mary Beth pointed out that each Districts Annual Plan of Work was included in the development of this Strategic Plan.
• ODA: Stephanie Page, ODA, presented information about the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) and the Continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CCRP). She discussed the amendment to the current requirements for eligibility and management practices for participants in these programs. The impact of these programs was discussed. A concern of the board is that these programs continue to take opportunity away for young farmers and therefore the population and economy of the county is affected. The board would like to see managed grazing allowed in the programs. Comments and concerns that they asked Stephanie to take back with her were: the definition of intermittent stream; allowing grazing to be included as a management practice; the possibility of an individual farm acreage cap; funding for technical assistance.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for September 9, 2003

• Watershed Updates
  Buck Hollow: OWEB Phase 8 was recommended for funding by the review committee as a high priority. Some spring developments were completed using PL-566 and OWEB funding.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: Projects are currently being funded by BPA and OWEB grants (203-068 & 204-142). Three spring developments were just completed. Liz will be scheduling a council meeting soon. Several landowners have requested assistance for projects so an OWEB grant will be developed.
  Fulton/Gordon Canyons: The council will meet this fall to discuss their goals.
  Grass Valley Canyon: Liz is working on an OWEB grant for the October 27th deadline. Seven landowner/operators have requested assistance. A council meeting will be scheduled soon. Several projects have been completed in the watershed using EQIP funding.
  North Sherman: Liz is organizing a council meeting. Topics of discussion include the OWEB Direct Seed grant and the recent flash flood in the Gerking and Scott Canyon area. The storm which occurred in August caused serious damage to parts of the city of Rufus, county and state roads, and several private properties. Cliff Jett, mayor of Rufus, said that these storm events have occurred nearly every ten years and are costing the city approximately $12,000 each time to clean up the city property and a substantial amount to private landowners. Shawn Payne of Sherman County Emergency Services will be writing a report about the flood damage. It was agreed that the entire watershed needs to be assessed and all partners included in planning. Suggested partners include; City of Rufus, County Road Dept., County Court, Emergency Services, ODOT, Soil & Water Conservation District, North Sherman County Watershed Council, USDA-NRCS, Corp of Engineers, BPA, and NOAA Fisheries. September 24th was suggested as a meeting date. A tour of the watershed, a meal, and a meeting was also suggested. Arrangements will be coordinated by the city of Rufus, the SWCD, and Sherman County Emergency Services. Mary Beth is working with USDA for possible Emergency Watershed Program funding. Brian will identify possible problem areas in the uplands and estimate costs.
• Drought Declaration: Gary Thompson reported that the request had been approved at the state level and has gone on to the federal level for review.
• Lower John Day Update
  Small Grants: There are currently eleven small grants in the Grass Valley watershed. Final reports have been sent out on seven, two will be completed by the end of this year, and two will be completed in 2004. In North Sherman watershed there has been one project completed and one will be completed in November. Three projects have been completed in the Pine Hollow/Jackknife watershed. Two more will be completed by the end of this year and one in 2004.
  AgWQMA Plan: The next meeting will be held September 29th, 7-9 PM, here at the SWCD office. Tom Straughan said that ODA would like to have all Ag. Water Quality Management Area Plans completed by next summer.
  Sub-Basin Planning: Jason gave a brief update of the last meeting. Meetings are being held in Fossil. The goal is to have the Plan written by May of 2004.
• Lower Deschutes Update
  Small Grants: One project was completed in Fulton & Gordon watershed. One project has been completed in the Buck Hollow watershed and one will be completed in 2004.
  AgWQMA Plan: Nothing new was reported concerning this plan. Newsletters and meetings are being held to keep landowners up to date on programs available.
  Sub Basin Planning: There will be a meeting on September 10th at the Deschutes River Ranch.
• OWEB Grants: Project proposals need to be in to the SWCD by Sept. 15th. This information has been distributed by letters to landowners, a newsletter and on the web page.
• Newsletter: The volume 3, issue 3 went out in August.
• Conservation Poster Contest: The theme for this years poster contest is “Food for the Future”. All Sherman County students in grades K through 6th are eligible. Hughes Feed & Grain and Wheatacres Irrigation are co-sponsors of the contest.
• NRCS: Jeff Goebel, the NRCS Deschutes Basin Team Leader introduced himself. He reported on the workshop that was held at Kah Nee Ta and the successes he has seen within the group that attended. There will be a similar meeting in The Dalles September 16-19th. A draft of the Basin Strategic Plan will be out by October. Jeff encouraged the district to help in directing how funds are distributed. The Contribution agreement between NRCS and the district was discussed. Mary Beth reported that $272,000 will be available in Sherman County through EQIP. Kacee gave an update on the CP 29 program and reported that 12 producers have signed up.
• FSA: Sheri explained about several of the new programs available and what several of the program sign up deadlines are. This information is available in their newsletter.
• OSU Extension: Sandy discussed some of the highlights of their latest newsletter and the prediction of an early, hard winter.
• ODA: Tom Straughan gave a brief update of the ODA budget. He said that the Pesticide Reporting issue was a major problem in finalizing the budget.

No Board Meetings Held in July or August.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for June 10, 2003

• Watershed Updates
  Buck Hollow: OWEB Phase 8 has been reapplied for. PL-566 projects continue.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: OWEB and BPA funded projects are being done this spring. OWEB is now requiring grazing plans for this watershed.
  Fulton Gordon: Some projects are being completed using OWEB Small Grant funds.
  Grass Valley Canyon: An extension for OWEB grant number 201-359 has been approved. Planning is being done for future EQIP projects in the watershed.
  Macks Canyon: Projects funded by OWEB 99-249 and DRC are nearly completed. Brian has requested an extension for OWEB grant 201-358.
  North Sherman: Sign ups for the OWEB funds are still slow. Another notice will be sent out to landowners in the watershed.
• Lower John Day Update - The next LAC meeting is set for June 23, 7:00pm at the court house in Condon. All members are encouraged to share the draft copies of the Plan with their neighbors, get comments and participate in this meeting.
• NRCS - Copies of the LWG minutes were handed out. EQIP funding was discussed. Funding for the Ground & Surface Water Program is available in the Basin. The board concurred that they would like to request funds from this program. Kristie handed out information about compliance with the Privacy Act.
• FSA - Kevin reported that sign ups are open for Disaster Programs, but no fund totals have been allocated. CCRP and CREP sign ups are also open. No more CRP acres are available in Sherman County.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for May 13, 2003

• Watershed Updates
  Buck Hollow: Mary Beth reported that she has been working with several PL-566 contracts.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: Redd count was done and we should hear results from ODFW soon.
  Fulton Gordon: Both OWEB and DEQ grants were completed. There is some small OWEB grant work being completed in the watershed.
  Grass Valley Canyon: Mary Beth has been writing EQIP contracts for the watershed. One OWEB grant (200-246) is nearly completed. There are two other grants plus small OWEB grants being used for projects at this time.
  North Sherman: The OWEB payment will total only $7.50 per acre whether EQIP is used or not. Grant participants will be allowed to sign up until July 1, 2003. At that time, if there are still available acres, the sign up will be opened up to all North Sherman Watershed residents.
• Lower Deschutes Update - Ellen Hammond, Water Quality Planner for the Lower Deschutes, presented the Lower Deschutes Ag. Water Quality Management Area Plan. She suggested that districts be very proactive about the information and needs of the Plan. She also showed the Compliance Evaluation process.
• Lower John Day Update - The LAC will meet in June to discuss any changes to the plan.
• OWEB Small Grant Update - The John Day and Deschutes Small Grant areas are both out of funding for this biennium. Applications are still being accepted for next biennium, but we are not sure yet about the timing or availability of future funding.
• NRCS - Mary Beth reminded everyone about the Local Work Group meeting to be held May 20th at 9:00 AM here. Kristie Coelsch will be acting District Conservationist here for the first 3 weeks of June.
• FSA - Kevin discussed upcoming sign up dates for CRP, ECP and other Disaster programs that will be available.
• OSU Extension - Sandy gave a quick overview of upcoming activities.
• June Meeting - The June business meeting will be held at 8:30 AM at the SWCD office.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for April 8, 2003

• Lower John Day Update - A draft of the Ag. Water Quality Management Area Plan has been sent out to the SWCD board, LAC members, FSA, NRCS, Extension, Weed District and some landowners that asked to be in on the initial review. Funding for the OWEB Small Grant program should be available after July 1st.
• Lower Deschutes Update - The Ag. Water Quality Management Area Plan is in the implementation stage. OWEB Small Grant funding should be available after July 1st. The Deschutes Sub-basin Planning Group is meeting on a regular basis.
• Sherman County Budget Request (2003-2004) - Krista will turn in the proposed budget to the County by April 11th. The District will request funds for district operations.
• NRCS - Mary Beth handed out her activity report. Information regarding Technical Service Providers (TSP) is available on the Internet.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for March 11, 2003

• Watershed Updates
  Grass Valley Canyon: Projects are being implemented for three Grass Valley Canyon grants. Additional funding has been requested from OWEB for other projects in the watershed.
• Lower John Day Update - The LAC will be meeting on March 18th, 6:30 PM here at the office. The Lower John Day Sub Basin Planning group will meet on March 19th in Monument to begin development of a work plan that is due to the Northwest Power Planning Council by April 15th. A draft MOU was handed out to the board for review.
• Lower Deschutes Update - The revised AgWQMA plan has not been approved yet. A Deschutes Sub Basin Planning group meeting was held on March 6th in Maupin and on March 10th in Redmond. Technical requirements are being developed for the plan.
• Budget Presentation - Jason and Krista developed a projected budget for the three employees funded by BPA, OWEB, and ODA (Jason, Brian, & Dan).
• 2003 Annual Meeting - Gary asked directors to begin thinking about the next annual meeting. He would like to make a decision early about having the meeting at noon, or in the evening.
• NRCS - Mary Beth handed out a spreadsheet showing the EQIP ranking criteria. It clearly showed that a "tie breaker" needs to be developed by the local work group. A LWG meeting will be set up at a later date.
• FSA - Kevin discussed the precipitation totals for the calendar and the crop year. NAP forage payments for 2002 are being paid now. He presented more disaster program updates.
• OSU Extension - Sandy reported that he has been doing field assessments in order to develop the crop predictions.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for February 18, 2003

• Watershed Updates
  Buck Hollow: Mary Beth has been assisting with fire rehabilitation projects.
  Pine Hollow/Jackknife: The OWEB grant agreement has been received and signed. Another OWEB grant request was submitted on February 3rd for $100,000 ($197,000 total project cost). The OWEB 99-013 grant will be completed this spring.
  Grass Valley Canyon: The OWEB grant request for $41,000 submitted in October was approved for funding. No agreements have been received to date. Another OWEB grant request was submitted for $100,000 ($197,000 total project cost) on February 3rd.
  North Sherman: The OWEB Direct Seed grant agreement has been received and signed.
• Lower John Day Update - Dan attended a meeting of the John Day Sub basin planning group in Fossil. Blue Mt. RC&D is assisting with this effort that is required by the Northwest Power Planning Council and BPA in order to receive cost share funding for projects.
• Lower Deschutes Update - The Ag Water Quality Management Area Plan has not been approved yet. The Small OWEB Grant group held their annual meeting on Feb. 13th in The Dalles.
• Associate Directors - Gary suggested that associate directors be appointed to assist the district with specific programs or projects. Area where assistance might be helpful were: educational outreach, tree Sale, attendance at Wy’east RC&D meetings, Basin Work Group representation, basin planning efforts for BPA, and participation in legislative concerns possibly through County Court, Cattlemen’s, or Wheat Growers.
• NRCS - The state office has asked Mary Beth to develop a prescreening tool for EQIP applications. She has developed a simple one that she asked the directors to review and get back to her if they would like to see any changes.
• FSA - Kevin updated the board on new disaster relief programs that will be available. He also reviewed issues that were addressed in the latest FSA newsletter.
• OSU Extension - Sandy reported that the MCP Marketing Club have a free disk available that has a 5 year marketing tool on it. He announced various tours and workshops that are coming up in the next month.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for January 14, 2003

• Oath of Office - New board members Kyle, Bill, and Tracy took the oath of office.
• Election of Officers - Motions approved that Gary serve as Chair, Brad serve as Vice Chair, Kyle serve as Secretary, and Bill serve as Treasurer for 2003.
• Lead Directors for Watershed Projects were updated for the 2003 Annual Work Plan. They are as follows: Buck Hollow Project-Gary; Pine Hollow/Jackknife-Gary and Brad; Fulton & Gordon Canyons-Bill; Grass Valley Canyon-Brad and Kyle; Macks Canyon-Kyle; North Sherman-Tracy and Bill.
• Lower John Day Update - The Lower John Day LAC met on January 6th in Condon. It has since been decided that the draft Ag Water Quality Management Plan is not ready to go out for public comment.
• SWCD Annual Meeting - The board agreed that the SWCD annual meeting should be held on February 18th. The meeting will be held in a luncheon format. Location and speaker will be announced as soon as possible.
• NRCS - Mary Beth attended the Direct Seed Conference in Spokane. She has information for anyone who is interested. She reported that the Local Work Group (LWG) for the NRCS EQIP program met on December 10th. They approved a cost list and set the ranking criteria for EQIP applications. At this time there will be no prescreening of applications, and a "tie breaker" will have to be set by the LWG. The interim NRCS Basin Team Leader is Leo Preston from McMinnville. Mary Beth will communicate with him about the SWCD’s concern that Sherman County needs additional NRCS personnel in the Moro field office. The NRCS staffing priorities for the entire Deschutes Basin at this time are first, an Engineer in The Dalles field office, and second, a Technician in the Moro field office.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for December 10, 2002

• Lower John Day Update - The Lower John Day Ag Water Quality Management meeting for December was cancelled due to weather conditions. The meeting was rescheduled for Monday, January 6 at 7:00 PM at the Gilliam County Courthouse. An NWPPC/BPA Subbasin Planning process has begun for the Lower John Day River. ODFW will lead the planning process.
• Lower Deschutes Update - The latest draft of the Ag. Water Quality Management Area Plan is being reviewed by ODA (Draft available at ODA website). The NWPPC/BPA Subbasin Planning process for the Lower Deschutes will be funded by BPA at a cost of $253,000.
• Annual Meeting - An annual SWCD meeting has been scheduled for noon on February 11th. Neither a meeting place nor an agenda has been determined.
• Watershed Council Update - Watershed Councils will be meeting in January to discuss watershed assessments, self-evaluations, and OWEB Grant deadlines.
• NRCS - Mary Beth Smith reported on NRCS activities.
• FSA - Kevin MacIntyre reported that ECP sign ups are nearly completed. Ken Melzer was elected to the county committee with Mavis Olsen serving as 1st alternate.
• ODFW - Kieth Kohl reported that ODFW would be moving 50 big horn sheep from the John Day River and 20 from the Deschutes River. Pheasant counts this year in Sherman County are the second lowest counts in history.

Sherman SWCD Board Highlights for November 12, 2002

• Lower John Day Update - The Lower John Day River LAC expects to have a draft out for review by the public by January. The draft will be posted on this website when available.
• Lower Deschutes Update - The latest draft of the Ag. Water Quality Management Area Plan is being reviewed by ODA (Draft available at ODA website).
• Director Election Updates - Bill Martin was elected to the Zone 3 position. Tracy Fields was elected for Zone 2. Kyle Blagg was elected for the At Large position. Directors will take office in January.
• Annual Meeting - The board would like to schedule an annual meeting in February at the Fair Grounds. A date and time are yet to be determined.
• Educational Projects - Renona and Dan are assiting science teachers from the elementary and high schools in locating funding for Grass Valley Watershed monitoring projects.
• NRCS - Mary Beth Smith reported on NRCS activities.
• FSA - Kevin MacIntyre reported on County Committee activities and elections.
• OSU Extension - Sandy Macnab reported that there would be a series of meetings about development of Business Plans. There will be a Weeds Workshop on February 11th. The Dog and Pony Show will be held January 21st at the Discovery Center.