LCREP 2007-09 program support

The agreement provided partial funding for the continuation of both the watershed and the volunteer programs for the Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership (LCREP) during Oregons 2007 - 2009 Biennium. Outcomes for the watershed program include: while the LCREPs traditional newsletter Common Waters was not published a number of other publications were produced, including a monthly e-newsletter; continued maintenance to the Field Guide to Water Quality Friendly Development website; an expansion of the Schoolyard Stormwater Program; coordination of the Lower Columbia Water Trail; the development and maintenance of four Leave No Trace lower Columbia River Water Trail Camp Sites in conjunction with community groups; several Paddle Stewardship clean-up projects; measurable progress towards the finalization of Lower Columbia River Water Trail maps; maintenance to Lower Columbia River Water Trail website; participation on OWEBs North Coast Regional Review Team and Vancouver Lake Partnership Meetings. Outcomes for the volunteer program include: facilitation of a September 2007 two day volunteer monitoring event, and the development of an expanded monitoring outreach effort in lieu of a September 2008 event; the organization of a series of volunteer projects, a number of which were targeted at Girl and Boy Scout troops; integration of volunteer program with Water Trail; work with students (including many from Oregon) on service learning projects.

The project will provide a broad range of stewardship lessons, events, and experiences to students, teachers, and members of the general public. Activities will include classroom lessons, educational field trips, service learning projects, on-river trips, schoolyard stormwater projects, and related activities. Classroom lessons, educational field trips, service learning projects, and on-river trips will increase participants understanding of watersheds, the factors influencing watershed health, the physical and ecological needs of salmonids, and the impact of human activities on salmonid habitat. Service learning projects will engage participants in habitat enhancement projects such as removing invasive plants or planting native trees or shrubs. These projects will educate participants about the role of native plants in healthy watersheds, build stewardship amongst participants for the project sites and natural areas in general, and provide on-the-ground habitat enhancements that may benefit salmonid habitat. Schoolyard stormwater projects will give students and others the opportunity to learn about the impacts of nonpoint source pollution and implement hands-on activities that will infiltrate stormwater runoff at the schoolyard, thereby reducing storm waterrunoff (and its harmful impacts) to local streams and rivers.