About the Siuslaw Insitute

Johnny Sundstrom

Organization

The Siuslaw Institute is incorporated under the laws of the State of Oregon as a nonprofit corporation with reporting responsibilities to the Charitable Activities Section of the State’s Department of Justice.

BOARD of DIRECTORS:

Robert Jacobs, (Treasurer) Eugene/Deadwood
Marla McEldwney, Corvallis OR
Yardenna Hurwitz, Los Angeles, CA

FOUNDER and EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Johnny Sundstrom,Deadwood, OR,
The Institute also employs additional contractors who are hired for specific projects and activities. These include:

Educations and Media Specialist:
Kate Harnady, Deadwood, OR

Webmaster:
Jon Penhallurick, Swisshome, OR

Program Director and Primary Researcher:
Shiloh Sundstrom,Deadwood, OR
(Deceased 2015)

Chronology of the Siuslaw Institute, Inc.(highlights)

1994 – Incorporation, by-laws, Board formed, and introductory community meetings held for information and input.

1994-5 – Joint conference and projects with the University of Oregon’s Art, Architecture, and Landscape.

1994-00 – Facilitation of Deadwood Creek CRMP (Coordinated Resource Management Plan)

1997-05 – Managed Deadwood Creek Enhancement Project: over $300,000 in restoration.

1998 – Full-scale theatrical production of Anton Chekhov’s “Uncle Vanya”

1998 – Mapleton Schools Natural Resource Education Project.

1998-9 – Oregon Dept. of Fish Wildlife stream project monitoring.

2000 – Triangle Lake Campground streambank repair. (w/Salmon-Trout-Enhancement-Program)

2001 - Mapletom School Native Plants Nursery established.

2002 – Karnowsky Creek project initiated, and stewardship contracting Siuslaw Pilot authorized both activities with US Forest Service and others.

2003 - Provided – US Forest Service Stewardship Contracting: monitoring publishing services, and facilitation of Siuslaw Stewardship Group

2004 – International Thiess RiverprizeWinner (with partners: Siuslaw Watershed Council, Siuslaw Soil Water Conservation District, Siuslaw National Forest.

2005 – Began coordinating the Sakhalin Russian – Siuslaw Salmon Partnership's Restoration project. US partners visited Sakhalin Island biologists and managers visited the US.

2006 - Participated and presented at Riversymposium (Brisbane, Aus.) Introduced concepts of Watershed Councils at the inaugural Sakhalin Salmon Initiative conference held in Yuzhno-Sakalinsk Russia.

2007 - Began working with Rural Voices for Conservation Coalition as member of Private-Lands Working Group

2008 - Hosted visit of 8 Russian (Sakhalin) elected officials, teachers and others to study Restoration and Watershed Councils first-hand. Arranged meeting between visitors and local tribes.

2009 - Developed an innovative NEPA process for the Forest Service's FiveMile-Bell Landscape Restoration project. and began partnering with Ecotrust to provide local contractors collecting existing-conditions data and historical references.

2010 - Distributed Institute publication of "Restoration of the Land and its People" (study of conservation needs and opportunities in the John Day Basin). Continued FiveMile-Bell project working with US Forest Service Task Force.

2011 - Assisted Wild Salmon Center in continuing formation and development of 8 Public Salmon Councils in the Russian Far East. Hosted nine representatives of these Councils in western Oregon for shared learning and exchange.

2012 - Helped in the development of Bolshaya Council, Kamchatka Peninsula, and attended their first-ever Kamchatka Regional Salmon and Community Festival.The Institute-managed FiveMile-Bell NEPA work with the Siuslaw Forest was selected by White House Council on Environmental Quality as one of 5 national Pilots for innovative and streamlined approach to NEPA.

2013 - Two national Webinars held with partners on FiveMile-Bell NEPA work. FiveMile-Bell implementation work begins with road repairs and valley re-grading. Johnny elected Chair of the national Joint Forestry Team. Bolshaya Council a RiverPrize Finalist!

2014 - Continued to administer and manage contracts for FiveMile-Bell, and manage the Natural Resources program at the Mapleton Schools. Also hosted one of Shiloh's Kenyan partners for presentations to local tribes.

2015 - Worked to renew and revive RVCC as a dynamic contributor to solution-based natural resources policy for the West. Hosted Russian visitor, Albina Morilova, for the second time for presentations to additional tribers. Shiloh was killed by a hit-and-run driver while walking home late at night along the highway outside of Corvallis. THe next Spring, Shilo was awarded a posthumous PhD. by Oregon State University (0SU)

2016 - Co-produced with OSU, a Symposium honoring Shilo and his work: "The future of Pastoralism in an Era of Rapid Change." Attended by over 130 western ranchers, Maasai pastoralists, academics, and public.

2017 - The institute received a $15,000 grant from Colorado State University's Center for Collaborative Conservation to gather a Team Kenya of 13 people for travel to Maasailand in Kenya, there to carry on and update Shiloh's research, and maintain his very strong connections. OSU Department of Geography and Human Engineering contributed funding and expertise. also, the final amount needed was raised to qualify for a $25,000 Endowment Scholarship in Shiloh's name with the OSU Foundation. The annual award will be given in perpetuity to a deserving graduate student pursuing similar research subjects as Shilo's.

The Siuslaw Institute, Inc.

Watershed Arts, Science and Health

Organization

Chronology of the Siuslaw Institute, Inc.(highlights)