2024-11-21T18:16:29-05:00 2024-06-30 853516260 oregon accountability PO Box 2681 Albany OR 97321 990 2023-07-01 911787357 South Santiam Watershed Council SOUT 4431 Highway 20 Sweet Home OR 97386 Shannon Richardson Executive Direc 5413675564 2024-11-20 false true Tom Birch P01878000 5033127329 2024-11-21 2023 2024-10-15 13:58:12Z Shannon Richardson 332988 false X sswc.org X 1997 OR The enhancement and protection of the South Santiam watershed for the social and economic benefit of all who work, live, and play here. 15 14 4 40 0 0 212927 298696 18949 33938 281 354 0 232157 332988 0 0 82708 228370 0 33898 148749 192776 231457 421146 700 -88158 210298 122592 8088 8540 202210 114052 X The enhancement and protection of the South Santiam watershed for the social and economic benefit of all who work, live, and play here. 332585 33938 See Schedule O 332585 true true false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false true 3 0 true 4 true false false false false false false false false false false false false false false X 15 14 true false false false true true false true true false false true true true true true true true false false OR X Natalie Bentz 5413675564 4431 Highway 20 Sweet Home OR 97386 Shannon Richardson Executive Director 40.00 0.00 X 78000 0 3250 Pam Hewitt Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Diane Kaldahl Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Katie Kohl Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Colin McCandless Director 3.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Lance Gatchell Technical Advisor 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Scott Bruslind Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Nancy Gilmore Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Nancy MacHugh Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Scott Marlega Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Edie Knight Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Lee Peterman Vice President 1.00 0.00 X X 0 0 0 Ken Crouse President 2.00 0.00 X X 0 0 0 Natalie Bentz Treasurer 1.00 0.00 X X 0 0 0 Marcia Morse Secretary 1.00 0.00 X X 0 0 0 78000 0 3250 0 false false false 175067 123629 298696 Project Management 110000 33938 33938 33938 354 354 332988 33938 0 354 78000 39000 19500 19500 101499 82347 9433 9719 3291 2670 306 315 45580 36980 4236 4364 3468 3468 9589 9589 9882 9882 8131 8131 Program services 139013 139013 Program supplies 22693 22693 421146 332585 54663 33898 118262 42347 79541 79895 12495 350 210298 122592 8088 8540 8088 8540 X 202210 114052 202210 114052 210298 122592 -88158 0 X false false false X 255370 178470 226947 212927 298695 1172409 255370 178470 226947 212927 298695 1172409 26297 1146112 408 215 161 281 354 1419 11326 11326 1185154 0.96710 0.69520 X RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED Officer directors etc family relationship Part VI line 2 One board member is employed by a private industrial timber company. We have worked with that company to enhance fish passage on lands owned by that company and continue to perform post-project monitoring. One board member is employed by a different private industrial timber company, and we are working with that company to install beaver coexistence devices at the companys expense. Members or stockholder classes and rights Part VI line 6 We began rolling out our new membership program in 2024, and currently have 16 members under our new Bylaws. Members receive periodic communications and notices of events and public meetings. They have the right to vote at annual, regular, or special membership meetings on matters reserved for the members by Oregon law, the Articles, or the Bylaws. Member election for additional members Part VI line 7a The members of the organization elect the members of the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors elects officer positions. Form 990 governing body review Part VI line 11 A copy of the Form 990 was reviewed by the SSWC Treasurer before it was filed. The Operations/Executive Committee then reviews the draft of the Form 990 brought to them by the Treasurer and address any questions, comments, or concerns to the CPA who will be preparing the return. After which, the Form 990 will be brought to the full Board of Directors for a vote affirming/denying the submittal of the final Form 990. Conflict of interest policy compliance Part VI line 12c The Conflict of Interest and Whistleblower policies are provided along with the board handbook and other policies to each new board member. As the council pursues projects, seeks funding, and performs daily operations, any potential for conflict of interests is fully explored and vetted by the Executive Director, Board of Directors, and/or Executive Team of officers. Any board member or member of the public can identify a potential conflict of interest, and all Board of Directors, Officers, and staff are required to disclose potential conflicts of interest and recuse themselves as appropriate and necessary. Concerns regarding conflicts of interest can be expressed to any officer or the Executive Director. There is zero tolerance for retaliatory behavior as described by the whistleblower pollicy, and appropriate action up to dismissal from board service or employment provides protections to whistleblowers. CEO executive director top management comp Part VI line 15a The coordinators length of service, job performance, available budget, and data for comparable positions at outside organizations are gathered by the Operations/Executive committee and recommendations are made to the full board for approval. Governing documents etc available to public Part VI line 19 Available upon request. Part III response or note to any other line in Part III Organizations Mission:The mission of the South Santiam Watershed Council is to involve local people to enhance and protect the natural resources of the South Santiam River watershed for the social, environmental, and economic benefit of all those who live, work, and visit. First Program Accomplishment:During this fiscal year, the SSWC worked four general areas:Restoration (Riparian restoration, fuels reduction, and in-stream habitat enhancement)Education (Salmon Watch, Youth Snorkel, and Outdoor School)Monitoring (project effectiveness and water quality)Executive (Administration, organizational growth, and board development)The South Santiam Watershed Council will turn 30 in 2024, and has spent that time working to build relationships, strengthen partnerships, and achieve landscape level ecologial uplift throughout the basin. Building upon early outreach, small projects, and the power of landowner-landowner communications, SSWC continued to pursue riparian restoration activities in priority subbasins, including treating noxious weedds, planting trees, shrubs, and forbs, and providing essential preparation and maintenance to help ensure success at existing project sites. To date, SSWC has planted several hundred thousand native trees and shrubs in an ongoing effort to improve riparian conditions along multiple creeks.Sites that had been planted in previous years were maintained so as to enhance plant survivial thus ensuring long-term success at plating sites. This involved visiting over 25 properties mutiple times to treat invasive weeds that may have threatened previous plantings. New sites were prepared for future planting by removing noxious plants to create site conditions suitable to planting and generating lists of plant species that are appropriate to the site.This year, SSWC initiated work on an instream wood placement that provides mitigation for impacts from natural gas infrastructure on the mainstem South Santiam. This instream work was delayed due to late, high waters, but was completed in 2023. This project provides an anchor for additional uplands and riparian work in the future. Community education and outreach will figure prominently in this work, with interpretive signs and opportunities for project tours.Some aggressive noxious weeds, including blackberry and knotweed species, can outcompete ripairan vegetetation, reducing shading, woody input, and habitat for aquatic terrestrial animals. SSWC was able to contract a team to complete a fourth year of a treatment for knotweed in the Crabtree Creek basin. Treatments occurred on industrial timber, federally-managed and private lands. Of the landowners and managers we contacted in the project area, nearly 50% responded to accept treatement. This high response rate is due largely to the work that the council has done within the service area to build relationships and ensure a positive experience working with the council. Knotweed treatment will continue on a less-frequent basis in Crabtree Creek, and we intend to pursue funding to conduct similar work in a neighboring basin.The two primary monitoring activities we conducted were photo point monitoring of existing projects and stream temperature monitoring at priority locations. Photo points are photographs taken at the same location over successive years. The photos, along with a short narrative, help document changes in site conditions and are useful in telling the story of the project. Stream temperature is a major driver of aquatic ecosystems and an indicator of watershed health. Monitoring water temperature allows the SSWC to measure the effectiveness of projects over a long time period. Previous funding allowed for seasonal monitoring. Due to successfully securing a multi-year grant to support water temperature monitoring, we are looking forward to another 4 years of monitoring, and transitioning to annual (year-round) monitoring, which will capture more accurate and nuanced changes in stream temperature over time.Other Program Accomplishments:The SSWC continues to work with the US Forest Service, Sweet Home Ranger District, and local schools to bring watershed education programs to students in our service area. The programs include Outdoor School, Salmon Watch, Youth Snorkeling, and a paid internship program that provides graduating high schoolers with an opportunity to work with a variety of US Forest Service employees and learn about career options in natural resources. We are grateful for the ongoing support and engagement from state, federal, and local agencies and entities, organizations and individuals as we continue to refine educational opportunities for the communities we serve.In 2023, the South Santiam and North Santiam Watershed Councils shared a staff member who was instrumental in helping us make progress on interagency collaboration around wildfire risk reduction , wildfire recovery, and outreach. This work included many wildfire-related topics including fuels reduction, creating defensible space around dwellings and other buildings, and managing shaded fuel breaks across ownerships, especially where pricate timber is adjacent to public lands. A major achievement of this work was our role in helping Linn County complete their Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP). We are now sitting on a team that is seeking a multimillion dollar collaborative grant to begin working toward goals within the newly adopted CWPP.