OPINION: Honor ranchers for stewardship of environment

Montana ranchers depend on the health of their land and its resources to make a living and support their families. That means that to most of us, working to protect and improve the environment just makes sense.

But we ranchers often just think of it as “good business,” rather than a particular brand of “environmental stewardship.”          

As the chair of our state’s Environmental Stewardship Award Program task force, we’re working to showcase how innovative stewardship and good business go hand-in-hand to support our state’s top business: agriculture. This program is a place to start an open, honest dialogue in ranching communities and Montana cities about how we care for our land and livestock.

Historically, the Environmental Stewardship Program has been focused on sharing ideas between ranchers on how to improve the management of our resources. Now, we want to focus on reaching out to our customers and consumers so you can see for yourselves what we do on our ranches and how we manage our resources to provide safe, healthy, environmentally friendly food for your families and ours.

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. In short, the award celebrates ranchers who have a story to tell about caring for their land and livestock. To do that, we need your help.

Ranches can be nominated or apply for the award before June 1. We would love to see every county in Montana represented in the pool of nominees to showcase the variety of ways ranchers care for our diverse resources.

That includes a wide range of potential nominees: Any rancher who is actively working to leave the land better for the next generation would be an ideal candidate.

Now, here’s where we often run into problems with this program. Ranchers in general are often humble, behind-the-scenes kind of people … we don’t want to brag or pat ourselves on the back. But that’s not what this award is about. 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 share what we do and how we do it, and we want 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 conservation practices you’ve been working toward for decades, or building on for generations. Or, maybe you’re implementing new, innovative ideas to turn a piece of land around after a flood, fire or drought or protecting yourself from natural disaster.

The award nomination process is also 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, where you’ll find contact information for myself and other Environmental Stewardship Award Task Force members.  We look forward to hearing and sharing your stewardship stories.

Steinbeisser, a Sidney rancher, is chair of the Montana Environmental Stewardship Task Force.