The cover of the 2017-2018 annual report features the historic barn located at the District’s Conservation Resource Center.
The Clackamas Soil and Water Conservation District’s annual report and audit for fiscal year 2017-2018 are now available. Fiscal year 2017-2018 covers the period from July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018.
(Oregon Revised Statute 568.580 requires soil and water conservation districts to produce an annual report: “Each year after the creation of the first board of directors at a time fixed by resolution of the board, the board, by giving due notice, shall call an annual meeting of the landowners in the district and present an annual report and audit.”)
Message from the General Manager
An annual report is usually all about what we accomplished, but I will start with something more fundamental: how we came to be and why we exist.
On May 13, 1936, the Standard District Act was published, providing model legislation for each state to adopt, or modify and adopt, so that they could form conservation districts. Such districts were to be governed by local citizens who had a deep understanding of conditions in their communities and were connected to the land.
In Clackamas County, two conservation districts were formed in 1958 and 1961. The two then merged in 1974 into the Clackamas Soil and Water Conservation District. We serve the entire county.
Why did local landowners vote to create your soil and water conservation district? Districts work with customers who want to work with them. Districts are not regulatory. We work on private lands, often spanning multiple generations on one property. These things make soil and water conservation districts valuable and unique.
We are a bridge that links landowners, agencies, and others to achieve shared goals. Customer service is our daily bread-and-butter. As Clackamas County continues to grow, we find an ever increasing demand for our help. I’m pleased to say that the District has responded well, adjusting the way we work in order to provide the services our constituents want and need.
This was a year of building our foundation for better customer service and stronger conservation outcomes. The work we accomplished this year sets the stage for significant investments that will occur in fiscal year 2018-2019. I look forward to reporting on a conservation easement and the purchase of a 319-acre working forest. We will also report on the construction of the District’s new, permanent service center. None of these major steps forward would occur without the dedication of our board and staff.
We continued to support our farmers market and watershed council partners in their work to deliver focused assistance within their communities. And our WeedWise folks assisted an astounding number of people with their invasive weed issues.
Do we have more challenges ahead of us? Of course we do! Your soil and water conservation district has a highly capable Board of Directors and a strong cadre of skilled staff. I have every confidence that we will continue to achieve win-win solutions with our customers. It’s what we do best.
Yours for conservation,
Tom Salzer
