NOMINATE YOUR NEIGHBOR FOR THE 2025 ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP AWARD PROGRAM
Nominations are now being accepted for the Environmental Stewardship Award . This highly celebrated award recognizes outstanding stewardship and conservation practices of producers across the U . S .
“ Every day , cattle producers across the country are implementing stewardship practices that improve wildlife habitat and protect the environment for generations to come ,” said NCBA President Mark Eisele . “ This distinguished award is our opportunity to celebrate their hard work and share those efforts with fellow producers .”
Any individual , group or organization is eligible to nominate one individual or business raising or feeding cattle . Individuals and families may not nominate themselves , although nominees may be involved in the preparation of the application . Past nominees are encouraged to resubmit applications ; however , previous winners may not reapply .
Along with a typed application , one nomination letter and three letters of recommendation highlighting the nominee ’ s leadership in conservation are required . There is a new earlier deadline of Feb . 17 , 2025 . Nominees do not have to be members of NCBA but should support the objectives of their state and national organization .
Award winners are selected by a committee of representatives from universities , cattle production , conservation organizations as well as federal and state agencies . For guidance , the judges consider the management of water , wildlife , vegetation , air and soil along with leadership abilities and the sustainability of the business . Regional winners will be recognized at CattleCon 2026 in Nashville , Tennessee , in February 2026 , and the national winner will be announced later in 2026 .
The Environmental Stewardship Award Program is an initiative of the National Cattlemen ’ s Beef Association and the National Cattlemen ’ s Foundation and is made possible with generous support from USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service ( NRCS ), Corteva Agriscience , and U . S . Fish and Wildlife Service . For more information and to download the nomination packet , visit www . environmentalstewardship . org .
14 NATIONAL CATTLEMEN www . NCBA . org