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Sheryl M. Stohs

Electronic Portfolio 2010

Professional Background

Resume – Short Format

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Environmental Issues of Interest

Protecting Waters

Climate Change

Elimination of Toxic Substances

Partnerships

Clean Up Superfund Sites

Expanding the Conversation of Environmentalism for EJ

Newell Creek Landscape Changes: As Seen Through the Eyes of Contemporary Pioneers

Sheryl Stohs, Graduate Student, Major Professor: Sunil Khanna, Mentor: John KeeleyEnvironmental Sciences Graduate Program, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon

stohssm@pacificu.eduAbstract

The goal of watershed management is to plan and work toward an environmentally and economically healthy watershed that benefits all who have a stake in it. Using interviews with key informants, this project will focus on landscape changes in Newell Creek Canyon that demonstrate a connection between historical events or changes and social land use. This study will contribute at least one component that would be necessary for appropriate watershed assessment. Narrative experiences states, contemporary pioneers, will help to illustrate this connection.Overview of the Project

This project will address one of the issues relevant to watershed assessment and management. That of the examination of historical perspectives. The approach will be taken is ethnographic interviewing of key informants to provide direction and insight to the problem/issue. An ethnographic interview is a research approach that relies on observations, informal interview, and experiences of events and processes. This approach seeks to understand the culture of people or places (Rossman & Rallis, p.67-68). Correlating these interviews with historical data will determine one component that can be quantified or qualified for assessment. The expected results of this research will be to identify significant contributing factors for assessing and managing Newell Creek Canyon landscape changes. This information will then be recommended for further research in order to document historical landscape changes that can be measured and used for strategic planning.

Key Issue/Problem: How can we identify landscape changes that have a connection with historical events in such a way that their documentation can be applied to watershed assessment and management?

Methodology:

The overall approach what will be used is to provide qualitative interviews with specifically informed residents or landowners of Oregon City or areas in close proximity to Newell Creek Canyon. Their unique experiences and expertise have enabled them to identify some of the historical and physical changes that they have witnessed or experienced in the Newell Creek Canyon. These interviews will provide a roadmap for identifying themes and categories to follow up that are related to the research problem. The selection of the population to interview will typically be forum senior citizens with significant experiences within Clackamas County, preferably those over age 70.

Mr. J.Hwy 213: The county engineer planned to send it along Newell Creek, as the only alternative to skirt the city. The drainage system would allow this without major problems. Jack Parker, a 1941 civil engineering graduate owned Park Place, next to Newell Creek. He gave the property to the state for the Oregon City Bypass…An access agreement was required to give the State the land. The state design on Newell Creek had to be approved by the Oregon State Highway Engineer, C. Baldock Development followed when speculators took advantage of “inside knowledge” of future transportation routes. By the 1920s estimated more than 50% of Old Growth had been cut down

Mr. L.Railroad service began in 1915. The train route was from Oregon City to Molalla, and then to Mt. Angel…At 15th and Main Streets, the train went over a trestle and crossed Newell Creek Canyon. All railroads followed a watercourse, and this was no exception Although the route to the top of the canyon was twice as far, it was the shortest distance to get out of the city due to the steep grade.

Mr. M.My daddy called it the “three times a week” (not reliable) train. Mr. M. was able to help find old plat maps showing the route of the Willamette Valley Southern Railroad through and beyond Newell Creek Canyon.

Historical Changes Affecting the Landscape

Increase in Population Removal of Indians from Land (public policy) Increase in Transportation Needs (economic) Development of Railroad (technology) Decrease in Automobile Prices (economic) Increase in the number of automobiles Unscrupulous Present of Railroad disappeared with investors’ money. Railroad declined

Effects of Historical Changes on

Social Land Use Increase in Farming and Housing development Wasting Old Growth trees as natural Resources Building Roads Development of faster routes Increase in Demand for automobiles; decrease in demand for rail transport More land used for roads and highways Decrease in willingness to invest in public transportation.

Conclusion: The process for watershed assessment should include examining historical perspectives. Historical perspectives and human experiences can be termed the “human resource factor.” New transportation systems still follow old routes. The culture of the past still dictates the culture of the present and the future. Culture of the people is the key component must be considered in order to overcome barriers to environmental planning Attempts to unify around the Newell Creek Canyon watershed face barriers of unwillingness, lack of understanding, and limited resource capacity for making changes due to past history. Newell Creek Canyon is an optimum outlet for transportation, development, and natural habitat, therefore, social, ecological and economic competition will remain

Common ThemesTransportation followed watercourses The most efficient way out of the canyon was through Newell Creek Railroad and Highway Bypass 213 were both “business routes” as well as access to housing developments Technology made previous transportation routes obsolete Transportation followed settlement of people (development) The culture of the past was characterized by

Fear of financial loss Unscrupulous politics The Depression Unethical principles of transportation developers

Definition of Social Land Use

The development of the land for individual, collective, or public purposes.

1,85929,931

57,000

242,000

0

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

1850 1910 1940 1980

Years

Population Changes for Clackamas County

WILLIAMETTE VALLEY SOUTHERN RAILROAD

HIGHWAY 213 BYPASS

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Willamette Valley Southern RR Plat Map

Hwy 213 Bypass Plat Map

References Cited

Rossman, Gretchen B. & Sharon R. Rallis. 1998 Learning in the Field: An Introduction to Qualitative Research . Sage Publications, Inc., Thousand Oaks, California.

Railroad Right of Way

Oregon Journal - January 31, 1915

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Communications

Community Partner of the Year

Collaborating with communities of color and developing trust

gave me a new perspective of how

crucial building partnerships is to gaining mutual

achievement of goals

Co-Authored Journal Article

Health Related Issues

& Experiences of

the Social Environment

Using Cultural Competence to

Improve the Health of Low

Income Beneficiaries

Presented by: Sheryl StohsPrepared for:HCFA Region X Customer Service BranchSeattle, WA

Goal and Objectives

Goal: Apply “Best Practices” for Integrating Cultural Competence

Improving Health with policy, planning and implementation

Keys to Cultural Competence

Strategies for Managed Care

Exploring Unique Situations

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The health of a baby symbolizes the health of our future...

A Changing Situation - Why We Need Cultural Competence

2000 - 25% of U.S. will be minority groups

2050 - 47.5% of U. S. will be ethnic sub-populations

2050 - 22.9% of population will be elderly

2056 - Whites will probably be a minority group

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How Did We Get Here?

Migration & Immigration

Health Care Needs

Economics

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New Approaches

Intervention

Individual responsibility

Behavior changes

Keys to Cultural Competence

Culture

Cultural Competence

Steps to Cultural Competence

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Steps to Cultural Competence…adapted from Cultural Competency Continuum by T. Cross (1989)

Cultural Destructiveness

Cultural Incapacity

Cultural Obscurity

Cultural Open

Cultural Competence

Cultural Proficiency

CultureCultural CompetenceSteps to Cultural Competence

How Does Cultural Competence Work? Cultural Norms

Limitations

Cultural NormsThe 5 W’s...

Who

What

When

Where

Why

Strategies for Managed Care

Policy and Planning

The Role of Data

Changing Behavior

Characteristics of a Successful Strategy

Using Prenatal Data

Make Comparisons

Recognize costs…

Ask the right questions...

Unique Situations offer Opportunities

Seniors

Women

Best Practices for...

Public Administration

Managed Care

Contractors

Use of Interpreters

Best Practices

Staff

Training

Advisors & Partners

Assessment & Evaluation

Meeting Agendas

Value Statements

Policy Changes

Contracting

Problem Solving for Effective Leadership

Sheryl Stohs, Ph. D.Continuous Learning in … environmental justice, multimedia, education, assessment, video production, community theater, music, community coaching