Jackson Soil and Water Conservation District “Turning natural resource concerns into opportunities” Annual Report July 1, 2017 - June 30, 2018

Highlights Contents Large-Scale Riparian Restoration Project Along Bear Creek: page 8 Manager’s Message Inside Cover

Financial Report i

Our Board 1

Our Staff 2

Our Partners in 3 Oregon Department of Agriculture’s Strategic Conservation Implementation Areas: page 9 Project Achievements 6 & Success Stories Eagle Scout Candidates Help Restore Riparian Habitat along Bear Creek: page 14 Middle Rogue PSP 11

Riparian Restoration 11 Rebate Program

Hands-on Education 12 The Jackson Soil and Water Conservation District is dedicated to helping the people of Jackson County protect and improve their natural resources. We work with both individuals and communities to analyze and implement science-based solutions to various natural resource concerns, while still protecting the cultural, social and economic values of Jackson County.

Manager’s Message habitat, interpretive trails and educational demonstration projects with individuals, ell, another year has come and schools and other local public and private Wgone with several natural resource entities. Kora was able to help many concerns turned into opportunities for of these projects receive funding for many Jackson County citizens. As you will implementation, including grant funds see, district staff has been busy helping from the District. landowners implement stewardship projects. They have developed and Paul DeMaggio, the District’s Soil delivered a wide range of outreach and and water Conservation Engineer, was instrumental in designing and educational projects to engage and implementing a large scale irrigation inspire youth and adults to do their part conversion project in our Focus Area. He to improve our watershed health and also worked with the Rogue River Valley function. Irrigation District to help design a project We had a fantastic year related to our to convert 3.2 miles of an open irrigation outreach efforts. Our Education and water conveyance ditch to a piped system. Additionally, he went on a total of 62 site Outreach Coordinator, Karelia Ver visits and provided technical assistance to Eecke, with support from our partners 44 citizens and entities. at the Rogue River Watershed Council and JSWCD staff, revised our Rural and The District’s Rural Planner, Clint Nichols Urban Living handbooks to merge them and Jenna Sanford, the District’s Natural into one comprehensive publication. Her Resource Technician combined for 151 site visits and 9 trainings to provide technical outreach efforts included 91 meetings and assistance to 219 landowners. Projects workshops with 340 participants and the ranged from heavy use area protection, distribution of 12 publications. Karelia irrigation water management, pasture also coordinated and facilitated one of management and noxious weed control our most successful Forest and Range Day to fencing and riparian area management. Camps, having forty 4th through 7th grade The District continued working with attendees learning about our watersheds the Oregon Department of Agriculture’s and natural resources stewardship. (ODA) Pesticide Stewardship Partnership and several local partners, sampling several This District’s urban program, under sites on 3 creeks to monitor pesticide Kora Mousseaux, made 47 site visits levels. Staff also participated in meetings and provided technical assistance to to evaluate the data and plan for future 390 landowners. Projects ranged from monitoring. This will help all partnering stormwater management, raingardens organizations provide improved “Better and drainage issues, riparian bank Management Practices” for pesiticide stabilization and plantings to wildlife application through education and outreach events. Partnerships continue to be instrumental in the implementation of natural resource projects. Working with the Rogue River Watershed Council (RRWC), we have finished up the implementation phase of the Wagner Creek Strategic Implementation Area (SIA) and are continuing with the maintenance and monitoring phase, while work continues on the Neil Creek SIA. Funding was secured for the piping of 3.2 miles of Rogue River Valley Irrigation District’s irrigation water conveyance ditch. Our Soil and Water Conservation Engineer continues to be instrumental in the design and associated aspects of the implementation process. Paul, Clint, Karelia, and Jenna are still working with RRWC, NRCS and other organizations to promote the project and help individual landowners with on-farm irrigation conversion projects. Monitoring continues for pre-project implementation of return flows into Antelope Creek to help evaluate water quality and quantity improvement, post implementation. Markie Germer, the District’s Administrative Specialist, and the rest of the administrative staff did their usual excellent job in making sure all of the fiscal and administrative aspects of the District ran smoothly and efficiently. Please review the following pages of this report for more in-depth information on these and other great JSWCD projects and programs.

Randy White District Manager Year End Financial Statement Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2018 Statement of Activities-Cash Basis

Receipts of Income

Property Taxes $962,533

Oregon Department of Agriculture Grant $78,488

Tours, Workshops, Classes Tuition/Fees $240

Interest $17,945

Grant Revenue $130,306

Lease Revenue $29,255

Miscellaneous $4,802

Total Receipts $1,222,571

Disbursements

Personnel Services $540,748

Materials & Services $603,481

Captial Outlay $53,807

Total Disbursements $1,198,036

Balance of Receipts over Disbursements $25,535

Change in net position - cash basis $25,535

Beginning of Fiscal Year $956,447

End of Fiscal Year $981,982

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Allan Campbell Chairman Zone: At Large Board of Directors

Barbara Marilyn Rice Niedermeyer Zone 1 Vice-Chairman Zone 2

Juanita Wright Don Hamann Zone 3 Zone 4

Ron Hillers Stan Dean Zone 5 Zone: At Large

1 District Staff ur Staff is dedicated to turning natural resource concerns into opportunities Oby working with landowners and their communities. Our diverse backgrounds and experiences create a team that is creative, efficient, and dedicated to the District’s mission.Our ability to work as a team means that projects are given attention from multiple angles, ensuring that the final product achieves the expected outcome.

Randy White Markie Germer Paul DeMaggio, District Manager Administrative P.E., CAIS, CID Specialist Soil & Water Conservation Engineer

Clint Nichols Kora Mousseaux Jenna Sanford Rural Natural Urban & Natural Resource Resource Planner Community Technician Planner

Karelia Ver Eecke Sophia Roesch Education & Outreach Office Assistant Coordinator

2 Our Partners in Conservation ur USDA partner, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), provides Ous tremendous support, and they continue to assist natural resource conservation in Jackson Natural Resources County. Their projects, which often span several years, have brought much needed technical and Conservation Service financial assistance to private lands. Project highlights include: The Ashland Forest All-Lands Restoration Project (AFAR) Erin Kurtz AFAR implements forest restoration and District fuels reduction treatments through a cross- Conservationist boundary, all-lands approach on federal and private non-industrial lands. Over the past 3 years, NRCS invested over $3.8 M through the Chiefs’ Joint Landscape Restoration Peter Winnick Partnership with over 50 private landowners to assist in reducing and mitigating wildfire Soil threats, protecting water quality and supply Conservationist in the Ashland Municipal Watershed, and improving and protecting quality wildlife habitat for threatened, endangered, and at-risk species in an area characterized by a Dan Esposito high degree of public/private land interface. Soil This project was made possible through Conservationist collaboration with project partners including the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, Lomakatsi Restoration Project, The Nature Conservancy, The City of Ashland, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, JSWCD, and Oregon Bill Cronin Department of Forestry. State Irrigation Engineer Greensprings Forest Health and Fuels Reduction Project As contractors finish implementing the prescriptions through AFAR, NRCS has targeted new forest health and fuels reduction assistance in the Greensprings. This initiative continues to support a collaborative effort between NRCS, taking applications for this five year forestry partners, communities, and individual strategy. landowners to reduce the risk of large scale, The Klamath-Rogue Oak uncharacteristically severe wildfire in tactical Woodland Health and Habitat locations in ways that are compatible with and Conservation Project support healthy forest ecosystems. Currently, NRCS has invested over $1.3M to the local service center is in the second year of continue work on oak restoration 3 projects through the Klamath-Rogue Oak Woodland Health and Habitat Restoration Project, through a multi- Farm Service Agency state National Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). Sponsored by Lomakatsi Restoration Project and supported by a number of key partners, this program focuses investments on oak Phil Morton woodland restoration near the Table Rocks County Executive and the Colestin Valley in Jackson County, Director as well as priority areas in Klamath and Siskiyou Counties. Restoration practices typically include thinning to reduce encroaching vegetation and tree densities; Teresa Vonn prescribed fire; and native grass seeding Program to promote the development of healthy, Technician structurally-diverse oak habitats. Bradshaw Drop Agricultural Water Quality Improvement Project arm Service Agency (FSA) is a USDA As the Rogue River Valley Irrigation Fagency offering programs that provide District converts a portion of their open a safety net for farmers who supply our ditch conveyance system to pressurized nation with safe and affordable food and pipe, NRCS is working closely with fiber, including price support and disaster JSWCD and the Rogue River Watershed relief payments. FSA also provides Council to assist landowners with on-farm incentives to farmers and ranchers who irrigation efficiency improvements while participate in conservation programs also improving water quality in the Little such as the Conservation Resource Butte Creek watershed. Enhancement Program (CREP). The goal Organic and High Tunnel Initiatives of CREP is to restore riparian habitat Farmers in Jackson County have taken and protect surface water quality on advantage of the opportunities provided agricultural land. Participants receive though NRCS’s Organic and High Tunnel rental payments and cost share to Initiatives. NRCS has worked with 28 create conservation buffers that cross small farmers to install high tunnels to help agricultural land. extend the growing season and bolster the Along with conservation, the FSA provides local food system. In addition, NRCS has low interest Farm Storage Facility Loans also worked with many certified organic (FSFL) , disaster assistance for orchards or transitioning to organic farmers to help and vineyards effected by severe weather with a variety of projects from irrigation and/or disease, Farm Ownership and improvements to enhancing pollinator Farm Operating loans. habitat. The Jackson/ Josephine County FSA office, located in the USDA Service Center, is staffed by Phil Morton, County Executive Director, and Teresa Vonn, Program Technician.

4 Our Partners in Conservation he Rogue River Watershed Council works Twith landowners, municipalities, and Rogue River Watershed other organizations to achieve water quality Council and habitat improvements for people and fish through the Upper & Middle Rogue Basin. Salt Creek Fish Passage Improvement Brian Barr Two seasonal push-up dams, both on the Executive Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife’s Director Statewide Priority List for fish passage projects were removed this past summer with the help of a cooperating landowner. Salt Creek is a cool-water tributary to Little Butte Creek and just one of a few fisheries of the endangered Anna Johnson Coho Salmon in the Rogue Basin. Spring fed, Adminstrative Salt Creek maintains cold water temperatures Assistant throughout the summer months, essential over-summering habitat for both Coho and steelhead. The removal of the push-up dams opened 0.6 miles of rearing habitat for juvenile salmonids while improving irrigation efficiency Sarah Sauter for the rancher. Project Manager Little Butte Creek Floodplain Restoration Little Butte Creek provides seasonal drinking water for over 136,000 Rogue Valley residents and is a priority stream for endangered Coho Salmon recovery. Hydrologic modification has led to loss of floodplain and side channel Alexis Larson connectivity, reduced channel complexity, Project Manager degraded riparian forest conditions, increased erosion, and contributed to poor water quality. RRWC, with over $140,000 in funding assistance from numerous agencies and organizations, implemented a floodplain Donna restoration project on City of Eagle Point Chickering property to address these issues. Steep banks Program were re-contoured; engineered logjams were Manager buried in the bank, extended into the channel, and placed in the floodplain; blackberries were removed and replaced with native riparian plants. RRWC also reconnected a side channel of the stream with the main-stem of Little Butte Creek. Planning and design began in December 2015, with implementation completed in 2018.

5 2017-2019 Biennial Work Plan Task Reporting he District develops a Biennial Work Plan T(BWP) every two years to assist in guiding the District’s staff and board in targeting specific project types and ultimate goals for our two-year work plans. Our BWPs include tasks in the following areas: Community and Landowner Engagement Technical Assistance Monitoring Partnership Activities Biennial Review Activities Training & Other Tasks

The table below summarizes staff task achievements outlined in the 2017-2019 BWP. Technical assitance to local landowners and communities allows for more efficient use of our natural resources either through on the ground implementation or community education, and ultimately leads to greater economic benefit, greater ecological functioning, and preservation of cultural practices.

Biennial Work Plan Tasks Total Units Completed

Landowners Provided Technical Assistance 617 Residents Attending Events/Classes 603 On-Site Property Visits 262 Fencing 3,840 ft Heavy Use Area Protection 2,200 ft2 Livestock Waste Storage Facility 1 Subsurface Drain 140 ft Irrigation Pipeline Installed 2950 ft Irrigation Water Management 4.3 acres Irrigation Pumping Plants 2 Irrigation Control Structures 2 Herbaceous Weed Control 15.3 acres Stream Habitat & Bank Improvement 28 acres Rain-water Catchments Installed 2 systems, 5,100 gallons Woody Residue Treatment 23.4 acres Forest Stand Improvement 10 acres

6 Little Butte Creek Watershed Improvements Bradshaw Drop Irrigation Efficiency Improvement Study and the Hopkins Canal Pipeline Project e continue our collaborative work with the Bradshaw Drop Irrigation Efficiency Wand the Hopkins Canal Pipeline Projects. This area has been studied for some time as having the ability to produce pressurized irrigation and/or hydropower generation. Rogue River Valley Irrigation District (RRVID), utilizing Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) funding and other funding sources has been able to move forward with piping a 3.3 mile stretch of open canal that runs along Antelope Creek. Piping this section of canal will save enough water to allow for 7 CFS of water to be left in Little Butte Creek for fish habitat during the month of June, and will allow approximately 700 acres of irrigated land to utilize free pressurized irrigation, ultimately improving water quality in Antelope Creek. JSWCD continues to provide planning, technical, and financial assistance to the landowners and RRVID as this project progresses. JSWCD has been a major partner on this project from the beginning, doing much of the preliminary grant writing, project planning, and analysis. JSWCD also connected RRVID with the Farmer’s Conservation Alliance (FCA). FCA’s comprehensive assessment and modernization strategy is near complete for the entire irrigation district, and will require no payment from the Pipe sections awaiting installation at Bradshaw Drop. district. Monitoring efforts carried out by JSWCD and the Rogue River Watershed Council for this project began at the start of the 2017 irrigation season. Deployment of temperature loggers and regular water quality monitoring of bacteria, phosphorous, and sediment in Antelope Creek will build the baseline data for this 3-5 year study. Data will provide project partners with important information regarding the impact of irrigation system modernization--from canal to pipeline and flood to sprinkler. These data will be useful for the Water for Irrigation, Streams and Economy (WISE) project which aims to pipe all the irrigation canals within the basin. The Bradshaw Drop upgrade has been designated as a pilot project to illustrate the potential of the WISE project when implemented. JSWCD, in partnership with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), completed an update to thier Conservation Implementation Strategy (CIS), allowing for the continuation of staff time and money focused in the Little Butte Creek Watershed for the improvement of soil and water resources. Once complete, this project will show the power of collaboration and the benefits to both agricultural producers and native wildlife, specifically steelhead and Coho. Additional funding for the piping project was secured thanks to the great work of contractor, Angela Boudro. The success of the Bradshaw Drop project ultimately depends on the successful istallation of Hopkins Canal Irrigation Pipeline.

7 Large-Scale Riparian Restoration Project Along Bear Creek n March 2016, Jackson Soil & Water Conservation District approved $19,665 for a Ilarge-scale riparian restoration project. This project tied in an additonal 15 acres to an existing 25 acre project. Beginning in 2014, the City of Medford and the Rogue Valley Council of Governments began work to improve public safety and restore native riparian vegetation along Bear Creek. The area of work included improvements along the Bear Creek Greenway and within the riparian corridor between Hawthorne Park and McAndrews Road, approximately 1 mile. District funds were designated for invasive plant removal; installation of a bioswale; purchase of 100 native plants and sixty pounds of seed; and interpretive sign design. The project was completed in late June 2018, and will ultimately improve habitat for native wildlife including migrating waterfowl and songbirds, and spawning salmon and steelhead. Additionally, the removal of invasive Himalayan blackberry improves line of sight along the Bear Creek Greenway, helping users feel safe by reducing cover for individuals experiencing homelessness.

Completed bioswale. Planting was completed by Oregon Stewardship Students. The bioswale collects and filters water from a stormdrain outfall for approxaimtely thirty-five feet before discharing into Bear Creek. Photo: J Hutchins Project Stats Total Project Cost: $42,236 City of Medford District Funds: Rogue Valley Council of $19,665 Governments Partners: Landowners: Rogue Valley Mall City of Medford Oregon Department of Oregon Department of Transportation Transportation Rogue Valley Mall 8 Wagner Creek SIA Nears Completion

n 2016, JSWCD and the Rogue River Watershed Council (RRWC) were awarded Inearly $200,000 from the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) to implement a 5-year plan to improve water quality in Wagner Creek. With collaborative work taking place between the organization and eleven landowners, great in-stream, near stream, and upland improvements have been. Improvements included removal of an irrigation diversion dam to improve fish passage; removal of an irrigation conveyance push-up dam; conversion from flood irrgation; and riparian habitat improvement. With project implementation wrapped up, we’ve entered the maintenace and monitoring stage. In June 2017 we celebrated our successes in the area with a tour of four project sites in the watershed with participating landowners, interested community members, and board members from JSWCD and RRWC. We look forward to more projects like this, including the Neil Creek SIA, as a means to share with our communities the power of collaboration to improve natural resources for economic, ecologic, and aesthetic purposes.

Location of the four Wagner Creek SIA tour stops. Tour stops showed a heavy-use area protection project, two fish passage barrier removals, streamside forest restoration, and an irri- gation conversion project.

9 Improving Water Quality in the Neil Creek SIA

he effective partnership between management plan, road improvements, TJSWCD and RRWC in the Wagner irrigation management, and drainage Creek Watershed led ODA to implement management. another SIA in the Bear Creek Watershed, In early summer 2018, plans for 490’ of focusing on water quality in Neil Creek. gated pipe irrigation were approved and The partnership was awarded $96,000 in implemented. Converting from flood to the summer of 2017 to build a manure gated pipe irrigation reduces the amount facility, improve irrigation conveyance of bacteria and sediment that returns and on-farm irrigation water application, to surface waterways after irrigation, protect drainages, and harden roads for a increases irrigation efficiency, and often large horse facility on Neil Creek. These reduces the human labor hours that can improvements will protect Neil Creek go into getting flood irrigated water where from pollutants such as bacteria, sediment, the landowner wants it. and fertilizers. In spring of 2018, JSWCD awarded an additional $48,287 toward We expect the other components of this completion of the project’s manure project to be completed at the end of the 2019 Calendar Year.

The photo on the left shows a problematic area with unpiped irrigation water, as well as the presence of invasive Himalayan blackberry and common teasel. The photo on the right shows that the irrigation water is now piped and the invasive species have been removed--a great improvement to water qualty on the property. 10 The Middle Rogue Pesticide Rolling-out the Riparian Stewardship Partnership & Restoration Rebate Program Working Group or the last two years our planners, n early 2018, our partner, the Rogue FKora Mousseaux and Clint Nichols, IRiver Watershed Council, was have been hard at work creating a rebate awarded a $10,000 Technical Assistance program to streamline the process of Grant from the Oregon Department of implementing small-scale (one acre or Agriculture to develop a strategic plan for less) riparian restoration projects in the Middle Rogue Pesticide Stewardship Jackson County. Partnership (PSP). This grant was written This rebate program is designed to with input from JSWCD and OSU incentivize local stream-side owners to Extension personnel involved with PSP make important improvements to the and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) riparian buffer on their property. The practices. rebate package includes the necessary In a little over nine months, our group has permits from Jackson County and created five targeted applicator groups; ODFW; plant lists and basic planting planned and carried out the second plans; free technical assistance site visits annual IPM Festival; and set a timeline for from JSWCD representatives; and a designing and implementing an outreach $115/ 1000ft2 rebate, equal to $5000 for and communications plan to better every acre restored. communicate to various pesticide users We are excited to see this program take off within Jackson County. and love that it helps local landowners be This working group, combined with our better stewards, reduces erosion, improves ongoing water sample collection and habitat, and makes Jackson County an analysis, in partnership with the Oregon even greater place to live. Department of Environmental Quality, will allow us to better identify and understand the chemicals reaching our waterways. In our county, with diverse land-uses, it is important for us to understand how commercial agriculture, residential, industrial, forestry, and municipal groups use and understand pesticides. We hope that as our working group develops our communications plan we will develop relationships that allow for greater transparency and understanding between all stakeholders, including applicators, regulators, and monitoring groups. A large-scale restoration project with protective tree cages and weed-barrier plastic sheeting.

11 Hands-on Education

SWCD invests in the future by Jsupporting outdoor and science education programs. Through hands-on experiences, students are better able to connect to our natural resources. These connections foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of natural resources; ultimately creating the next generation of Local Envirothon land stewards. Read on for information on Champions! local programs we support and program highlights for our 2018 Forest & Range For the fourth year in a row, Jackson Day Camp, the 2018 Envirothon, 2017- County’s Logos Public Charter School 2018 SWAT, and 2017 Salmonwatch. excelled in one of the most difficult academic competitions in the state. After a 1-year hiatus, our much-loved day The team of five earned second place camp returned this year. We served 40 in the statewide 2018 Envirothon local students, 4th-7th grade, with trips competition. to local parks, gardens, working public Teams train throughout the school lands, and farms. This camp would not year to gain knowledge in aquatic be possible without our amazing partners ecology, forestry, soils and land use, in the valley, including North Mountain wildlife, and a current issue. 2018’s Park, Oregon Deparment of Fish & current issue was Western Rangeland Wildlife, The Farm at SOU, the Bureau Management: Balancing Diverse Views. of Land Management, Barbara Chasteen, Karelia Ver Eecke assited the team and the Kennedy Family. with training in Aquatic Ecology and Rangeland Mangement leading up to the competition. Each year, teams must create a comprehensive project related to the current issue. This year, the team chose to create a management plan for a ficticious eastern Oregon ranch where they worked to balance their needs of working on the land while conserving important habitat for Greater Sage-grouse and other high-desert species. The Logos Rogue A camper gets up close to a gray wolf Team was one of two teams selected to pelt, comparing his hand to the wolf’s present their project. paw. In 2017, the Logos team led by teacher Chris Van Ness took first at the state competition and traveled to the National Envirothon competition.

12 SWAT-Jackson County’s Salmon Watch own Student Watershed or several years, JSWCD has helped Assessment Team Ffund SalmonWatch through a grant to SWCD provided financial assistance to Rogue Valley Council of Governments. Jthe OSU Extension and the 2017 SWAT Salmon Watch is an educational program team, enabling these dedicated highschool adaptable to students elementary through students to gain valuable experience in high school. Program curriculum focuses data collection and monitoring for local on four modules critical to understanding restoration projects. the life history of salmon found in the Our local 2017-2018 SWAT team was Rogue Valley: Salmon Biology, Riparian composed of eight students from Logos Ecology, Macroinvertebrates, and Water Public Charter School. The SWAT crew Quality Monitoring. Students collect worked at four different project sites data, explore aquatic habitats, and dissect within Jackson County. Monitoring salmon to learn about the amazing pieces focused on forest management and that come together to complete a salmon’s habitat improvment projects: life cycle. • Three days were spent in the Community volunteers and professionals Greensprings, at the site of a from partnering local natural resource prescribed burn to do forestry and organizations provide instruction for the fuels assessment of a stand post-burn. program. • Along Bear Creek, students learned Fall 2017 Salmon Watch served 1145 about plant phenology and planned students from 39 classes and 14 schools to take measurements of leaf and throughout the Rogue Valley. JSWCD is flower emergence over the first three pleased to see this program continue as it months of the year. connects local students to their local water and widlife resources, helping to educate • On City of Medford property being the next generation while creating our restored, the SWAT team began future natural resource stewards. taking data on herbaceous and woody shrub species coinciding with invasive species removal. • In Sardine Creek, students learned how to create and monument permanent forest plots for baseline data at the site of a private landowner considering donation for an OSU Experimental Forest. • The final site was in the Cascade- Siskyou National Monument, where 2017 Salmon Watch participants discuss salmon students utilized a complex protocol biology with Oregon Department of Fish & to put in long-term monitoring plots Wildlife’s STEP Biologist, Ryan Battleson. designed to be monitored over the Salmon Watch provides a great opportunity for next 100+ years. students to meet the professionals managing Without the work of these students, and studying natural resources. Photo Courtesy of many projects would never get adequate Salmon Watch. data collection or monitoring completed. JSWCD is proud to support SWAT in developing the next generation of natural resource professionals. 13 Restoring with Community ogue Valley Council of Governments’ 2018. Three hundred native trees and RCraig Tuss and JSWCD’s Karelia Ver shrubs were planted between the two Eecke and Jenna Sanford facilitated the sites. Species planted included: red- completion of two Eagle Scout Service flowering currant, black cottonwood, Projects along Bear Creek between the Oregon grape, mock orange, incense Crater High School Land Lab and the cedar, white alder, oceanspray, and ash. Jackson County Expo RV Park. The two The second project was completed in projects were complementary to one February 2018. A minimum of 1,000 another. The areas restored were part of a willow stakes were placed in areas at high twenty-one acre project site which received risk for erosion. The willows were harvested a grant from Pacific Power’s Habitat Fund from Emigrant Reservoir, south of Medford, to restore critical riparian habitat. and from mature willows at the site. For their project proposals to be These two projects are part of a much accepted by the Troop’s Council, Eagle larger project that will ultimately restore Scout candidates must show how the the majority of the riparian corridor community will benefit from the project along Bear Creek from East Pine and adequately demostrate their leadership Street to Upton Road in Cenral Point. role in completing the projects. For these two projects, the scouts were responsible for recruiting all volunteers, coordinating the day’s events including start, lunch, Project Stats and end time, and ensuring that the project tasks were completed as directed Native Trees & 300 by RVCOG and JSWCD representatives. Shrubs Planted The first project was completed in January Willows Staked 1,000

Volunteer Hours 415.25

Dollar Value of Volunteer Labor (as $10252.52 of 2018)

Two scout volunteers working together to plant a native tree.

Trees & shrubs awaiting planting. Native plants were provided by Plant Oregon. 14 Important things to know and dates to remember: Updated Jackson County Resident Handbooks e worked hard to combine our previously separate Urban & Rural Living WHandbooks into one comprehensive handbook: the Natural Resource Stewardship Handbook. Our staff wanted to create a resource for local residents that met the universal need, whether a rural or urban resident, to understand how best to conserve and interact with our local natural resources. Our new handbook covers local invasive species and native pollinator plants; fire preparedness; in home water conservation; creating a backyard garden; and much more. Download it free from our website or stop by the office to pick up a copy today.

Free Equipment Rentals! ur Equipment Rental Program has been a great success...so much so we find the equipment Ois often booked completely starting in September. Remember to call our new Office Assistant, Trevor Morris, ahead of time to get your name on the books. Equipment rentals are available Tuesday-Thursday or Thursday-Tuesday. For additional information on the equipment available visit: https://www.jswcd.org/equipment-library

2019 Forest & Range Day Camp re you a parent of a child in 4th-7th grade? If so, Alook for registration for our 2019 Forest & Range Day Camp in April. Camp this year will be June 24- 28. $50 for 5 days spent outside learning about our natural resources with local resource professionals. Meet professionals from the JSWCD, BLM, ODF, ODFW, RRWC, Ashland Parks & Recreation and more!

Get the latest on upcoming classes and events SWCD sends out regular emails about upcoming events and classes offered through Jus and our partners. Visit our website to be added to our email list: www.jswcd.org or check out our Facebook page: Jackson Soil & Water Conservation District Find us on Instagram , too!

15 Jackson Soil and Water Conservation District 89 Alder Street Central Point, OR 97502 (541) 423-6159 www.jswcd.org