2015 Regional Environmental Stewardship Award Winners Named

(July 16, 2015) – Seven families were honored today for their outstanding land management practices during the 2015 Cattle Industry Summer Conference. The Environmental Stewardship Award Program (ESAP) honors the efforts of farmers and ranchers who are dedicated to maintaining and improving their lands to ensure that they are productive for future generations. ESAP is celebrating its 25th anniversary during the year ahead. Regional and national award recipients serve as role models among their peers in the farming and ranching community, ensuring that the innovative conservation practices are widely adopted by other land managers. Cattlemen and women are America’s original stewards of the land and the ESAP award honors their ongoing efforts to protect the environment. The program is sponsored by Dow AgroSciences, USDA-NRCS, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Tyson Foods, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and the National Cattlemen’s Foundation. The 2015 regional winners are: Valley View Farms, Harrisonburg, Va.; Bull Hammock Ranch, Fort Pierce, Fla.; Glenn and Bev Rowe, Lorimor, Iowa; 6666 Ranch, Gutherie, Texas; American Fork Ranch, Two Dot, Mont.; Maggie Creek Ranch, Elko, Nev.; and Kopriva Angus, Raymond, S.D.“The cattlemen and women who we honor here this evening represent the very best traditions of American agriculture’s commitment to protecting and improving the environment for this and future generations,” said NCBA President Philip Ellis. “These men and women understand the importance of protecting our nation’s land, air and water resources. They know first-hand that implementing the practices which improve habitat also benefit the bottom line of individual operations. ”For the past quarter century the Environmental Stewardship Award Program has honored one operation from each of seven regions spanning the United States. Recipients of regional awards are then forwarded for consideration for the National Environmental Stewardship Award which is announced during the Annual Cattle Industry Convention. This year’s national award winner will be announced in San Diego, Calif., on Jan. 27, 2016, in conjunction with the Environmental Stewardship Award Program’s 25th anniversary celebration.