Mission of the Siuslaw Soil and Water Conservation District

The Siuslaw Soil and Water Conservation District (Siuslaw SWCD) serves residents within the Siuslaw River Watershed and the surrounding Coastal Lakes Basins. Our mission is to encourage and promote the responsible stewardship of natural resources through the coordination and delivery of local, state and federal conservation programs, as well as through local natural resources education activities. Our programs are administered in full compliance with landowners’ property rights, and state and federal non-discrimination laws, and are based on voluntary participation and incentive based cooperation. Specifically we:

Provide information, education, and outreach.

Provide technical assistance to landowners and land managers, to develop and implement conservation plans on their property.

Provide an interface between agencies and landowners.

Collaborate with federal, state, and local government agencies and groups.

Conservation - Education - Local Leadership

NEWS

The Siuslaw Soil & Water Conservation District is looking for volunteers to serve as associate members of our Board of Directors

At the Siuslaw Soil & Water Conservation District, enhancement of the areas natural resources and conservation is at the heart of everything we do. In simple terms, we believe in clean water and healthy soil, but it goes well beyond that. The quality of our lives, whether we work or play here, is dependent on the responsible stewardship of the land. We work with local farmers, foresters and rural landowners to plan and implement voluntary improvements and restoration projects - emphasis on the VOLUNTARY. We respect private property owners' rights and honor their responsible stewardship of natural resources. We don't make or enforce laws in any way; we help connect stewards of the lands with resources that help them, especially in meeting or exceeding legal requirements in caring for their land.

We are governed by a board of directors elected by the public, representing three zones and two at-large positions in western Lane County. Every member of the Siuslaw SWCD team lives and works right here in western Lane County. We are your friends and neighbors. We love this place we call home and we want to offer others the chance to get involved and help us in our efforts. Associate board members help to represent the District to our audience, to direct conservation around how to allocate our resources, and serve on committees. If you have an interest in conservation, agriculture, biology, climate science, forestry or other natural resource related fields, serving as an Associate is a great way to get direct hands-on experience with conservation work in the area. We meet once a month and must present an Annual Report at the end of the year. Associates may be appointed to serve as full voting board members after one year, and as we have two vacant board positions currently open, the opportunity for this is good.

If you are interested, please plan on attending our Annual Meeting on December 2, 2024 at our District office at 1775 Laurel Way # 4. We will be presenting a program of our last years projects and accomplishments and an informational session on the requirements for becoming an Associate and a Director. Our doors will open at 5:30 and an informal dinner will be catered at 6:00. Please RSVP at siuswcd@gmail.com if you plan to attend.

Board Meetings

District Board Meetings are held on the first Monday of each month, at the District Office, from 6:00 pm on. Public attendance and participation is encouraged. For more information contact the District Office.

STAFF DIRECTORY

PARTNERS

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
Listed below are numerous conservation programs meant to help interested landowners as potential sources of funding for a variety of watershed restoration projects.
Siuslaw Soil and Water Conservation District works directly with individual landowners or managers to design and secure financial assistance to implement the best conservation practices suitable for each parcel of land. We take a landscape approach to solving resource management concerns. By looking at the whole picture with individual landowners and managers, we can help turn resource problems into management opportunities that are good for the property owner, good for the land and water, and good for citizens within our district. If you are interested in any type of technical assistance, please contact Seth Mead at the district office.
The Siuslaw Soil and Water Conservation District is actively involved with our local schools and citizens, in hope to help them further understand the progressively complex natural resource issues faced today. Through education and outreach, we promote sustainable, ecosystem based ideals that are meant to help individuals realize their importance in shaping their future landscape. Below are some of the programs in which we participate.
  • Stream Team

    The Siuslaw Stream Team Project provides an ecologically and watershed focused in-class and on-the-ground learning opportunity to the students of the Siuslaw Watershed. Through partnerships with a broad range of community, watershed, and agency natural resource professionals, students learn and participate first hand in on-the-ground restoration efforts within important watershed habitat systems in the coastal Siuslaw region.

    Stream Team members actively learn about their watershed through participation in on-the-ground research and restoration projects. They do water quality monitoring, measure stream flows, conduct biological assessments, and participate in restoration projects such as riparian plantings and rearing and releasing coho salmon. In addition, they educate their community about watershed and salmon issues by giving talks on their projects to community and school groups.

    The success of this program is important for many reasons. The Siuslaw basin has always been an important watershed for anadromous fish populations. In the past 100 years, we have seen a decline in native salmon, including a 99% reduction in native coho populations. In the past 10 years, the basin and its people have undergone dramatic political, social and economic changes. This area will likely never see the return of the resource extraction dominated economy that provided jobs for student's parents and grandparents. The Stream Team project provides these children with the opportunity to learn about employment options available to them in the "new" natural resource economy. Most importantly, students learn about the watershed in which they live. The understanding and appreciation they gain gives them a sense of stewardship for this watershed, which will lead them to be involved in long-term protection and restoration efforts.

  • Forest Field Day

    Forest Field Day is an annual event sponsored by Forests Today and Forever, a non-profit group that promotes forest stewardship through education. Middle school students from both Florence and Mapleton come to learn about sustainable forest management from volunteer professionals. For more information, visit the website at:
The Siuslaw and Lincoln Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs), the Siuslaw Watershed Council, the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture - Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the Oregon Dept. Of Agriculture, and other partners are available to provide technical, financial, and educational assistance to landowners in the Mid Coast Agricultural Water Quality Management Area to meet their conservation goals and local water quality standards. The intent of the ODA's Water Quality Program is to:

■ Satisfy multiple federal and state water quality mandates.

■ Encourage voluntary conservation.

■ Promote water quality improvement through outreach and education.

■ Allow flexibility in meeting local water quality standards.

■ Provide enforcement provisions for landowners who refuse to work towards meeting water quality standards.

■ Involve local citizens and organizations in the development of strategies to meet water quality standards.
The Siuslaw Soil and Water Conservation District (Siuslaw SWCD) serves residents within the Siuslaw River Watershed and the surrounding Coastal Lakes Basin by providing assistance to control and eradicate threatening invasive exotics by:

■ Providing guidance information on types of control and timelines associated.

■ Providing local inventories.

■ Developing and implementing control projects and specifications.

For more information on various invasive species, read below:
  • Japanese Knotweed

    Description: Native to Eastern Asia, Japanese Knotweed is an upright, herbaceous perennial that commonly grow to heights over 10 feet. Stems are stout, hollow, and swollen at the joints. Leaves are usually 6-8 inches long and 3-5 inches wide, broad and oval in shape although coming to a point at the tip. When in bloom the tiny white flowers are arranged in attractive branched sprays, often beloved by pollinators. Knotweeds are considered noxious weeds by the Oregon Dept. of Agriculture and are a priority to eradicate.

    Ecology: Japanese Knotweed and its similar subspecies (Bohemian and Himalayan) are a serious threat to our native riparian ecosystems. Since it starts growing earlier in the spring than most of our natives (and also grows faster) it easily outcompetes and rapidly forms densely thick monoculture stands that only support very limited food webs in comparison to our diverse native stream side assemblages. It primarily spreads vegetatively, so mowing and tilling are NOT control options. A single rhizome can result in an entire stand if given the chance. Once established it is very persistent and can take multiple years of intensive management to control.

    Options: If you observe Knotweed on your property and would like to be part of the solution, there is help available. We perform a local inventory documenting all known stands within the district during late spring and early summer, with follow up treatment occurring in late August and September. If you are open to assistance, please contact Seth Mead, the Watershed Conservationist for the Siuslaw SWCD.

    IMPORTANT: Please refrain from mowing, cutting, and/or transporting it, especially in areas adjacent to bodies of water. Disturbance also stresses the plants, resulting in less effective responses to treatment. Please do not discard of it in any river or stream, as it will only float downstream and re-propagate. This is of even greater importance to land owners within the estuary, as the tidal fluctuations can spread it both upstream and down.

PROJECT SOLICITATIONS
None at this time
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
NEWSLETTERS

Siuslaw Soil and Water Conservation District
1775 Laurel Way #4
Florence, OR 97439

541-997-1272
siuswcd@gmail.com

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All rights reserved.

Siuslaw Soil and Water Conservation District