Focus on Staff: Scott Eden, Conservation Specialist

If you’re an agricultural producer in Clackamas and have worked with the District over the past few years, you probably already know Scott Eden. Like many district staff, Eden has a wide skill set, but farmers, ranchers, and foresters hold a special place for his technical knowledge. Eden joined the District in 2015, but he’s been honing his expertise as a conservationist for over 25 years.

Conservation Specialist Eden is an experienced biologist with an undergraduate degree in biology from Oregon State University. He has worked with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Oregon Department of Forestry, Bureau of Land Management, Pudding River Watershed Council and, prior to joining the District, the Marion Soil and Water Conservation District. His twelve years at Marion SWCD as a Resource Conservationist provided him with ongoing opportunities to refine his skills in a variety of disciplines including soils and hydrology.

Project Highlights

Eden has worked collaboratively with landowners on a wide variety of projects. He spends a lot of time in the field, making site visits, and providing technical advice and support to many of the small farm landholders in the District. These small acreage projects include irrigation improvement, erosion management, and heavy use areas for livestock. He is also the District’s go-to expert for mud, manure, and pasture management. Additionally, he manages the District’s water quality and macroinvertebrate monitoring.

When he’s not helping out on agricultural properties, Eden can be found working on Oregon white oak projects and conservation habitat restoration. He is a frequent contributor to the District website. He is even featured in several videos produced by the District where he lends his technical expertise. Check out these articles and videos feature Eden’s recommendations:

• Subterranean Clover: a Successful Cover Crop for Local Hazelnut Orchardist
• How Nurseries Can Protect Water Quality
• Have Horses? Pasture, Mud, and Manure Videos

“I like being out and about,” says Eden. “My dream job has has always been to work in conservation.” He shares that he was attracted to his position with the Clackamas Soil and Water Conservation District because of the variety of experiences and challenges he could have here. He enjoys building on his knowledge and sharing it with others. “You never know what you’re going to find on a site visit,” he says. “There’s a real adventure component to my job that keeps me excited about my work.”

Influences

Eden and his family moved to Oregon when he was two year old. He grew up in the coast range near the Siuslaw National Forest, outside of Newport. “We lived in a fairly remote area. I was a wild child running around in the woods with my partially-tamed sister and brothers.” Eden’s parents were both public school teachers who taught Outdoor School and an open curriculum, multi-level classroom pilot project designed to promote creative and rapid learning from peers. “I grew up playing and learning in streams and forests. A part of me just needs to be outside. Working in conservation helps me preserve our precious natural resources so my child can have these experiences too.”

Goals

Eden enjoys his work with the District. He hopes that he can help landowners limit polluted run off and develop scale-appropriate plans for their properties. These plans focus on utilizing, protecting, and preserving our local water resources. He continues to build his knowledge so he can offer landowners the most current, science-backed technical support. He looks forward to helping folks with their livestock, forestry, and wildlife habitat concerns.

A Clackamas County resident, he enjoys learning about local history and is excited about the development of the District’s demonstration farm at the Conservation Resource Center in Beavercreek. “This will be our opportunity to be a good influence by example. Small acreage users will truly benefit from being able to see our practices in action.”