Capturing Montana’s Ranching Legacy and Celebrating Earth Day
Nominations, applications open for Environmental Stewardship Award
Montana ranchers depend on the health of their land and its resources to make a living and support their families.
That means working to protect and improve the environment just makes sense to most cattlemen, Sidney, Montana rancher Jim Steinbeisser says. But ranchers often think of it as ‘good business,’ rather than a particular brand of ‘environmental stewardship.’
Steinbeisser chairs the state’s Environmental Stewardship Award Program task force, a program focused on showcasing how innovative stewardship and good business go hand-in-hand to support the state’s top business. He says the award program is also a place to start an open, honest dialogue in ranching communities and Montana cities about how ranchers care for their land and livestock.
“The Environmental Stewardship Program has now gone far beyond encouraging fellow ranchers to improve the management of our resources,” Steinbeisser said. “Now we want to focus on reaching out to our customers and consumers so we can share what we do on our ranches and how we manage our resources to provide safe, healthy, environmentally friendly food.”
Each year, the Environmental Stewardship Award honors Montana ranchers dedicated to going the extra mile in the conservation, preservation and enhancement of the natural resources of their land. Ranches can be nominated or apply for the award before June 1.
In short, Steinbeisser says, the award celebrates ranchers who have a story to tell about caring for their land and livestock.
That includes a pretty wide range of potential nominees, he adds. Any rancher who is actively working to leave the land better for the next generation would be an ideal candidate.
“Ranchers in general are just humble people… we don’t want to brag or pat ourselves on the back, but that’s not what this award is about,” he says. “It’s about sharing the facts about environmental stewardship and the story behind why it matters so much to us. We know it’s imperative for our livelihoods that we reach out to our customers and show them what we do and how we do it, and to encourage our fellow ranchers to do the same.”
Winners of the Environmental Stewardship Award are often honored for their innovative grazing practices, a focus on water quality and range monitoring, working to enhance fish and wildlife habitat, riparian restoration, native plant restoration, erosion control, cooperative partnerships with local, state and federal agencies, improving cow production while lowering input costs or hosting education tours or other outreach from the ranch.
“These may be things you’ve been doing for decades, or building on for generations. Or, maybe you’re implementing new, innovative ideas to turn a piece of land around or protect yourself from natural disaster,” Steinbeisser says.
The award nomination process is a good opportunity for county conservation districts, water districts, wildlife organizations or other local and state agencies focused on conservation and multiple land use to recognize partnerships with ranchers who help them accomplish mutual goals.
The award is sponsored in a partnership between the Montana Stockgrowers Association, the Montana Beef Council and beef producers with Check-off dollars, and the World Wildlife Fund.
Nominations and applications can be submitted online at www.mtbeef.org before June 1. The winning ranch will then have the assistance of a professional writer and photographer to capture their ranch’s story – their family’s legacy of caring for the land and livestock – to use in promotional materials and to represent Montana in the regional Environmental Stewardship Award competition. The winner will be recognized at the Montana Stockgrower’s Annual Convention and Trade Show in Billings this December.
To learn more, visit www.mtbeef.org, or contact Kori Anderson at [email protected] or call (406) 603-4024.
Pictured above is Jim Steinbeisser, MSGA Board member and Chair of the Environmental Stewardship Task Force. Also pictured is the 2016 Montana Environmental Stewardship Award winners Lon and Vicki Reukauf of the Cherry Creek Ranch near Terry, Montana.
