LUCKIAMUTE WATERSHED COUNCIL MINUTES
NOVEMBER 9, 2006
VOLUNTEER HALL, MONMOUTH, OR
INTRODUCTION:
The meeting was called to order at 7:00 pm by Coordinator Michael Cairns in the absence of other officers. The October minutes were approved. Volunteer time sheets were again requested.
BUSINESS:
Trail advisory group: Tammee Stump agreed to serve as the LWC representative on an advisory group considering a trail from Falls City to Black Rock.
Coordinator’s Report (also see attached)
Agreement was reached with ODOT to place 10 watershed signs at state highway entrances to the Luckiamute and Ash Creek watersheds. The total cost is $520 to be covered by a pledge of $120 by an anonymous donation arranged by Jo Yeager and $400 from our Salem Keizer Association account. The LWC will now participate in Polk County’s adopt-a-road program by being responsible for clean up of a 1-mile stretch of Buena Vista Road at the Luckiamute River crossing on the first Saturdays of May and October. Two applications were submitted to OWEB for the October 16 round of grants. One is to conduct a steelhead limiting factors analysis and action plan for restoration prescriptions to be implemented in the Pedee Creek sub-watershed. The other is the “Writing Your Watershed” education project. Decisions on these are due in March 2007. An application for funding a part-time outreach specialist is being submitted to the Sprit Mountain Community Fund. The OWEB support grant for the Luckiamute WC by itself is due December 15.
Action Planning:
After introductory explanations and instructions by Michael and Shawn, the group started on the action plan exercise. We were able to complete 2 1/3 activities – Improving fish passage, add large wood or boulders to streams, and part of riparian plantings. There was ample discussion involved in the process. It was soon recognized that the activities being considered at this time will only contribute to the aquatic portion of what is needed for an LWC action plan.
Member reports and public comments
Kirk Lewis brought us up to date on the progress of the Luckiamute Landing State Park discussions. The agencies seem to be quite attentive to public input with two more hearings scheduled. It appears that the LWC will have ample opportunity to be involved in future restoration projects within the Park.
Diane Morris from the BLM Salem office reaffirmed the interest of BLM in the LWC and offered the continuation of technical assistance and other staff involvement.
Adjourn and next meeting:
Meeting adjourned at 9 pm. Next meeting will be December 14 at the Monmouth Volunteer Hall at 7:00 pm. It was decided that a social pot-luck be postponed until after the first of next year.
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Absent |
Present |
Position |
Board member |
Term ends |
||
|
X |
|
Agriculture |
Garth Mulkey |
2006 |
||
|
|
|
Agriculture |
vacant |
2005 |
||
|
X |
|
At Large |
Gail Oberst |
2007 |
||
|
X |
|
City |
Kenn Carter* |
2007 |
||
|
|
X |
City |
Shawn Irvine |
2007 |
||
|
|
|
Commerce |
vacant |
2006 |
||
|
|
|
Domestic H2O Supply |
vacant |
2007 |
||
|
X |
|
Education |
Karen Haberman |
2006 |
||
|
|
|
Environment |
Vacant |
2006 |
||
|
X |
|
Environment |
Wade Edris |
2007 |
||
|
|
|
Federal agency |
vacant |
2006 |
||
|
|
|
Industrial timber |
vacant |
2007 |
||
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|
|
Industry |
vacant |
2005 |
||
|
|
X |
Recreation |
Tammee Stump |
2005 |
||
|
X |
|
Small farm & forest |
Ann Stewart* |
2006 |
||
|
|
X |
Small farm & forest |
Kirk Lewis |
2009 |
||
|
X |
|
SWCD - Benton |
Cliff Hall |
2009 |
||
|
|
X |
SWCD - Polk |
Jim Clawson* |
2009 |
||
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|
X |
Watershed Resident |
Ron Nestlerode |
2007 |
||
|
X |
|
Watershed Resident |
Jo Yeager |
2006 |
||
|
X |
|
Wildlife |
David Anderson* |
2007 |
||
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Other staff, guests: |
Affiliation |
|
||||
|
Kelly Gordon |
Watershed resident |
? |
||||
|
Michael Cairns |
Watershed Coordinator |
michael.cairns@yahoo.com |
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Judi Lewis |
Watershed resident |
kwlewis2948@aol.com |
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Diane Morris |
BLM, Salem District |
diane_morris@blm.gov |
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|
Phil Larsen |
Watershed resident |
Larsen.phil@epa.gov |
||||
|
Dave Vesely |
Watershed resident |
dvesely@pwri.com |
||||
|
Charles Redon |
Umbrella Coordinator |
rickreallwc@hotmail.com |
||||
* LWC Officers
LWC Coordinator Report for November, 2006
At their September meeting, OWEB granted our request to apply solo for 2007-09 council support funding. I will be writing the council support grant application in the next 60 days (due 12/15).
Also at this meeting, OWEB awarded funding to the LWC in the amount of $146,337 for our two grants (upper Maxfield Creek restoration project and steelhead passage barrier technical assistance project). The grant agreements have been signed, and I am beginning work to implement those projects. The passage barrier project requires 3 contracts which are being prepared by our fiscal agent using scopes of work that I am now preparing.
We have reached a final agreement with ODOT regarding our watershed signage request. There will be a total of 10 signs. They will be 12” x 18”. The cost is $10.16/ft2, so the sign cost will be $152.40. Posts will cost $268.30 and LWC logo decals will cost $100.00. The total cost is ~$520. Thanks to Jo, we have a pledge of $120.00, so our cost will be ~$400, to come from our Salem Keizer Association account.
The LWC 2006 volunteer recognition ceremony and gathering was held on September 23 at Airlie Winery, in conjunction with the Ritner Creek covered bridge fundraising group. Ann presented awards and gifts to two LWC founders (Dave Vesely and Randy Gould), certificates to the 20 participants in the 2005 water quality monitoring project, and a plaque to the LWC 2006 volunteer of the year (Jo Yeager). Your coordinator provided the plaque and the two certificate frames. Ann provided the two pictures given as gifts.
The LWC is now a participant in Polk County’s Adopt-a-Road program. There is no cost and our name will soon appear on road signs. We are committed to picking up roadside trash in a 1-mile stretch of Buena Vista Road at the Luckiamute River crossing two times per year (first Saturdays in May and October) – supplies provided.
DSL has approved our removal/fill permit for the SF Ash Creek project. The Army Corps of Engineers and NOAA-Fisheries want a modification to our boulder placement design. We are negotiating to meet their requirements and get that permit approved soon. The dam and boulder work will occur next summer. However, site preparation and spring native vegetation planting are proceeding as planned. State rules prohibit any disbursement of grant funds until all required permits are approved. We paid for site preparation from our SKUWCA account and OWEB will reimburse us for project expenses when the permit is obtained.
Your Coordinator submitted a grant application for the October 16 technical assistance round to conduct a steelhead limiting factors analysis and action plan for restoration prescriptions to be implemented in the Pedee Creek sub-watershed. The Mid-Coast Watershed Council has been very successful in working with Steve Trask (Bio-Surveys LLC) and his partners to apply this protocol on 6th field sub-watersheds. Steve has agreed to modify their coho-focused protocol into a steelhead-focused protocol for our use.
An education grant application for Gail Oberst’s ‘Writing Your Watershed’ was also submitted to OWEB for the 10/16 round of grants. Decisions on both grants will be made in March.
An application will be submitted Monday to the Spirit Mountain Community Fund to allow the LWC to hire a part-time outreach specialist. The decision on that request should come before the end of 2006.