Professional Development at the Environmental Learning Center

Designed and led by Oregon Department of State Lands (DSL) staff, this training will provide participants with an in-depth understanding of how SFAM was developed and how to apply the method. 

SFAM 2.0 was released in Fall 2024. Recently available data and research have been incorporated to improve standard performance indices for several measures of function. New and updated data layers were added to the ORWAP and SFAM Map Viewer to improve some measures of value. Additionally, Version 2.0 reflects edits and corrections stemming from user input received since SFAM Version 1.1 was released in April 2020. All SFAM components have been updated to reflect these edits as well as to provide current data and information. SFAM 2.0 provides a standardized, rapid, function-based method for assessing stream functions statewide. This method is intended to further federal and state regulatory objectives by informing compensatory mitigation planning. SFAM is required for removal-fill Individual Permits as of July 1, 2019.

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Registration closes Friday, Aug. 22

Training schedule

Tuesday, Sept. 9 | 9 a.m. – noon
Virtual Classroom

The virtual session will cover a brief overview of the background and principles used to develop SFAM, context for understanding SFAM value and function scores, guidance on filling out the office form, a tour of information available on Oregon Explorer including how to create and use an SFAM report, and an overview of answering field component questions.

Please Note: Class on ­­­Sept 9 will not review the topics covered in the video. However, we will have time to answer questions about information in the video. Please make a note of any questions you may have while watching.

Wednesday, Sept. 10 | 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Field Day at Bush’s Pasture Park in Salem

Attendees will spend most of the day in the field, getting hands-on experience answering SFAM field questions. Field groups will be made up of 8-9 participants, with each group led by two trainers.

Thursday, Sept. 11 | 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Virtual Classroom follow up with Q&A

Instructors

The training team is comprised of DSL staff members who participated in the development of the SFAM assessment methods, and/or review SFAM assessments submitted to DSL. All are involved with providing expert input and comments used to continually improve SFAM. USACE staff will participate as trainers as their schedules permit.

Learning outcomes:

Upon completion of this workshop students should be able to:

• Explain the guiding principles and processes used to develop SFAM.
• Understand the various aspects of an SFAM assessment:
  - Background information and equipment needed.
  - General idea of time required to complete an assessment.
  - Materials and documents needed for field.
• Describe how the method works.
• Determine office related SFAM measurements and complete the SFAM Calculator’s Office Form using the online SFAM Map Viewer.
• Complete the SFAM Calculator’s Office Form and office related SFAM measures using the online SFAM Map Viewer tool.
• Accurately answer questions on the SFAM Field Form.
• Confidently complete an SFAM in the field.

Professional Credit:

Clackamas Community College, 1.4 CEU (14 PDH), Award of Completion will be provided.

This one-day workshop will provide a broad survey of federal and state law and policy pertaining to wetlands and waterways, from historical beginnings to present day issues. The primary audience is environmental professionals working in wetlands, aquatic resources, watershed management or related fields. Others who are active in environmental issues may also find the workshop informative.

Upon completion of this workshop students should be able to:

• Explain the basic provisions of key federal and state laws protecting wetlands and waterways, and regulating activities within them.
• Explain the historical, political and social/cultural underpinnings of wetland and waterway conservation.
• Explain basic concepts such as the Public Trust Doctrine, "navigability" and Oregon's "paramount policy."
• Describe the respective reach of federal and state jurisdiction in regulating wetlands and waterways.
• Explain the most recent US Supreme Court decision on federal jurisdiction over "Waters of the US".
• Approach wetland delineation, permitting and mitigation planning with greater confidence.

Instructor

Phil Quarterman has over 40 years of experience as a wetland scientist, working in local and state government. He has worked in consulting with WHPacific, Inc since 1995. Phil has worked on many types of projects delineating and assessing wetlands, obtaining state and federal permits, and crafting and implementing wetland mitigation plans. His fieldwork has taken him to diverse wetland types from alkaline wetlands in arid areas of Oregon and Nevada, to Oregon estuaries, to the tundra and boreal forests of Alaska.

He has been teaching Society of Wetland Scientists certified classes on wetland delineation for the past six years in locations from Portland to Walla Walla, WA to Anchorage, AK.

Professional Credit

• Clackamas Community College, .65 CEU (6.5 PDH)
• Award of Completion will be provided.

Date and Location

• Thursday, November, 21, 2024 | 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. (in person or Virtual)

Cost

• Standard: $225
• Student/AmeriCorps: $125
• Reduced Price: $160 (limited)

Reduced Pricing: We have a limited amount of funds available that can reduce the cost of your registration. These dollars are for those with limited resources. If you are interested in applying, please select the "Apply for Reduced Pricing" ticket and we will follow up with you.

Questions? Email Continuing Education Coordinator, Bethany Wray at: Bethany.Wray@clackamas.edu.

This workshop will provide an overview of vegetated stormwater facilities (bioswales, raingardens, etc.), how they function, management considerations, and strategies for long-term viability. Participants will learn about regulatory requirements, such as record-keeping and inspections, and learn how to evaluate and properly maintain the plants and other system components. The intended audience includes landscapers, regulatory inspectors and public works/stormwater maintenance personnel. The field portion of class includes practice inspecting a facility, identifying problems, record-keeping and communication with the customer.

Instructors

• Todd Blossom, Owner & Operator, Blossom, a full-service landscaping company, certified in permaculture design
• Kate Forester, Licensed Landscape Architect with 16 years of experience in natural resource management
• Rob Livingston, Technical Services Specialist, Watershed Protection Division, Clackamas Water Environment Services
• Brian Monnin, Engineer III-stormwater permit coordinator, City of Camas
• Gail Shaloum, Technical Services Coordinator, Clackamas Water Environment Services

Professional credit

• Clackamas Community College, 1.25 CEU; 12.7 CEH
• Award of Completion will be provided

Date

• Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025 | 8 a.m. - 4:45 p.m. 
• Friday, Jan. 31, 2025 | 9 a.m. - Noon or 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. 
  (On Friday, the class will be split in two. You will be scheduled for one of these times.)

Cost

• Standard: $220
• Student/AmeriCorps: $110

Reduced Pricing: We have a limited amount of funds available that can reduce the cost of your registration by 30% for those eligible. These dollars are for those with limited resources. If you are interested in applying, please select the "Apply for Reduced Pricing" ticket and we will follow up with you.

Thank you to our program sponsors and partners: Clackamas Water Environment Services, City of Camas, and Herrera Environmental Consultants.

Questions? Email Continuing Education Coordinator, Bethany Wray at: Bethany.Wray@clackamas.edu.

This workshop will introduce the science and protocol of wetland delineation. The intended audience includes environmental professionals who work with wetlands, streams and watershed management. Participants will learn about standard methodology, data sources, wetland indicators and regulations, as well as the practical components of an onsite inspection.

Lecture: Consists of 18 hours of classroom instruction, including an open-book test.

Field practicum: Provides hands-on experience in the practice of wetland delineation. Participants will work with the instructor to conduct a comprehensive assessment of a wetland site, practicing the identification of wetland indicators and learning the practical components of an onsite investigation. Consists of 6.5 hours of field practicum.

Lunch and snacks are provided.

Instructor

Phil Quarterman PWS (Emeritus) has 40+ years of experience as a wetland scientist, working in local and state government and since 1995 in consulting with WHPacific, Inc. He has worked on many types of projects delineating and assessing wetlands, obtaining state and federal permits, and crafting and implementing wetland mitigation plans. Phil’s fieldwork has taken him to diverse wetland types from alkaline wetlands in arid areas of Oregon and Nevada, to Oregon estuaries, to the tundra and boreal forests of Alaska.

He has been teaching Society of Wetland Scientists certified classes on wetland delineation for the past six years in many locations including Portland, Walla Walla, WA and Anchorage, AK.

Professional credit

• Clackamas Community College, 2.45 CEU (24.5 PDH) for full workshop
• 0.65 CEU (6.5 PDH) for field practicum only
• Award of Completion will be provided, which may be submitted to SWSPCP or other certifying agencies.

Date and location

You may choose to do the lecture and field practicum, or field practicum ONLY, depending on your needs.

• Lecture: March 17-19, 2024 | 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Environmental Learning Center at CCC
• Field practicum: March 20, 2024 | 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. | Three Creeks natural area, adjacent to CCC Harmony campus

Cost

• Lecture and field practicum: $600
• Field practicum only: $235
  Please note: Students are expected to have a basic working knowledge of the wetland delineation process prior to taking this field practicum.
• Student/AmeriCorps lecture and field practicum: $300
• Limited scholarships: We have a limited number of scholarship dollars available that reduce the cost of registration for those eligible. These dollars are for those with limited resources.

Questions? Email Continuing Education Coordinator, Bethany Wray at: Bethany.Wray@clackamas.edu.

Thanks to our sponsor Clackamas Water Environment Services!

This workshop will cover the basic principles of tree preservation for numerous professions involved in property development and construction projects (e.g. consulting and municipal arborists, tree care workers, engineers, architects, planners, real estate developers, and sitework construction trades). A multi-disciplinary approach is emphasized, because careful coordination throughout all phases of construction helps to ensure the successful preservation of existing trees. Consulting arborists will share the process as laid out in the newest edition of "Managing Trees During Site Development and Construction Best Management Practices". They will also review real-world project examples, as well as some that presented opportunities for improvement.

Date and location

• Friday, April 11, 2025
• Environmental Learning Center at Clackamas Community College, Oregon City campus

Upon completion of this workshop students, should be able to

• Communicate the importance of trees and the benefits of preserving trees during construction.
• Identify and implement regional tree protection codes.
• Outline strategies for protecting trees in each phase of development.
• Follow best management practices to collect necessary tree data during the planning phase to develop a tree preservation plan.
• Articulate why a collaborative approach is required to protect existing trees from damage during construction.

Instructors

Ryan Gilpin is the principal consultant at Nidus Consulting in Portland. He specializes in tree and construction projects, completing hundreds of projects and training several consulting arborists along the way. He is chair of the Tree Care for Birds Committee. He is co-author of two Best Management Practices: "WCISA’s Tree Care for Birds" and "ISA’s Managing Trees During Construction BMPs".

Kyle Offerdahl has been practicing arboriculture since 2007. He is the president of General Tree Service and owner/principal at Pacific Consulting Arborists. He is an ASCA Registered Consulting Arborist, a Board-Certified Master Arborist®, ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualified, ISA Certified Arborist Municipal Specialist, and he is Tree and Plant Appraisal Qualified through ASCA.

Jennifer Killian (she/her) is a Community Assistance Forester for Oregon Department of Forestry. In her home state of Wisconsin, Jennifer’s interest in municipal forestry was sparked while working for the state Department of Agriculture’s Emerald Ash Borer team, which discovered the beetle for the first time in 2008. She is an ISA Certified Arborist, Qualified Tree Risk Assessor and certified in Wildfire Risk Reduction. Outside of work, Jennifer enjoys being a semi-professional cake baker, triathlete, heart attack survivor, and her favorite role, new mom.

Professional credit

• Clackamas Community College, 0.7 CEU (7.0 PDH)
• OLCB, CEH, ISA:  7.0
• Award of Completion will be provided.

Cost

• Standard - $250
• Student/AmeriCorps - $125

There are limited amounts of funds available that can reduce the cost of registration by 30% for those eligible. These dollars are for those with limited resources. If you are interested in applying, select the "Apply for Reduced Pricing" ticket and we will follow up with you.

Questions? Email Continuing Education Coordinator, Bethany Wray at: Bethany.Wray@clackamas.edu.

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Day 1: April 24, 2025 | 8 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. (6.5-hour Lecture (class) with 30 min. lunch)

Day 2: April 25, 2025 | 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. (7.5-hour Field Practicum with 30 min. lunch)

This hands-on, two-day workshop is designed to improve the ability of field staff to identify local species of fish, and to use the resulting data for assessment of waterway health. Participants will learn to identify species commonly encountered in this region, practice using various sampling gear and techniques, and determine best approaches to analyzing the data.
Day two of class will be spent in the field collecting and identifying fish in a local waterway.

Format: 
Day one will be at the ELC, and includes a sampling gear overview and prep for the next day. Day two is a full-day field trip to a PGE facility and/or juvenile salmon screw trap. In the afternoon we will head to an off-site location to practice collection & identification using electroshocking and/or seining (for warm water species).

Upon completion of this workshop students should be able to:

• Accurately identify ~ 45 local fish species by using key morphological characteristics.
• Use standard techniques and equipment to properly collect, identify & count specimens.
• Explain how the goal might influence the approach to sampling fish populations in local waterways.

Instructors

John Cox | Hydro Program Biologist, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Clackamas

Kevin Stertz | Assistant District Fish Biologist, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Clackamas

Buddy Phibbs | Salmon and Trout Enhancement Program (STEP) Biologist, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Clackamas district

Professional Credit

• Clackamas Community College, 1.4 CEU (14 PDH)
• Award of Completion will be provided

Date and Location

• April 24th: In person Lecture at the Environmental Learning Center
• April 25th: Field Practicum | Full-day Field Trip Sites:
  Timber Park: 30878 NW Evergreen Way, Estacada
  Sandy Fish Hatchery – Cedar Creek Screw Trap (39800 SE Fish Hatchery Rd, Sandy)
  Field sampling location (TBD)

Cost

• Standard: $375
• Student/AmeriCorps: $185
• Reduced Price: $160 (limited)

Reduced Pricing: Due to sponsor support, we have a limited amount of funds available that can reduce the cost of your registration. These dollars are for those with limited resources. If you are interested in applying, please select the "Apply for Reduced Pricing" ticket and we will follow up with you.

Register Now

Training Schedule
Half-day virtual classroom: May 5th, 2025 | 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Full field day at Fairview Wetlands in Salem: May 7th, 2025 | 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Half-day virtual classroom Q&A follow up: May 8th, 2025 | 12-3 p.m.

This Clackamas Community College Environmental Learning Center workshop is in partnership with Oregon Department of State Lands.

Learn to assess the functions and values of wetland sites using the Oregon Rapid Wetland Assessment Protocol (ORWAP) Version 3.2. ORWAP provides a standardized, rapid, function-based assessment method that can be used for the majority of wetlands found across Oregon. This method furthers federal and state regulatory objectives by informing compensatory mitigation planning. Use of ORWAP is required for removal-fill individual permits as of July 1, 2019.

Designed and led by Oregon Department of State Lands staff, this training will provide participants with an in-depth understanding of how ORWAP was developed and how to apply the method. The training includes two virtual classroom sessions and one field day in Salem.

Instructors

The training team is comprised of DSL staff members who participated in the development of the ORWAP assessment methods, and/or review ORWAP assessments submitted to DSL. All are involved with providing expert input and comments used to continually improve ORWAP. USACE staff will participate as instructors as their schedules allow.

Training Overview

• Half-day virtual classroom
  
  • The virtual session will cover a brief overview of the background and principles used to develop ORWAP, context for understanding ORWAP value and function scores, guidance on filling out the office form, a tour of information available on Oregon Explorer including how to create and use an ORWAP report and an overview of answering field component questions.
• Full field day at Fairview Wetlands in Salem
  • You will spend most of the day in the field, getting hands-on experience answering ORWAP field questions. Field groups will be made up of 8-9 participants, with each group led by two trainers. Note: We will have access to restrooms in a nearby building. The later part of the day will be in a nearby classroom to go over ‘Stressor’ questions, recap what was covered in the field and answer any questions.
• Half-day virtual classroom Q&A follow up
  • We find a short gap between the field day component and the follow up Q&A is useful. This provides time for attendees to synthesize the material and formulate questions.

Major topics

• ORWAP and Compensatory Wetland Mitigation
• Oregon Explorer "ORWAP and SFAM Viewer"
• ORWAP Office Forms
• ORWAP Field Forms
• ORWAP Stressor Forms
• Field Practicum

Learning outcomes

Upon completion of this workshop students should be able to:

• Explain the guiding principles and processes used to develop ORWAP.
  
• Understand the various aspects of an ORWAP assessment:
  • Background information that can help inform field answers.
  • General idea of time required to complete an assessment.
  • Documents needed for field.
• Describe how the method works.
• Determine office related ORWAP measurements and complete the ORWAP Calculator’s Office Form using the online ORWAP Map Viewer.
• Accurately answer questions on the ORWAP Field Form.

Professional credit

Clackamas Community College, 1.4 CEU (14 PDH), Certificate of Completion will be provided.

Register Now

2-Day lecture/field experience

This intermediate level workshop is designed to equip wetland practitioners with the plant ID skills needed to successfully work in and around wetlands in the Western Mountains, Valleys, and Coastal region in western Oregon and Washington. Through the use of simplified vegetative keys and by learning the key identifying features, students will have confidence to identify the most important plant species in the wetland delineation process. Plant terminology necessary for proper use of identification keys will be covered. The course includes both lecture and field practicum.

Lunch is provided both days.

Instructor

Phil Quarterman PWS (Emeritus)

Phil has 40+ years of experience as a wetland scientist, working in local and state government and from 1995-2020 consulting with WHPacific, Inc. Since then he has continued to be active in part time consulting for Winterbrook Planning and volunteering with The Wetland Conservancy. He has worked on many types of projects delineating and assessing wetlands, obtaining state and federal permits, and crafting and implementing wetland mitigation plans. 

Professional credit

• Clackamas Community College, 1.3 CEU (13 PDH), Award of Completion will be provided.

Date and location

Day 1: June 2nd | 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. (6-hour Lecture with 30 min. lunch)
Day 2: June 3rd | 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (7-hour Field Practicum with 30 min. lunch)

• Lecture: Lakeside Hall at Environmental Learning Center, CCC, Oregon City Campus, 19600 Molalla Avenue, Oregon City, OR 97045
• Field Practicum: Three Creeks Natural Area adjacent to CCC, Harmony Campus

Cost

• Standard: $400
• Students: $200
• Limited scholarships: We have a limited number of scholarship dollars available that reduce the cost of registration by 30% for those eligible. These dollars are for those with limited resources.

Register Today!