May 2008 Minutes

LUCKIAMUTE WATERSHED COUNCIL MINUTES

May 8, 2008, Monmouth Volunteer Hall, Monmouth, Oregon

6 p.m. -- Education/Outreach Committee met at Rick’s Place.

7 p.m. -- Regular meeting

Call to Order and Introductions: Chairman Kenn Carter called the meeting to order. Introductions included guests, listed below.

Minutes: ACTION: Ron Nestlerode moved, Kirk Lewis seconded the motion to adopt the minutes, with changes. UNANIMOUS APPROVAL.

 

Treasurer’s report – Shawn  Irvine

Attachment, financial report from SKUWCA. Discussion about what should be done with the remainder of the steelhead passage barrier and SF Ash Creek project OWEB grant funds. Michael said that unspent funds remain with the state.

 

Steering Committee  – Nicole Duplaix reports on retreats – Friday, May 16, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Western Oregon University Werner Center, John Moriarty will lead the talk. Discussion about group eating arrangements following at 7 p.m. May 30 we will have Katherine Lucier of the River Network talk to us about financial/fundraising issues. Dusty Spur and Tequila’s in Independence suggested for eating. June 2 Coordinator handbook discussion, Moriarty is now taking the lead. The process will be funded by OWEB.

 

Special Speaker -- Carolyn Menke – Institute for Applied Ecology, Corvallis

Carolyn talked about a project being conducted in Benton County to protect prairie habitat including the Luckiamute Watershed. Prairie and oak savannah habitats support endangered or threatened populations of animals and plants including streaked horned lark, peacock larkspur, Willamette daisy, Nelson’s checkermallow, Bradshaw’s lomatium. War paintbrush is the normal host for Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly. Fender’s blues are protected on private lands. Public review as they roll out the draft plan will be this fall. Visit www.co.benton.or.us/parks.hcp for more information. The council discussed the implications of losing species, the $800,000 cost to develop the plan, the upland prairie at risk, which impacts us all. None of the funds are for implementation or for property purchase. The funds are from the US Fish & Wildlife Service. Benton County general funds, budget, tax levy, by adding fees to building permits, may need to be used for future protection and mitigation.

 

Project Review Committee – Tom Smith

See attachment report, minutes from committee meeting. Emily Plec’s class began calls on the RBA project. There is a need to cross-reference list of landowners already contacted by Institute for Applied Ecology.

 

Project Manager Report – Michael Cairns

Rapid Bio Assessment project – The OWEB grant’s outreach budget is insufficient to do all the landowner work we want to do, and delivery of some data from project partners was delayed, so we hope to bring in additional funds from a Polk SWCD grant, to support additional outreach time. Trask will begin his work in June, beginning in the lower part of the river, before the algae blooms lower visibility. The landowner database developed with help of WOU students is very important and will help us for years to come.

The Ritner Creek jam project removal/ fill permit application is being written. Estimates are under budget for the grant.

Plunkett/Vincent Creek log placement project permits have been approved by DSL and the Army COE. Visited with OPRD staff at Luckiamute Landing with Nicole and Shawn. The LSNA master plan is relatively generic, and we may be able to help have a detailed restoration/conservation action plan prepared. Meeting with Roger Wood of OWEB. Grant proposals, including signage. is to be discussed.

 

Education/Outreach Committee  – Ron Nestlerode

Additional summer tabling events include annual event Sept. 13, possible “Bike Your Watershed” event, possibly to Ritner Creek Bridge. We seem to be lost now that our outreach coordinator is gone. Who is in charge? Nicole. Where is the tabling event schedule? Questions: Can we reserve the bridge? Is the bike ride safe? Will Tammee Stump be in charge of this? May 17 is SOLV clean-up. Accomplishment report is being finished to impress potential funding sources, as a promotional tool, as a report to County Boards of Commission, and to put on the website. Discussion about the promotional committee – when will it meet again, now that Christine is gone? Can we sell the plants Kirk has at his place?  YES. Kings Valley Outreach? Ann to help with fundraising.

 

Adjournment – The next regular meeting will be at 7 p.m. June 12, Monmouth Volunteer Hall, preceded by committee meetings at 6 p.m., Rick’s Place.

 

Absent

Present

Position

Board member 

Term ends

X

 

Agriculture

Garth Mulkey

2009

 

 

Agriculture

vacant 

2008

 

X

At Large

Gail Oberst

2010

 

X

City

Kenn Carter, Chair

2010

 

X

City

Shawn Irvine, Treasurer

2010

X

 

Commerce

John Petersen

2011

 

 

Water control or supply

vacant

2010

X

 

Education

Emily Plec

2011

 

 X

Environment

Tom Smith, Vice Chair

2009

 

X

Environment

Anne Scheck

2010

 

 

Federal agency

vacant

2009

 

 X

Industrial timber

Jenniffer Bakke

2010

 

 

Industry

vacant

2008

 X

 

Recreation

Tammee Stump

2008

X

 

Small farm & forest

vacant

2009

 

X

Small farm & forest

Kirk and Judi Lewis

2012

X

 

SWCD - Benton

Cliff Hall

2012

X

 

SWCD - Polk

Jim Clawson, Secretary

2012

 

X

Watershed Resident

Ron Nestlerode

2010

 

X

Watershed Resident

Jo Yeager

2009

X

 

Wildlife

David Anderson

2010

 Staff, guests:

Affiliation

E-mail

Christine Hurst

Outreach Coordinator

 

Michael Cairns

LWC Projects

michael.cairns@yahoo.com

Adrienne Godschalx

Student interns

 

Carolyn Menke

Institute for Applied Ecology

 

 

 

 

Pat Wheeler, Rana Foster, Steve Northway

 

Residents