Multnomah Co. Online Voters' Guide
November 2006 General Election

West Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District

Measure No. 26-82

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

The District will prioritize funding on effective ways to combat noxious weeds, improve fish passage, control soil erosion, and work with landowners to cooperatively protect natural areas. The District may support landowners seeking to purchase conservation agreements to protect drinking water, natural areas, or farmland. It will use funds to strengthen support for conservation education programs, such as high school natural resource camps and the Envirothon (an annual national environmental education competition for students).

Funding will allow a modest increase of staff, who will provide landowner technical assistance and strengthen partnerships with watershed councils and natural resource organizations. It will also enable the District to attract additional funds from foundations and other agencies for the benefit of West Multnomah County and Sauvies Island.

The District provides assistance to help protect and support a productive greenbelt around the City of Portland, including local fiber and food production from agricultural land on Sauvies Island and the northwest natural area corridor, and these essential programs will be furthered by future funding. Such support will also allow ongoing and improved targeted assistance to priority watersheds, such as Sauvies Island (Sturgeon Lake), Fanno Creek, Balch Creek, McCarthy Creek, and Tryon Creek. The District will also work with land trusts and the Oregon Department of Agriculture to support working farms.

The demand for services the District can provide, including natural resource education, conservation planning, and technical assistance, has increased over the past several years, while support from local, state and federal governments has diminished. If its vital programs are going to continue, the District needs funds generated by passage of Measure 26-82 to support and further ongoing initiatives to protect and enhance clean water and wildlife habitat in West Multnomah County and Sauvies Island.

ARGUMENT IN FAVOR

I am writing this to encourage voters to support building the capacity of the West Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District. I have seen first hand the need for and the assistance that Conservation Districts offer to private landowners. Districts are non-regulatory and have no authority under state law. But the technical assistance and partnering abilities of Districts, fill a much needed niche, by providing site specific, on the ground, conservation technical assistance.

A vote for the Soil & Water Conservation District is a vote for private landowners, and the conservation of soil & water. The Yamhill SWCD passed their tax measure years ago and are getting a relatively small amount of tax payer funds. But they have been able to leverage their tax funds by 8 times through grants and partnerships.

The District is planning to create a substantial fund for securing conservation easements. Agricultural conservation easements that keep working farms operating is one method of protecting farmland as well as shaping urban growth. With congress recently passing significant tax change benefits for these easements through 2007, there is a window of great opportunity for landowners and communities across Oregon.

Forest park has some significant challenges that the District could address; invasive weeds and bio-fuels reduction. As a small woodland landowner near Forest park, I am very concerned about these threats and the District could address these issues with additional capacity.

The Conservation District is run by a board elected from different regions in the County. The effectiveness of the organization will have much to do with their leadership and the input from County residents. I ask you to engage and support your local conservation district. Help landowners protect and restore our communities.

(This information furnished by Jeffrey A. Kee)

ARGUMENT IN FAVOR

We are Oregonians who love our local natural landscape, wildlife, and healthy watersheds. We enjoy living where agriculture is valued, forestland is within sight, and salmon are nearby. We enjoy that we have an agricultural base within minutes of an urban center.

Multnomah County should support its agricultural and forest land base. The West Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District has worked with rural landowners for over 60 years to protect our soil and water quality, and improve conservation practices on their land. Keeping and expanding these relationships helps knowledgeable landowners voluntarily improve their land management skills to protect wildlife, water quality, and ecosystem.

This voluntary approach eases traditional governmental pressures by encouraging and assisting landowners to adopt options for managing natural resources that protect and enhance those resources, while improving their investment, and meeting personal goals. Providing technical assistance to local farmers and foresters will help maintain a true greenbelt of natural resource land in West Multnomah County, including Sauvies Island.

Given the passage of Measure 37 in 2004, the role of Conservation Districts in protecting rural lands from development pressure increased many fold. The voluntary approach to conservation planning practiced by the District can be combined with voluntary Agricultural and Conservation Agreements with landowners to protect this land for the future.

This approach is a win-win solution for rural and urban residents alike.

Measure 26-82 is endorsed by:
Sandra Diedrich; Jane Hartline, Sauvie Island Farmer; Don Kruger, owner Kruger Farm, Sauvie Island; Portland Commissioner Randy Leonard; Amanda Fritz; State Representative Mitch Greenlick; Tryon Creek Watershed Council; Maria Rojo deSteffey Multnomah County Commissioner; Dan Saltzman, Portland City Commissioner; Susan McLain, Metro Councilor; Will Newman II, Co-Founder, Director & Trustee Oregon Sustainable Agriculture Land Trust; The Pumpkin Patch, Sauvie Island; Shari Raider, Sauvie Island Organics; Greg Malinowski, Organic farmer West Hills; Sauvie Island Drainage Improvement Co.; Miles Merwin, Skyline ridge Christmas tree farmer; Pat Wagner, resident Linnton; John Eccles, Sauvie Island Resident

(This information furnished by Brian W. Lightcap)

ARGUMENT IN FAVOR

West Multnomah Conservation District successes:

Oregon Youth Conservation Corps program provided meaningful jobs for youth;

Partnerships for improved salmon passage in Tryon Creek;

Urban high schools students' attendance at Resources and People (RAP) Camp;

Conservation planning and technical assistance to farm and forest landowners, including, over its sixty year history, likely every farm on Sauvies Island;

Expanding the Enhanced Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program to Multnomah County;

Assisting the Sauvie Island Drainage Improvement Company to assess and improve operations and respond more effectively to landowner's changing goals;

Working with Army Corps of Engineers and Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife to improve Sturgeon Lake for wildlife and salmon;

Assisting working farms on Sauvies Island to gain federal assistance through the Conservation Security Program and Natural Resources Conservation Service.

The demand for services is far beyond what the District's current two part-time employees can satisfy. Passage of Measure 26-82 will allow the District to support a team of natural resource professionals who can work directly with landowners to support the educational and technical needs of its citizens and enhance the spirit of cooperation that will improve the health of area watersheds.

Proposed future projects include:

Direct support for noxious weed control;

Habitat enhancement for songbirds, waterfowl, turtles and other wildlife;

Conservation Agreements for land protection;

Expanded salmon habitat restoration and fish passage improvements;

Restoration of Oregon State University Extension Service presence in west Multnomah County and Sauvies Island;

Expanded conservation education for school age children and for landowners.

Support for the Conservation District is a reasonable, cost effective option that will address our local needs.

Typically, for every $1 provided to the District an additional $5 is added to its programs via grants, federal funds and existing partnerships. The value returned is well worth it. Please support Measure 26-82.

Jeff Joslin, urban planner & Sauvie Island land owner; George Sowder, Skyline Ridge Forest Landowner; Brian Lightcap, West Hills Agroforestry farm; Terri Preeg Riggsby, SW resident

(This information furnished by Brian W. Lightcap)