We are celebrating another year in the books! With the new year rapidly approaching, we wanted to take a moment to stop and reflect on our many accomplishments and challenges over the past year. We have been doing a lot of reflection as we work on our end of year reporting and plan for the […]
The Clackamas Soil and Water Conservation District is seeking an experienced General Manager to serve as the chief executive officer of the District. This position acts on behalf of the District Board of Directors and represents the District to public and private customers and partner organizations. The General Manager provides overall leadership for personnel, technical […]
Over the last nine years, the WeedWise program has been blessed with a Clackamas SWCD, General Manager that both understands the adverse impacts of invasive weeds and the importance of managing these weeds to preserve the economic, social, and ecological health of Clackamas County. This month, it is with a heavy heart that we say […]
English holly (Ilex aquifolium) is a popular evergreen frequently noticed during the month of December when festive decorators “deck the halls with boughs of holly”. For many people, the shiny, dark green leaves and red berries of holly are synonymous with the holiday season. This popular plant, however, is not native to Oregon. In fact, […]
After several years of preparation, the Clackamas Soil and Water Conservation District is relocating to our new permanent home in Beavercreek, OR. The multi-year process to develop a permanent home for the District is nearly complete. Our new Conservation Resource Center will soon be ready for our staff to take occupancy. The WeedWise program is […]
The Scourge of Spurge Laurel Spurge laurel (Daphne laureola) is neither a spurge nor a laurel, but rather an invasive plant in the Daphne family. This perennial plant has poisonous berries, spreads aggressively in our native forests, and is increasingly being found in Clackamas County. Native to Europe, spurge laurel was introduced in Oregon as […]
A reality stranger than fiction Straight out of a script from a classic 1950s horror film, a local pond is mysteriously overtaken by multitudes of gelatinous brain-like blobs. These blobs appeared, seemingly overnight to dominate a pond, causing immediate concern from the affected landowner. It is not hard to imagine that if you found these […]
The Thorn in Our Side Himalayan blackberry (Rubus armeniacus) tantalizes us with its sweet fruits in the summer and tortures us with its prickly vines all year long. Also known as Armenian Blackberry, this wide-spread and aggressive weed is native to Armenia and Northern Iran. It is considered an invasive species in many parts of […]
September is the Time to Control Japanese Knotweed Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica) has been called a “nightmare” and a “botanical bully,” and is one of the 100 worst global invaders. These characterizations give you a pretty good idea of just how unwelcome this invasive weed is in our community. Japanese knotweed is fast-growing and hardy, […]
Tansy ragwort has long tormented rural landowners who graze livestock. Horses and cows are especially susceptible to this poisonous weed. In open fields, grazing animals will generally avoid eating tansy ragwort, but in heavily infested pastures they may have few other options. Contaminated hay is particularly a problem because it becomes impossible for feeding animals […]
